Jack Herer suffers heart attack

[Caduceus Mercurius]

Author Jack Herer had a heart attack Saturday, after a fiery speech at the Portland Hempstalk Event at Kelly Point Park. He's in critical condition after being operated on for several hours last night and is not awake at this time (September 13).

Ironically, Jack told our Doctor Phil Leveque, an old friend of his in the fight to legitimize and legalize marijuana, that he was feeling better Saturday than he had, "In the ten years."

Event staff came together quickly and called in the paramedic crew that treated Jack in the area backstage where he fell ill. Madeline Martinez, Executive Director of Oregon NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, says Jack didn't look like he felt well after the well received speech, and she told him he should get some water.

Shortly after that he apparently collapsed where he was sitting, and the emergency crews were called in. Bands kept playing and the medical personnel spent a considerable amount of time stabilizing Jack, before loading him in an ambulance and transporting him to the Emanuel Trauma Center in Portland.

Sources report that Jack was in critical condition when he was admitted to the hospital with his son at his side. Soon after that, they were told that he was the victim of a heart attack, a result of arterial blockage.

Jack was was undergoing angioplasty surgery late Saturday.

Jack suffered a stroke several years ago that left him somewhat challenged in terms of speaking, but today more than one person watching him noted that his speech was much clearer than even the year before.

Jack Herer is beyond legendary with popular culture and his book, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" is the largest and first account of the real story of marijuana and the techniques used by big money corporations to demonize and criminalize it.

Here is a short video of Jack just before his heart attack:

 

[Brugmansia]

Anymore more information about his lifestyle?

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

My guess is he lived most of his life like his fellow hippies: vegetarian or vegan. But because of his first stroke in 2000 he's not been very mobile the past 9 years.

Here's an update:

I just now got an update from Jack's assistant regarding his heart attack. He's stabilized in an induced coma. They've got his temperature down and will raise it back to normal in the next two days. The doctors are now saying that they expect him to recover. So things are looking up.

 

[Shamanita]

i've saw a documentary about him few weeks ago, called "the emporer of hemp"

i didn't knew jack herrer was a person before, i always thought it was just a kind of good weed

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

i didn't knew jack herrer was a person before, i always thought it was just a kind of good weed

Hehehe, indeed that's Jack Herer too.

Here is a little more about the man Jack Herer:

Jack Herer (born June 18, 1939) is an American political activist and the author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes (ISBN 0-9524560-0-1) (1985), a book which has been used in efforts to decriminalize cannabis.

A former Goldwater Republican, Herer is now a pro-marijuana and hemp activist. He has written two books, the aforementioned The Emperor Wears No Clothes and Grass. There has also been a documentary made about his life called, The Emperor of Hemp. He believes that the hemp plant should be decriminalized because it has been shown to be a renewable source of fuel, food, and medicine, and can be grown in virtually any part of the world, and that the U.S. government deliberately hides the proof of this. He has devoted his life to the support of cannabis, hemp and marijuana.

Jack Herer also gave his name to a specific strain of cannabis.

Herer ran for United States President twice, in 1988 (1,949 votes) and 1992 (3,875 votes) as the Grassroots Party candidate.

In July 2000, Herer suffered a minor heart attack and a major stroke, resulting in difficulties speaking and moving the right side of his body. Herer mostly recovered, and claimed in May 2004 that treatment with the psychoactive mushroom amanita muscaria was the secret.

On September 12, 2009 it was reported on the internet, mostly by way of Twitter, Facebook, and Blogs that Herer had suffered another heart attack, due to an arterial blockage, backstage at an event during the Hempstalk Festival in Portland, Oregon, and was undergoing an angioplasty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Herer

YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/JackHererTV

 

[adoma]

Somehow this all feels like a conspiracy.
Like someone induced a artificial heartattack (just like some chemicals can induce a artificial stroke!).
I mean, how is it possible that the advocater and the user of a plant/chemical that makes the heart and arteries healthy, gets a frickin heart attack!!

Anyhow i hope his health improves and he's not suffering now. :wink:

 

[darikthomson]

Really Sad, Any more information Jack Herer?

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

"As of September 18th, 2009, contrary to web rumors that he had died, Mr. Herer remains in critical but stable condition in a Portland, Oregon area hospital."

