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''High Times'' is an American monthly magazine (and cannabis brand) that advocates the legalization of cannabis as well as other
counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...
ideas. The magazine was founded in 1974 by Tom Forcade.Danko, Danny
"Norml Founder Retires – Exhale Stage Left"
hightimes.com, January 6, 2005. Accessed 11 September 2009.
The magazine had its own book publishing division, High Times Books, and its own record label, High Times Records. From 1974 to 2016, ''High Times'' was published by Trans High Corporation (THC). Hightimes Holding Corp. took over the parent company and magazine in 2017.


Overview

''High Times'' features cutting-edge journalism covering a wide range of topics, including politics, activism, drugs, sex, music, and film; as well as high-quality photography. Like ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...
'', each issue of ''High Times'' contains a
centerfold The centerfold or centrefold of a magazine is the inner pages of the middle sheet, usually containing a portrait, such as a pin-up or a nude. The term can also refer to the model featured in the portrait. In saddle-stitched magazines (as op ...
photo; however, instead of a nude woman, ''High Times'' typically features a
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternativel ...
plant.


Publication history


Origins

Forçade's previous attempt — via the Underground Press Syndicate/Alternative Press Syndicate — to reach a wide
counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...
audience of
underground paper The terms underground press or clandestine press refer to periodicals and publications that are produced without official approval, illegally or against the wishes of a dominant (governmental, religious, or institutional) group. In specific rec ...
s had failed, even though he had the support of several noteworthy writers, photographers, and artists. Through ''High Times'', Forçade was able to get his message to the masses without relying on mainstream media. Forçade was quoted as saying, "Those cavemen must've been stoned, no pun intended." ''High Times'' was originally meant to be a joke: a single-issue lampoon of ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...
'', substituting marijuana for sex. The first issue appeared in the summer of 1974. The magazine's first editor was Ed Dwyer, who had earlier written the text of the
Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...
music festival program booklet as well as the ''
Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...
'' film program booklet). The magazine was initially distributed by Homestead Book Company and Big Rapids Distribution. ''High Times'' was at the beginning funded by drug money from the sale of illegal marijuana, But the magazine found an audience, becoming a monthly publication with a growing circulation, and the staff quickly grew to 40 people.


Financial struggles and legal battles

''High Times'' founder Forçade committed
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...
in November 1978. He bequeathed trusts to benefit ''High Times'' and the
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML ) is a social welfare organization based in Washington, D.C., that advocates for the reform of marijuana laws in the United States regarding both medical and non-medical use. Acc ...
(NORML). (''High Times'' had been a supporter of NORML since the organization's founding in 1970.) Following Forçade's death, under the editorship of Larry Sloman (from 1979 to 1984), the magazine consistently struggled against marijuana prohibition laws, and fought to keep itself alive and publishing in an anti-cannabis atmosphere. Reflecting the time period, ''High Times'' began to feature positive coverage of
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
as a recreational drug. The magazine's former associate publisher, Rick Cusick, said the only way ''High Times'' managed to stay in business and never miss a publication date for over four decades was, "Really, really good lawyers, even though everybody knew I was talking about just one — Michael Kennedy."Simunek, Chris. "Requiem For a Dragonslayer, Michael Kennedy, 1937-2016," ''High Times'' (January 26, 2016). Michael John Kennedy served as the General Counsel and Chairman of the Board for ''High Times'' for over 40 years until his death in 2016, when his wife and board member, Eleanora Kennedy, took the reins.


Mainstream success and the Hager era

In 1987, ''High Times'' was audited by ABC as reaching 500,000 copies an issue, rivaling ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
'' and '' National Lampoon''. In 1988, Steven Hager was hired as the magazine's editor. He is most famous for removing the promotion of hard drugs (e.g., cocaine and heroin) from the magazine, and instead concentrating on advocating personal cultivation of cannabis. Hager became the first editor to publish and promote the work of hemp activist Jack Herer.Cizmar, Martin
"The Story of One of the Greatest Cannabis Advocates Who Ever Lived and the Strain That Bears His Name: With the closure of Third Eye, the Potlander wanted to revisit the life of Jack Herer,"
''
Willamette Week ''Willamette Week'' (''WW'') is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture. History Early history ''Will ...
'' (April 18, 2017).
In 1988, under Hager's leadership, the magazine created the Cannabis Cup, a cannabis awards ceremony held every
Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...
in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
that later expanded to a number of U.S. cities. He also formed the High Times Freedom Fighters, the first hemp
legalization Legalization is the process of removing a legal prohibition against something which is currently not legal. Legalization is a process often applied to what are regarded, by those working towards legalization, as victimless crimes, of which one ...
group. The High Times Freedom Fighters were famous for dressing up in
Colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 a ...
outfits and organizing hemp rallies across the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
. One rally, The Boston Freedom Rally, quickly became the largest political event in the country, drawing an audience of over 100,000 to the
Boston Common The Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street (139 Tremont St.), Park Street, ...
. In 1997, the magazine and Hager founded the Counterculture Hall of Fame, with inductions were held annually on
Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...
as part of the Amsterdam Cannabis Cup event. In the late 1980s
Mike Edison Mike Edison is a New York-based writer, editor, musician, social critic, and spoken word artist. He was one of many publishers/editors of the marijuana counterculture magazine '' High Times'', and was later named editor-in-chief of '' Screw'', ...
began writing "Shoot the Tube," a featured column about television and politics for ''High Times''. In 1998 Edison was named the magazine's publisher, and later took control of the editorial side of the magazine as well. As editor and publisher, he caused a furor among staffers by putting
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped de ...
singer
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
on the cover, and then leaking to the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
''s
Page Six The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established i ...
gossip column that thousands of dollars of pot had gone missing from the photo shoot. After taking the magazine to new heights in sales and advertising, Edison was instrumental in producing ''High Times'' first feature film, '' High Times' Potluck''. Edison left ''High Times'' in 2001. In 2000, the magazine established the Stony Awards to recognize and celebrate notable stoner films and television episodes about cannabis. Six ''High Times'' Stony Awards ceremonies were held in New York City beginning in 2000, before the Stonys moved to Los Angeles in 2007. Award winners received a
bong A bong (also known as a water pipe) is a filtration device generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco, or other herbal substances. In the bong shown in the photo, the gas flows from the lower port on the left to the upper port on the right. ...
-shaped trophy. Starting in 2002, the Stonys presented the Thomas King Forçade Award for "stony achievement" in film.


