Mattole Valley Farms Jack Herer: The Perfect Terroir For Terpene-Rich Resin
Close up of a Jack Herer Cannabis Cola with Visible Trichomes
Jack Herer (pronounced hair-er, not her-air), an iconic cannabis strain known around the world, with a rich history that goes back over thirty years. What many may not realize is this strain was named after one of the most well-known cannabis activists of all time. Mattole Valley Sungrown (MVS) is proud to continue Jack Herer’s legacy of activism and to grow his namesake strain on their family farm.
Jack Genetics
Unlike Blue Dream, where the original breeder is unknown and there is no way to confirm the genetics, we do know who bred Jack, and contrary to any rumors, it was not Jack Herer himself. While Herer did not bred his namesake strain, he did love it, saying “Getting high on myself – there’s no other high quite like it!”
Jack the strain was bred by Ben Dronkers, the master breeder at Sensi Seeds (Sensi) and a close friend to Herer. After several years of work to stabilize the strain, it was ready to be tested by rigorous cultivation and smoking. As Sensi tells the story, Jack “was launched in 1994 during a ceremony in The Cannabis Castle… done in the presence of the most important figures in the cannabis industry and, of course, of the man himself.” Over the past three decades, Jack has become “the most awarded strain in the world.” According to Chris Conrad, another close friend to Herer, the strain “was created by Sensi Seeds as a tribute and to fund money to Jack’s family and campaigns.”
Despite knowing who bred it, Jack’s lineage and genetics are a closely guarded secret, the Sensi version of the Coca Cola recipe. What we do know is that it is a “masterful 3-way hybrid” and “a perfect balance between indica and sativa,” which expresses as “four main phenotypes.” Sensi notes that, out of the phenotypes, “Three of them show bold sativa traits, while the remaining indica phenotype, taller and denser, is more of a cash-crop gold mine.”
Jack Flavor Profile, Terpene Profile, and Effects
As you would expect from a strain with four dominant phenotypes, there is a range of possible terpene profiles and flavors, with some similarity between all four. According to Sensi, “The taste of Jack Herer can vary depending on how it was grown. One thing remains true for all phenotypes, and all methods of growing: there is a rich, earthy, skunky taste.” Specifically, Sensi says Phenotype D has a “sharp, rich flavour, similar to fresh hashish.”
On Sensi’s website, they also have comments from growers who are using their seeds, who have described their Jack as having “A gentle taste, creamy, and at times, metallic-skunky” or “an earthy taste that gives you shivers all over.” Based on the terpenes listed on their certificate of analysis, the Jack grown by MVS leans to the earthy, skunky, or spicy side due to high amounts of beta ocimene, beta caryophyllene and beta pinene. You may also be able to detect some sweet floral notes from the terpinolene, beta ocimene, and terpineol.
Jack is regarded as a sativa-dominant hybrid with high THC content, known for its uplifting effects, euphoric effects, producing feelings of mental clarity, and enhanced creativity. While the medical benefits of Jack can vary from person to person, due to its uplifting effects, Jack can be very beneficial for individuals suffering from depression.
Canopy of Jack Colas by Mattole Valley Sungrown
The History of the Hemperor
Now you know about the strain, but what about the man it was named for?
Jack Herer was born in Buffalo, New York, on June 18, 1939. During the Korean war, Herer joined the Army to serve as a translator and military policeman. When he got back home, Herer married and started a family, and ironically, threatened to “leave the first of his four wives upon finding out that she had smoked pot.” After divorcing his second wife, Herer moved to Los Angeles in 1967 and discovered cannabis, and through cannabis, discovered what his life’s pursuit would be.
Over the next few years he founded the Ah Ha Pipe Company, the Great Revolutionary American Standard System (GRASS) — a 1 to 10 scale for assessing the quality of cannabis, and a hemp store in Venice Beach, CA. In addition to starting businesses and creating the GRASS, as a veteran, Herer was one of the first veterans fighting to legalize cannabis. In May 1980, Herer began a “series of protests on the front lawn of the Los Angeles Federal Building.” His protests got the attention of President Ronald Reagan, who rather than respond to the merits of the protestors, criminalized their tactics. Herer refused to stop protesting and went to prison for 15 days. In those two weeks he spent at the Terminal Island prison, Herer began his meditations that led to his seminal book, “The Emperor Wears No Clothes.”
First printed in 1985, Herer’s book was a collection of facts about cannabis and political rhetoric against the war on drugs. The first edition wasn’t as well organized as the later editions, largely thanks to the work of cannabis activist Chris Conrad, Herer’s friend and the founder of The Leaf Online. Conrad came across the first edition of Herer’s book in 1989 and helped Herer turn his collection of facts and rhetoric into the book known around the world today. Additionally, Herer was assisted on his edits by Ellen Komp, the current deputy director of Cal NORML, who described Herer’s diligent approach to his edits, “he read and re-read every line, weighing it for accuracy and impact.”
Aside from his book, Herer also rediscovered the WWII-era film created by the USDA, “Hemp for Victory,” which discussed a program for draft deferments in exchange for farmers growing hemp. Previously, the Library of Congress had told Herer that no such film existed, and now, it is part of the national archive.
Herer continued his cannabis activism into the 1990s, though he fell out of step with the majority of the cannabis community, who supported 1996’s Proposition 215 to legalize medical cannabis in California. Instead, Herer supported his California Hemp Initiative which would have been a broader adult-use bill that embraced a legal hemp industry as well. While Herer continued to speak publicly in support of cannabis legalization into the 2000s, medical issues began to challenge his ability to travel and a stroke limited his ability to speak. Herer passed five days before 420 on April 15th, 2010.
Cannabis Luminaries Flock to the Mattole Valley
While it isn’t clear if Herer ever made a trek up to the Mattole Valley, it is more than likely he made it up there at least once in his search for incredible bud. We do know that other big names in cannabis have made the trek out to the Mattole — including artisanal hash master, Frenchy Cannoli.
“Frenchy came out to make hash and did some informal workshops,” said Dylan Mattole, “It was from these first meetings that we became friends and I began to learn about appellations, terroir, and how important they have been for hundreds of years in Europe for wine, cheese and other products.” Everywhere he went, Frenchy inspired people to learn about the connection between people, place, and product. The conversations he started up in the Mattole Valley encouraged growers to “work together to create a true appellation, and not just a map showing our area,” a project Dylan says they are still working on today. Frenchy also taught Dylan about how critical proper harvesting techniques are to preserving resin quality, “Quality can be lost by harvesting at the wrong time or day or drying and curing incorrectly.”
“Barron shares the same ethos as me when it comes to both quality of work and the quality of working relationships,” said Dylan, “Working with Barron and Nasha is a big part of our success in this journey and I’m very grateful to have this opportunity.” Like Dylan, Barron Lutz, the CEO of Nasha, also had a strong bond to Frenchy, “Frenchy was a mentor, a trailblazer but most importantly he was a spectacular human being who was friendly and accessible. We shared a deep passion for hash culture and production techniques.”