One half of the famous stoner comedy team Cheech and Chong has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, The Huffington Post reports. Tommy Chong told CNN’s Don Lemon the news during a Saturday night broadcast.

The disease is in "a slow stage one," Chong said.

Chong, 74, added: "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. So I know [the cancer] had nothing to do with cannabis. Cannabis is a cure."

Chong said he quit smoking marijuana about a year ago. The report adds: “He revealed he first noticed symptoms nearly eight years ago during his nine-month sentence at Taft Correctional Institution in California, adding that he believes the prison caused his health to take a turn for the worse.

Chong told CNN: "The prison is built on toxic waste. I also got gout from the food there.”

The story adds: “Chong and his on-screen partner Cheech Marin are the original stoner duo, best known for their big screen adventure ‘Up In Smoke,’ which was followed by several films detailing their zany antics. A longtime and vocal supporter of legalizing marijuana, Chong has written several books, including ‘The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint,’ and most recently lent his voice to the animated feature ‘Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil.’"

Tommy Chong