Comedian Tommy Chong fighting prostate cancer
updated 2:49 PM EDT, Sun June 10, 2012
Tommy Chong, left, poses with comedy teammate Cheech Marin at an appearance in April 2011.
Having first noticed
symptoms about eight years ago while incarcerated for selling drug
paraphernalia, Chong said he was diagnosed "about a month ago." He
revealed his condition in an interview about his support for
decriminalizing marijuana use and sales.
"I've got prostate
cancer, and I'm treating it with hemp oil, with cannabis," he told CNN's
Don Lemon. "So (legalizing marijuana) means a lot more to me than just
being able to smoke a joint without being arrested."
Chong described the
cancer "as a slow stage one (that I've) had for a long time." He said
that he was drug free for about three years, during which time he began
having prostate-related problems.
"So I know it had nothing to do with cannabis," he said. "Cannabis is a cure."
He and his on-screen
partner Cheech Marin recorded a series of hot-selling comedy albums in
the early 1970s, before hitting the big screen in 1978 with "Up in
Smoke." It was the first of several "Cheech and Chong" films chronicling
the adventures and misadventures of the stoner pair. The two continue
to tour as a comedic act, with shows scheduled for later this month and
the fall, according to their official website.
Besides the "Cheech and
Chong" films, Chong has appeared in several TV series, such as "That
70's Show." He's authored several books including "The I Chong:
Meditations from the Joint" about his "family business" specializing in
handmade bongs, arrest and nine months in federal prison, according to
his and Marin's website.
Chong, 74, explained to
CNN that he doesn't smoke marijuana, which he said he'd quit about a
year ago "for health reasons," to treat his prostate cancer. Rather, he
said the ingests the hemp oil "at night, so I won't be woozy all day."
"I'm taking it as a medicine," he said.
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