The Jack Herer Legacy Continues

Today is Dan Herer’s birthday. He is the son of Jack Herer and the one in his family pioneering the way forward to keeping his dad’s legacy alive. For those of you that don’t know who Jack Herer was and think it’s just a strain name, he was an activist, a philanthropist, an author and a cannabis enthusiast. Jack Herer wrote, ‘The Emperor Has No Clothes,’ which has been in print for over 38 years. He advocated for the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana and pushed to educate people that hemp can be used as one of the world’s most renewable resources.

Jack passed away on April 15th, 2010, at the age of 70, and because of his infamy and namesake strain named after him, he will always be remembered in some way. In 2015, on the 5th anniversary of Jack’s death, I met Dan Herer at a High Times Cannabis Cup that my company, Edibles Magazine™, was exhibiting at in Denver, Colorado. He expressed interest in acquiring my expertise to help launch his Herer Hemp products and the Jack Herer Foundation™, and I was happy to help because my mission has always been education.

In the near decade that I’ve known Dan Herer, I’ve seen him collaborate with a great number of people in the industry, many of those seeking to help keep the Jack Herer legacy alive by attempting to profit off it. In that same decade I’ve watched many cannabis businesses go under, give up, get sued, have partnership fallouts and every other business catastrophe you can think of. I often say the cannabis industry is like Silicon Valley meets Sons of Anarchy. During this great wave of the Green Rush much like the Gold Rush, there has been no shortage of villains, blood suckers, back stabbers, and unscrupulous, unsavory business dealings.

If the cutthroat mentality of an emerging industry wasn’t enough, the over-taxation, over regulation and barriers to entry have prevented many legacy operators from staying in business when legalization came. I’ve seen many companies make desperate moves to try to pay their taxes or licensing renewal fees just to stay in business. I’ve watched Dan go through many ups and downs in the squeeze of the California cannabis market. I’ve seen many business partnerships fall apart and not withstand the weight of the pressures to survive.

Dan, like many business owners, has had business disputes. He fought a former partner, Randall Foreman, to maintain the rights to his father’s namesake, The Jack Herer Cup. He filed that lawsuit December 11th, 2019, and four years later on February 7, 2023, the judge awarded Dan Herer’s company Herer Media & Publishing, Inc. over $300,000 in damages and attorney’s fees, which he has yet to collect as Randall has refused to pay up anything.

Of all the battles to fight, Dan won the rights to use his own family name. It’s been his mission to keep his father’s legacy alive so that people remember who he was, but more importantly what he stood for. The kind of legalization we have now is not what he fought for. Businesses are treated like criminals, and governments favor regulations that cater to big businesses like alcohol, tobacco and pharma who are very much heavily involved in the cannabis industry right now. Regardless, it’s been Dan Herer’s mission to produce quality product that reflect the genetics of the original strain Jack Herer, and keeping his father’s image alive so people remember to have a voice and use it.

There is no shortage of those who want to take advantage of others in this world. There will always be a snake in the grass, especially when you have an altruistic vision and cause. This year will be the first year The Jack Herer Cup takes place post judgment. Since Randall Foreman has lost the lawsuit, he has used scare tactics, threats, bullying, trolling, harassment, and has spread misinformation to cause confusion for Jack Herer Brands and affiliated businesses and colleagues.

Today, Dan continues to fight off sore losers, while he celebrates his birthday.

Happy Birthday to Dan Herer! Keep fighting the good fight.

B. Le Grand

Links to the original articles we wrote in 2015 about Jack Herer:

JACK HERER: THE HEMPEROR | Edibles Magazine™

DAN HERER: THE HEMPEROR’S SON | Edibles Magazine™

Link to the 2023 Jack Herer Cup x Edibles Magazine MJBizCon After Party Nov. 29th:

** The Official Jack Herer Cup Website ** (jackherercup2023.com)

For clarification the official Jack Herer handles are: @jackherercup2023 @jackhererbrands @dan.herer @jack_herer_foundation

All photos credit: Edibles Magazine