Tommy Chong of the comedy duo Cheech & Chong announced on Saturday that he is suffering from prostate cancer.
Tommy Chong image by Ros O'Gorman
Chong, 74, told CNN’s Don Lemon that it is a slow stage one cancer, indicating that it is very localized, and that he has probably had it for a number of years. He added during the talk that he has not smoked marijuana in about three years but is using it to fight the disease. “I’ve got prostate cancer, and I’m treating it with hemp oil, with cannabis. So [legalizing marijuana] means a lot more to me than just being able to smoke a joint without being arrested.”
As a comedy act with Cheech Marin, Cheech and Chong scored five top 40 albums and four top 40 hits during the 70’s. The duo also starred in a number of films including Up in Smoke, Nice Dreams and Things Are Tough All Over. In the last decade, he served time in jail for sales of drug paraphernalia through his son’s business and spent nine months in prison. He also appeared in the TV series That 70’s Show and toured with Marin.
