About
Who is Todd McCormick
Todd McCormick is a former cancer patient who started using cannabis in 1979 under his mother's supervision while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. Todd overcame the cancer and went on to become a lifetime advocate for cannabis. Since then, he has appeared on numerous TV shows, podcasts, events, documentaries, books, magazines, and radio shows.
Starting in 1994, Todd worked with Jack Herer as an editor of The Emperor Wears No Clothes and after Jack’s passing, he released the 12th edition of the book with memorials to Jack.
Todd received the first international prescription for medical cannabis in the Netherlands in 1994, opened the San Diego Cannabis Compassion Club in 1995, then lived in Amsterdam for over a year growing and studying cannabis.
in 1996, he was the Editor-in-Chief for Hemp Life magazine, an international publication out of Amsterdam.
Upon return to the US, he became one of the first growers arrested for cultivating cannabis after the passage of proposition 215. His first book, How to Grow Medical Marijuana, was released in 1998.
Todd became one of the first people the federal government denied a medical necessity defense and was forced to self-surrender to a 5 year prison sentence starting on January 3rd, 2000.
Read the LA Times article about the 1997 bust here:
Cancer Patient Ran Pot Palace
Read the NY Times article about being denied medical necessity defense here:
Los Angeles Drug Case Bars medical Necessity Defense
Upon release from prison in 2004, he went right back to activism and started producing fundraisers at the Playboy Mansion for the Marijuana Policy Project in 2007, 2008 & 2009.
In 2009, Todd published Hempire magazine, and produced the THC EXPO which was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and attracted over 40,000 people.
Todd co-produced and is featured in the documentaries The Union: The Business Behind Getting High and The Culture High. He also helped produce the book, Protestival: A 20 year retrospective of Seattle Hempfest in-between documentaries.
In 2012, Todd received the Cannabis Culture Award alongside Dr. Lester Grinspoon and Sir Richard Branson in Barcelona. See the video here.
He started the Talking Cannabis podcast in 2017, which is aimed at cannabis enthusiasts around the world with topics like organic gardening, cannabis farm touring, and activism. Around this time, he was a regular contributor and a respected voice to High Times and Grow Magazine, all of which can be read here on this website.
At the beginning of 2018, Todd launched Authentic Genetics (AGSeedCo.com) and it's the only seed bank since 1985, to have received the Original Sweet Skunk #1, the acrid Skunk #1, Original Haze, Durban Poison, "Purest Indica" (which never went to Holland), Northern Lights #2 & Northern Lights #5 and more—all directly from Mel Frank, Skunkman Sam and Seattle Greg.
As of 2026, Todd has provided authentic genetics to growers around the world. He continues his activism and shares his life's experiences through his writings, online interviews and social media.