Cheech Marin´s love of weed led to a friendship that almost went up in smoke
(WorldNews Entertainment)

Richard `Cheech` Marin is best known as half of the pioneering stoner comedy duo, Cheech and Chong. But as his new memoir, `Cheech is Not My Real Name: . . . But Don´t Call Me Chong,` makes clear, his life´s been fascinating even without the wacky weed. Raised in South Central LA, he saw two people gunned down by the age of 7. Later, he was active in the anti-Vietnam War movement and fled to Canada to dodge the draft. There, he met guitarist and strip-club owner Tommy Chong, and the pair formed a musical duo that happened to be funny as well. Their comedic banter at the start of their first gig got such big laughs there wasn´t time to play music. They shifted their focus to comedy and became...