Let’s talk about Jack Herer, both the legendary hemp activist and the cannabis strain named after him…

Jack Herer lived his entire life in the midst of the War on Drugs and the nefarious prohibition against the herb, born just after marijuana was made illegal and dying before the long-awaited legalization of his beloved plant.

Jack, who is said to have had a heart of gold, was the writer of the hugely influential book – The Emperor Wears No Clothes, a compilation of everything known about cannabis and hemp up to 1985, when the first edition was published.

I’ve owned two copies of the book (I bought one of the first editions, loaned it out, and never saw it again) and it has been regularly updated, continuously in print for 36 years now.

This is the book that kept me sane while we endured the lies and tragedies of the Drug War. Reading The Emperor Wears No Clothes reminded me constantly that we stood on the right side of history, we had reality on our side. Jack was the first person I read that talked about using marijuana as medicine, about the industrial uses of hemp, about the long and useful history of this amazing plant. Jack also opened my eyes to the various economic forces and corporations that despise the herb, and how they have conspired over the years to keep cannabis and hemp illegal.

I also have a connection to Jack – we share the same birthday, June 18. Odd fact here – everyone I’ve ever known who shares my birthday has also been a big fan of the herb. For instance, Paul McCartney, the famous pot-smoking musician, shares our birth date as well. Weird, but true!

Here’s a link to an article from Ganjapreneur that goes in-depth on Jack Herer, the icon.

Jack Herer – The Strain

Jack Herer, the strain developed by Sensi Seed, a Dutch cannabis company, is a cross of some classics – Haze, a straight up Sativa; Northern Lights #5, an amazing Indica; and Shiva Skunk, another pure Indica that comes from crossing Skunk#1 with Northern Lights #5. That’s an amazing lineage!

Despite all that Indica in the background, Jack is a very balanced plant, about 50/50 on the Sativa/Indica split, and has a huge reputation of a stony, creative, uplifting, and energizing high. I’ve tried Jack a number of times over the years and I would agree that the reputation is well-deserved. Sensi Seeds released this strain in 1994, and it has gone on to win just about every award imaginable since then, which has helped build that reputation into what it is today.

This week we looked at a version of Jack Herer from a brand called Classix. Quite frankly, I bought this one because of the box it came in, which looked like an old cassette tape.

A really cool design idea, in my opinion. I picked this one up at Desert’s Finest in Desert Hot Springs, my go-to dispensary for all my cannabis review needs.

Look and Smell

Once I unsealed the box and got into it, there was a white Mylar bag inside with a clear panel on the back. Looking through the panel I could see that there were some nice looking nugs just waiting to bust out. I was happy to help them escape the bag!

Opening the bag I detected the immediately recognizable smell of Jack Herer! It’s medicinal smelling, in my opinion – full of ammonia-like aromas, a bit antiseptic and piney. A strain that I might mistake this for is Trainwreck – it has a very similar aroma. The terpenes causing this distinct Jack Herer nose in Terpenolene, Myrcene, Beta-Caryophyllene, Ocimene and a few others. Together they create a magical experience and an unforgettable aroma.

Herb like this makes me think of having an exotic meal prepared for me, and I love to revel in the new and interesting flavors I’m experiencing. Taste and smell are such primary senses, they are two of the reasons herb gives us the high it does…

The terpenes in this version of Jack were abundant and caused the herb to be sticky, frosty and a delight to look at… the bag included about four nice-sized nugs – they were very photogenic and photographing them was a pleasure!

The eighth of indoor-grown flowers weighed in at 3.54 grams and the herb tested at 21.98% THC – just what you might expect for Jack Herer… and the cure and freshness – just right!

As I mentioned, these nugs were on the sticky side, especially as I was cutting them up. I handled them gently so the trichomes that contained the precious terpenes didn’t get damaged. I quickly loaded up the bong and got to the heart of the issue…

The Taste and Effects

The taste was classic. Piney, medicinal, but deeply earthy and with a touch of sandalwood. There was something that reminded me strongly of incense or potpourri in the taste. It’s a taste that triggers all kinds of Sativa memories in my mind, because I associate this flavor with smoking a good Haze. After smoking the room was filled with the mix of the classic marijuana smell and this incense aroma… almost floral.

The smoke was thick and smooth, the well-cured nugs smoked beautifully so I quickly dove into a second hit, savoring the Jack Herer experience and knowing the high was about to hit. This strain has about four known phenotypes, or styles that it grows into, depending on the mix of genetics in the seed and growing conditions. Three of those phenotypes are strongly Sativa and one is an Indica. I was curious to see what phenotype showed up…

This one was apparently a Sativa, and it was what I considered a classic Jack Herer. I was energized with a creative vibe, focused and motivated. This was a “get up and do stuff” herb! I was expecting that, and this one delivered… by the time I had taken a fifth hit from the bong I was feeling the full range of what Jack has to offer.

My head was full of creative vibes. Though I was focused on doing the review, my mind was having a stream-of-consciousness party with a number of interesting ideas percolating in my synapses. My mood definitely shifted to an upbeat direction and my day really started to improve, physically.

The physical effects of Jack Herer are well-known, and are recognized by the Dutch authorities to be real, actual medicine. And I like the medicine that Jack provides… my experience with depression includes a lot of body discomfort, aches and pains that are my regular experience. Before starting the review I was in that all-too familiar place of discomfort, but about five minutes after taking the first hit the discomfort disappeared… I forgot about it entirely.

And it stayed away for hours, even after the obvious head effects dissipated. For someone like me, that’s some powerful magic!

The Wrap Up

I definitely recommend this strain for users all across the board, from beginners to the well-seasoned veterans, like myself. For the beginner, here is a Sativa-leaning hybrid that will give you a classic experience. You can learn a lot for smoking this one, and while you’re at it, check out Jack Herer’s book! It’s available FREE to read online!

If you’ve been smoking herb for awhile, then you probably already know Jack, and you don’t need me to tell you try this one, which nails the Jack Herer experience just perfectly. Indica lovers… well, there is a lot of Northern Lights #5 in the lineage of this strain, I suggest giving Jack a try and see if there is enough of that Indica feel on the bottom end, I think there is. Sativa lover – oh my, you know what to do… get down to your dispensary and get Classix’s Jack Herer – you will be happy!

And to all you well-seasoned veterans – I’m mixing up my smoking game and throwing some Jack Herer in my morning bowl… I am definitely glad to be reminded, once again, how fun it is to hang out with Jack!

Until later, best of health.

The Low Down