Political argument, personal testimony and craft practice are three different ways of trying to change cannabis culture, and each relates to evidence in a different way. This sidebar sets them out side by side. The conclusions at the end are opinion and are marked as opinion.
Three theories of change
Jack Herer: change through argument. Herer (18 June 1939 – 15 April 2010) self-published The Emperor Wears No Clothes in 1985. He founded the US advocacy group Help End Marijuana Prohibition and ran for US President as the Grassroots Party candidate in 1988 and 1992. His theory was that prohibition rested on a false account of history, and that the policy would become indefensible once the true history was documented. The book helped separate industrial hemp from marijuana in public debate. It is advocacy with citations. Some of its historical claims are documented. Others are disputed by historians, especially the strongest “conspiracy” readings. The THC limits that define hemp in law did not come from the book. The 0.3% line goes back to the 1976 cannabis taxonomy by Small and Cronquist.
Rick Simpson: change through testimony. His theory was that institutions would not act, so ordinary people should be given a method and told to use it. His claim that cannabis oil cured his skin cancer is not supported by clinical evidence. The evidence, the danger of delaying effective treatment and the fire risk of home solvent extraction are covered in topic 1314.
Soma: change through craft. His theory was to grow well, grow organically and let the product speak. In Organic Marijuana, Soma Style (Quick Trading Company, 2005), he explains that his organic commitment came from food, not from cannabis. Running a vegetarian restaurant and bakery made him think about his own diet, which led him to ecology and from there to organic growing. Cannabis was simply the crop he applied it to.
By his own account, he built his lines slowly. He selected from collected seed, outcrossed to a single Afghani × Hawaiian male given to him by a colleague, and then backcrossed until the lines were stable. His techniques are documented and can be reproduced. His claim that organic growing gives better flavour and effect is unverified: we found no controlled sensory or analytical work that tests it. His strongest practical argument is patient safety. Residues are not washed off before flower is smoked or vaporised, and most medical-cannabis frameworks, including Thai GACP, require residue testing.
Comparing the three
| Herer | Simpson | Soma | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Documentary and political argument | Personal testimony and free distribution | Craft practice and breeding |
| Medium | A self-published book | A free documentary and method | A growing method and a variety catalogue |
| Central claim | Prohibition rested on a false history | Cannabis oil cured his cancer | Organic cultivation produces better cannabis |
| Evidence status | Partly documented, partisan; some claims disputed | Not supported by clinical evidence | Techniques reproducible; quality claim unverified |
| Main legacy | Hemp as a distinct policy category | Extraction as public knowledge; the RSO name | An organic method and named varieties |
| Risk attached | Overstated conspiracy readings | People forgoing effective treatment | Low |
Our reading (opinion)
The points below are our opinion. They are not measured findings.
- In our view, the reach of these three ran roughly opposite to their evidence. Simpson’s claim has the least support and seems to have spread furthest. Soma’s is the most modest and reached the smallest audience. Three cases do not prove a general pattern.
- From Herer: go to the primary sources. Advocacy that cites its sources is worth more than advocacy that only asserts, even when you disagree with it.
- From Simpson: putting a method in public has real value, and attaching an unsupported medical claim to it has a real cost.
- From Soma: a documented, reproducible practice outlasts a personality.
- Our rule of thumb: be most careful with the claim that spreads fastest.
Whose work actually changed how you grow? The people who shaped cannabis practice in Thailand and Southeast Asia are mostly unrecorded. If you know published sources or documented history, please share them in topic 1305.
This is historical and cultural information, not medical or legal advice. Claims that cannabis oil cures cancer are not supported by clinical evidence. If you have a health condition, discuss any cannabis use with your doctor. In Thailand, cannabis flower is a controlled herb under the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health Re: Controlled Herbs (Cannabis) B.E. 2568 (issued 26 June 2025). Cultivation requires a permit. Flower may be dispensed only against a PT 33 prescription from an authorised practitioner, and online sale or advertising of flower is prohibited. The Cannabis Control Act is still a draft: the Cabinet approved it on 22 September 2026 and sent it to the House. Cannabis cultivation remains illegal in most Southeast Asian countries, so readers there must follow local law.