Strain profile · Sativa
Jack Herer
Named for cannabis activist and author Jack Herer, this cultivar has a multi-part ancestry rather than a simple two-name origin. Its story connects several established strain families.
Reported ancestry
ResultJack Herer
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Jack Herer history & lineage
Leafly credits Sensi Seeds with combining a Haze hybrid and a Northern Lights #5 × Shiva Skunk cross. The catalogue places its creation in the Netherlands in the mid-1990s and notes multiple phenotypes. The sativa category is the catalogue label, not a claim of genetically uniform samples.
Aroma notes & reported terpenes
Pine, woody and earthy descriptors feature in the source. Preserve those as reported observations without using them to manufacture a terpene percentage chart.
Terpenes named by the catalogue: Terpinolene, Caryophyllene, Pinene. These names are not measurements for a particular sample.
Reported effects, in context
These terms summarize the cited catalogue’s user-report categories. They are anecdotes, not controlled evidence or a promise of an effect. The library does not use them to recommend a strain for a medical condition.
For a particular sample, this article does not establish potency, contaminant results or suitability. Read our evidence guide to understand the difference between a catalogue description and a lab result.
What you can actually buy right now
CBD.co, one of our retail partners, had no in-stock listing carrying the Jack Herer name when we checked on 28 September 2026, and none of our other partners — Koi, LooperVerse, CBDfx, CleanAF and Just Delta, all read the same day — lists a cut under it. That is the honest answer, and it is more useful than a buy button under the wrong name: hemp growers mostly work their own cuts and their own names, and the dispensary classics do not map cleanly onto what a hemp brand can legally ship you.
The December problem, in one paragraph
Almost every jar of "Jack Herer-style" hemp flower on sale in the United States is sold as THCA flower, and THCA flower has a deadline on it. Section 781 of Public Law 119-37 rewrote the federal hemp definition to measure total THC rather than delta-9 alone, and total THC counts the THCA sitting in the bud. That single word removes essentially all THCA flower from the federal hemp category.
The date is contested and we hedge it deliberately. Several states bite earlier still. Our standing advice has not changed: plan for 12 November and treat 11 December as upside. We keep every moving part dated in the federal hemp deadline tracker, and the state-by-state guide is where to check your own.
Names, aliases & distinctions
Search aliases: JH, The Jack, Premium Jack, Platinum Jack
A three-part ancestry should keep its grouping. Writing Haze, Northern Lights and Shiva Skunk in a flat list loses which cross is claimed on each side of the parentage. The full Northern Lights #5 name is retained here for that reason.
Jack Herer FAQs
Is Jack Herer indica, sativa or hybrid?
The cited catalogue classifies Jack Herer as sativa. This is a catalogue label; it does not establish a uniform chemical profile or reliably predict an individual’s experience.
What are Jack Herer’s parent strains?
The cited catalogue reports Haze hybrid × (Northern Lights #5 × Shiva Skunk). This is an attributed ancestry account, not genetic authentication.
What does Jack Herer smell like?
The catalogue describes pine, woody, earthy notes. These are sensory descriptions, not an ingredient list or an identity test. Different samples carrying the same name need not match the description.
What effects are reported for Jack Herer?
The cited catalogue’s user-report categories include focused, energetic, creative. These are subjective reports, not controlled clinical findings, guaranteed outcomes or evidence that the strain treats a condition.
What is the THC percentage of Jack Herer?
There is no single verified THC percentage assigned to Jack Herer in this guide. A useful potency figure must be tied to a particular tested sample or batch, with a laboratory, date and units. A catalogue average or maximum cannot establish another sample’s THC or CBD content.
Which terpenes are reported for Jack Herer?
The catalogue names Terpinolene, Caryophyllene, Pinene. This is an attributed description, not a measured ranking for a sample. A quantitative terpene chart would need a traceable laboratory report rather than percentages inferred from smell or the strain name.
Who is Jack Herer named after?
The cultivar’s name refers to cannabis activist and author Jack Herer. The cited catalogue credits Sensi Seeds with the cultivar’s development; the namesake and the breeding attribution are different parts of its history.
Is Jack Herer the same as Northern Lights?
No. Its reported ancestry includes Northern Lights #5 within a parent cross. That connection explains related reading in the library, but it does not make Jack Herer an alternate Northern Lights label.
Sources & editorial notes
- Leafly: Jack Herer strain profile. Industry catalogue used for attributed naming, classification, ancestry, aroma and reported-effect descriptions. Accessed September 26, 2026.https://www.leafly.com/strains/jack-herer
- Public Law 119-37 §781 and Public Law 119-103 §2019. The statutory basis for the total-THC standard and its delay. Tracked continuously in our federal hemp deadline tracker.
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My Cannabis Reviews: strain library methodology. Explains catalogue evidence, batch results and uncertainty.
Read the methodology
Source addresses are provided as plain text. No original tasting, laboratory analysis or genetic authentication was performed for this article. Vendor catalogues were read on the date shown and change without notice.
Affiliate disclosure: some links above are affiliate links. My Cannabis Reviews earns a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you, and it does not change our scoring or what we publish. We do not sell cannabis products. Every vendor listing and price on this page was checked on 28 September 2026; stock and pricing change constantly, so check the storefront before you buy. For adults 21+. Educational information only, not medical or legal advice.