Tommy Chong Has Cancer, Talks Marijuana Legalization
LEMON: The storybook right here on the Don Lemon show on Saturday night. Just this weekend, Tommy Chong, of Cheech and Chong fame, announced to us he has cancer. I spoke with Chong just last night and we were going to talk about the legalization of marijuana issue and what's happening in New York this week. But then he told me this.</s>LEMON: "The" Tommy Chong is here. Tommy, good to see you. We brought you in to talk about this New York State, about lessening the laws for possession in public, but you have an announcement to make. What is it?</s>TOMMY CHONG, CHEECH & CHONG: My announcement is that I was diagnosed with prostate cancer about a month ago. And I am going to start treating it with cannabis oil or hemp oil or pot oil. And the reason I am treating it with hemp oil is because I looked at a video just recently called "Run From the Cure" by Rick Simpson, and it documents how he cured his melanoma cancer by using hemp oil.</s>LEMON: You believe that -- you think that you got prostate cancer in prison after the paraphernalia and the company, the Internet company selling the bongs. This was 2003. You think that you got it in prison? Why?</s>CHONG: That's my feeling. Because I was totally healthy when I went in jail and I had not smoked pot before I went in jail. While I was in jail, I was clean as a whistle because they drug tested me almost every day. And I started having problems with my prostate. Right there. And I remember very well, because when you have problems, you have to get up in the middle of the night and pee a lot. And I also contracted gout while in prison from the food. I think it is a combination of the food and the fact that the prison itself in Taft, California, is built over a toxic waste dump. They have a thing called Valley Fever that other prisoners were getting. And they don't even know what it was. It is some sort of wasting disease. I think I got it there.</s>LEMON: You have not smoked pot in how long? People think you are a pot head. But you haven't smoked pot in --</s>CHONG: No. Well, I layed off for about a year, you know. When I started getting weird health issues, which actually turned out to be prostate cancer. So I did everything. I'm a very holistic person. I went on the juices and everything, low red meat and the whole bit. But now that I found out that the hemp oil will help the prostate, hey, I'm back.</s>LEMON: Do you think people are shortsighted because many people have an issue with it morally? Do you think that people are being shortsighted about, especially what marijuana can do to you as it compares to alcohol and other drugs? And also what it means economically? Should we, meaning the country as a whole, the leaders, be looking at regulating marijuana as a way to help to boost this economy?</s>CHONG: Actually, I am against it. I think it's -- leave it the way it is. I mean, we don't need more taxes. We don't need to be taxing something like they are doing with tobacco. I mean, because, again, where does that money -- where does the tax money go? It runs into a black hole called the government.</s>LEMON: I think that people are going to be surprised that you don't think it should be legalized. Let's get this straight. You don't think pot should be legalized?</s>CHONG: No, I don't think it should be taxed.</s>LEMON: You don't think it should be taxed?</s>CHONG: I think it should be totally -- it should be totally legal. Yes, but it shouldn't be taxed.</s>LEMON: Why? How can you legalize it and regulate it and then not tax it? Most things that are regulated --</s>CHONG: Because, all you have to do is decriminalize it. Just take away the penalty. We don't need a system of who we're going buy it from. We've got growers that we buy it from. We got people that deal it that will come to your house. We don't need a government regulation to tell us, this is good pot, that's bad pot. We don't need any of that. We have got everything in place. Just take away the penalties.</s>LEMON: Tommy Chong. Thank you so much. Thank you for being candid with us about prostate cancer and telling our viewers in that exclusive here on CNN. And we wish you the very best, OK?</s>CHONG: Thank you. And I want to come back when I'm cured and let you know how it went, OK?</s>LEMON: Yes. We will have you back.</s>CHONG: Thank you.</s>LEMON: Stay well, Tommy Chong. In Colombia, horrific attacks against women. Horrific attacks. Splashed with a toxic acid that leaves them scarred for life. And now these attacks are becoming more common.