Jack Herer in perilous condition

After paying fairly close attention for a while, I had lost track of hemp pioneer and author of "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" Jack Herer's medical condition. According to this story by Bonnie King in Salem-News.com, the news is not especially encouraging.

Jack Herer, recall, had a stroke or heart attack at a hemp festival in Portland, OR and was rushed to the hospital in grave condition. He was released, later admitted again, with bronchitis. With renal failure his survival was touch-and-go, but he made it and was moved to a rehabilitative clinic, where he is now. His medical condition has varied -- sometimes he seems to be making real progress, though he isn't able to speak yet, and sometimes he seems to be regressing. Some would like to see him moved to the UCSF Hospital in San Francisco, where they have more cutting-edge treatments available, and which is closer to his Clear Lake home, but it hasn't happened yet.

More bizarre and perhaps tragic is the tussle over who assumes responsibility for his care. He apparently gave Power of Attorney to his assistant Chuck Jacobs and Joy Graves, who have apparently tussled with his wife, Jeannie (I met Jeannie once when visiting Jack in Van Nuys, but I haven't been in touch since he moved to Northern California and I don't know these other people). The word is that Jack was getting ready to divorce her. She apparently put in a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) under certain conditions order with the hospital. It was then revoked but a new one reinstated. Some doubt whether that reflects Jack's true wishes, but he can't communicate those just now.

There's apparenly also discord over a forthcoming book Jack has been working on tentatively titled "The Most High: Plant Secrets of the Gods and Explorations Revealing the End of the World as You Know It." Apparently Jeannie didn't want the book published but Jack did, as did Chuck and Joy, and it was over the book, not his medical condition, that Jack gave them Power of Attorney. With all the issues, there's something of a war going on over how Jack is to be treated. Here's another version.

Sad. Pray for Jack. I was rather close to him for a while -- he talked me into writing the first article in a major "mainstream" newspaper about hemp back in 1988 -- and he's a good man.