READING TIME - 4 MIN

The Story of Jack Herer

Discover who Jack Herer was, the important role he played in legalization, and more.

He was known as the “Emperor of Hemp,” and during his decades-long career as a hemp activist, Jack Herer stood as a prominent force for legalization long before the idea gained mainstream popularity in the United States. He founded and led the group HEMP, an acronym for Help End M**** Prohibition, and dedicated his life to pulling back the curtain on hemp and its benefits.

Read on and discover even more about this legendary figure and what inspired the collaboration between us and the original Jack Herer cultivator themselves.

What did Jack Herer do?

Herer was an early activist for the medical benefits of hemp and believed it should be embraced not only for its use in the medical field, but as a sustainable and renewable form of fuel, paper, and even food. His progressive stance on the plant seemed to coincide with his general opinions on deregulation, though Herer is most known for both written and spoken arguments in favor of hemp’ use as a force for good both economically and socially.

Jack Herer liked to call out the government, often accusing it of hiding documented evidence of the benefits of the hemp plant and covering up efforts to reveal such evidence. He actually ran for president -- twice -- on a platform that would have brought this stance to the forefront, though he never quite managed to bring in the votes of his competitors in 1988 and 1992 including the eventual winners, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Just after the turn of the century, Herer’s health began to catch up to him. He had suffered a heart attack and stroke in 2000, and famously cited a specific kind of psychoactive mushroom known as the Amanita muscaria as playing a critical role in his recovery. While at the Hempstalk Festival in 2009, Herer suffered another heart attack, and this time he was unable to fully recover. In 2010, Herer died in Eugene, Oregon at the age of 70.

Jack Herer Was An Author Not Afraid to Say It Like It Is

Jack Herer is most celebrated for his book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, which was originally published in 1985. The book offers an in-depth look at hemp, covering everything from its productive uses and benefits to the war to keep it outlawed in the United States and beyond.

He presents evidence accusing the petrochemical industry of staging a massive coverup to prevent the public from understanding the uses -- and sustainability -- of hemp, working to keep it illegal despite these uses, and cites a number of statistics and graphs to make his case.

It’s a compelling story and, should Herer still be with us today, we’re certain he would be at the forefront of the legalization movement and would continue his activism directed at the federal government. Perhaps he’d even work to help the hemp industry have better access to banking.

How Abstrax Honors The Work of Jack Herer

We’re all about the work that Jack Herer did throughout his life to help push CBD, hemp, and hemp-related issues to the forefront of political conversation. Our Signature Series Jack Herer profile stands as a token of our appreciation for Jack’s efforts -- without people like him, we wouldn’t be here.

That being said, it was vital for us to get this particular profile right. For a whole host of reasons, the cannabis industry is still in its infancy. And unfortunately, if you buy Jack Herer in one dispensary and then again in another dispensary, you’re probably going to wind up with two very different products.

That's why we work diligently with those who are as close to the original genetic source as possible, ensuring that the samples we measure are representative of the original cut and were properly grown and cured. We also screen the samples by age, ensuring that the samples we measure are as fresh from cure as possible. From here, we measure the aroma and flavor properties of the sample on our GC×GC instrumentation. After analyzing the data, we then create an initial blend formulation. This blend formulation is then run on our GC×GC instrumentation and compared with the original data of the flower.

From here, we adjust the blend as necessary to minimize differences between the flower sample and the blend formulation as much as possible. After several iterations, the samples are tested by our expert sensory panel to determine how closely the aroma and flavor matches the flower. Once a formulation passes these strict criteria, it is approved as a finalized Signature Series blend – the closest to the original flower sample on the market.

That means our Signature Series Jack Herer profile will consistently provide the authentic aroma, flavor, and effects of the original flower.

Try Our Signature Series Jack Herer Profile Today

We encourage you to not only give our Signature Series Jack Herer profile a try, but to dive into his book while you’re at it. You’re guaranteed to learn a thing or two about hemp and what this wonder plant can do for modern society. Perhaps we’ll catch you at the next Jack Herer Cup in Las Vegas or Amsterdam.

Contact us today and let's talk about using terpenes in your products. Also, don't forget to follow us on Instagram for all the latest updates and industry news.