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/09/marijuana_activist_in_critical.html

 

[zezt]

smoking cannabis regularly cannot be good for the heart, especially in the long term because it increases heart rate, and tar etc will block arteries

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

smoking cannabis regularly cannot be good for the heart, especially in the long term because it increases heart rate, and tar etc will block arteries

Just because a senior activist has a cardiovascular disease, or a brain tumor (like Terence McKenna), doesn't mean they got it because of their usage of cannabis or other entheogens. I don't think we should speculate about these matters.

Anyway...

An update:

Paul Stanford, Executive Director of the THCF reported this yesterday, "I just left Jack Herer’s bedside at Portland’s Emanuel Hospital. While I was there, our mutual friend, Tim Pate, played his guitar and sang to him. Tim has been playing for Jack daily for the past week."

"On Tuesday, as Tim played, Jack’s eyes opened for the first time and there has been some progress since then. As I spoke to Jack, his eyes shifted and looked into mine. As Tim plays, Jack’s gaze shifts from watching the guitar strings and watching Tim singing gently."

This last week, Jack has moved his fingers, turned his head from side to side, stretched, yawned, and opened his eyes as Stanford noted.

"Given the circumstances, Jack’s recovery to this point is astounding. Last week, he was in a deep coma with little brain activity. I urge you to continue to pray and send positive energy and thoughts to Jack," added Paul Stanford.

Like others in this type of medical limbo, this is a game of "hurry up and wait" for family and friends. There is no prediction, no promise, no guarantee, but Jack Herer is showing signs he may be getting stronger.

"EEG testing has shown some progress this week," Stanford said, "but I am told there is permanent damage to his heart and brain. Jack is breathing with a respirator and remains in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit."

Source: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/september272009/jackherer_bk_092609.php

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

Hi. This is Jeannie Herer. I will try to keep everyone up-to-date on Jack's condition. I've been really busy with Jack and don't have my computer with me and haven't figured out how to update his website (www.jackherer.com) on the loaner computer yet.

Jack's awake and out of ICU. He's not talking yet or moving around much. He starts physical therapy on Monday.

I just want to thank everyone so much for all the prayers and good wishes. They really seem to be working. Progress will probably be slow so please keep it up.

Thanks everybody.

Love,

Jeannie Herer

 

[spice]

smoking cannabis regularly cannot be good for the heart, especially in the long term because it increases heart rate, and tar etc will block arteries

BALONEY

 

[Guest]

smoking cannabis regularly cannot be good for the heart, especially in the long term because it increases heart rate, and tar etc will block arteries

BALONEY

How come?

 

[Mycophile]

Great news: Jack has left the hospital...

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/inde ... g_sig.html

 

[Shamanita]

R.I.P.

The Hemperor, Jack Herer has Died
Bonnie King Salem-News.com

The global cannabis community mourns the loss of the great Jack Herer.
Jack Herer

The one and only Jack Herer will be missed forever.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The sad news has been confirmed. Jack Herer, 70-year old author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes and renowned around the world for hemp activism, has died at 11:17 a.m. today, in Eugene, Oregon.

Jack Herer suffered a heart attack last September just after speaking on stage at the Portland HempStalk festival. The last seven months have proven to be a huge challenge to the man, with several health issues making his recovery complicated.

Jack Herer's health has been poor lately, this last week there have been reports of the severity, and an outpouring of prayers on his behalf.

"It's shocking news, even after these last seven, trying months," said Paul Stanford, THCF Executive Director.

"Jack Herer has been a good friend and associate of mine for over 30 years. I was there when he had the heart attack at our Hempstalk festival and I know he wouldn’t appreciate the quality of life he's endured these last months. Still he will be greatly missed. I honor his memory."

"No other single person has done more to educate people all across the world about industrial hemp and marijuana as Jack Herer. His book is translated into a dozen different languages, it's a bestseller in Germany," added Stanford.

"The Hempstalk stage will forever be the Jack Herer Memorial stage. And, a Memorial is planned to be built where he fell that day," Stanford said.

"His legacy will continue to inspire and encourage for generations to come."

Jack Herer
June 18, 1939 – April 15, 2010

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/apri ... r_died.php