Legalizing Weed: 6 Noteworthy Quotes on Industrial Hemp from Jack Herer, 'Emperor of Hemp'

While Jack Herer was known as the godfather of the movement for legalizing weed, did you know that he was also a huge proponent of industrial hemp? In his 1985 book, "The Emperor Has No Clothes," Jack Herer discussed not only the medical and cognitive benefits of marijuana, but also the many uses of the other parts of the hemp plant.

Here are six noteworthy quotes from Herer about industrial hemp.

1. “There is only one plant that can completely substitute for fossil fuel. The plant is an annual that grows in all 50 states. It is the fastest growing sustainable biomass on the planet. It can produce paper, fiber, food, and fuel.”
– Jack Herer, in 1990 High Times magazine interview, discussed uses of industrial hemp

2. “Hemp is, by far, Earth’s premier, renewable natural resource. This is why hemp is so very important.”
– Jack Herer, "The Emperor Has No Clothes"

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3. “Until the 1880s in America (and until the 20th century in most of the rest of the world), 80 percent of all textiles and fabrics used for clothing, tents, bed sheets and linens, rugs, drapes, quilts, towels, diapers, etc., and even our flag, 'Old Glory,' were principally made from fibers of cannabis.”
– Jack Herer, "The Emperor Has No Clothes"

4. “However, because of its strength, softness, warmth and long-lasting qualities, hemp continued to be the second most-used natural fiber until the 1930s. In case you’re wondering, there is no THC or “high” in hemp fiber. That’s right; you can’t smoke your shirt! In fact, attempting to smoke hemp fabric, or any fabric, for that matter, could be fatal!”
– Jack Herer, "The Emperor Has No Clothes"

5. “Hemp is the perfect archival medium. The paintings of Van Gogh, Gainsborough, Rembrandt, etc., were primarily painted on hemp canvas, as were practically all canvas paintings. A strong, lustrous fiber, hemp withstands heat, mildew, and insects and is not damaged by light. Oil paintings on hemp and/or flax canvas have stayed in fine condition for centuries. For thousands of years, virtually all good paints and varnishes were made with hempseed oil and/or linseed oil.”
– Jack Herer, "The Emperor Has No Clothes"

6. “Hempseed oil lit the lamps of the legendary Aladdin, Abraham the prophet, and in real life, Abraham Lincoln. It was the brightest lamp oil.”
– Jack Herer, "The Emperor Has No Clothes"

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