Later developments

In 2003, Steven Hager was fired by ''High Times''' board of directors, as the magazine shifted focus from marijuana to more literary content, hiring John Buffalo Mailer as executive editor.Stevenson, Seth
"For High Times, Weed Legalization Is a Mixed Bag: The magazine was a countercultural icon. Its new owners want to make it a name brand,"
''Slate'' (JULY 26, 2021).
Leland, John

''New York Times'' (Nov. 16, 2003).
A succession of editors followed, including David Bienenstock, Rick Cusick, and Steve Bloom.Bloom, Steve
"My 30+ Years in Cannabis: From High Times to CelebStoner,"
''CelebStoner'' (September 5, 2020).
Mailer left the magazine within a year. In 2004, ''High Times'' returned to its roots, releasing the CD ''High Volume: The Stoner Rock Collection''. Hager was rehired, first as the
creative director A creative director (or creative supervisor) is a person who makes high-level creative decisions and, with those decisions, oversees the creation of creative assets such as advertisements, products, events, or logos. Creative director positions ar ...
, and then in 2006, back in the position of editor-in-chief, but by 2009 he had returned to the role of creative director. In November 2009, ''High Times'' celebrated its 35th anniversary. Hager was again let go by the magazine in 2013, eventually suing ''High Times'' for defrauding him of his ownership shares in the company.Russell, Josh
"Longtime High Times Editor Sues Magazine Over Ouster: The former editor of High Times magazine claims in court that he was defrauded of his shares in the counter-culture monthly,"
'' Courthouse News Service'' (January 10, 2018).
In October 2014, the magazine celebrated its 40th anniversary with a party attended by celebrities such as
Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...
.Coscarelli, Joe
"WEED-STAINED WRETCHES: High Times Hits Middle Age: How the Marijuana Magazine Stays Relevant,"
''New York'' (Oct. 17, 2014).
In 2014, the ''High Times'' website was read by 500,000 to five million users each month.


Relocation to L.A.

In January 2017, the magazine announced it would be permanently relocating from New York to Los Angeles. This followed the legalization of marijuana in several West Coast states, including California. In the summer of 2017, ''High Times'' was acquired by a group of investors led by Oreva Capital for $42 million. ''High Times'' acquired cannabis media company Green Rush Daily, Inc. on April 5, 2018. The deal was valued at $6.9 million. Green Rush Daily founder Scott McGovern joined the magazine as Senior Executive Vice President. The publication frequency of the magazine was reduced to quarterly in 2019. The print magazine was temporarily suspended after the publication of the April 2020 issue.


Columns

* "Almost Infamous" by Bobby Black (2004–2016) — lifestyle and entertainment * “Ask Ed: Your Marijuana Questions Answered" by Ed Rosenthal (1980s–1990s)Zamora, Jim Herron
"Pot Growing Icon Takes Raid in Stride,"
.
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pap ...
. 2002-02-25. Retrieved on 2007-08-11. ()
* "Brain Damage Report" by Paul Krassner (late 1970s–2000s) * "Cannabis Column" by Jon Gettman * "Chef Ra's Psychedelic Kitchen" by Chef Ra ( 1988– 2003) * "Sex Pot" by Hyapatia Lee (from 2013) * "The Stoned Gamer" by Alana Evans (from 2014) — gaming * "Toasted Tweets" by
Jessica Delfino Jessica Delfino (born June 8, 1976, in Bridgeport, Connecticut) is a controversial singer, songwriter, and comedian based in New York City. Her songs tend to ridicule taboos and typically include jokes about vaginas and other sexual or dark top ...
(2016) — weekly cannabis-themed
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
round-up


Comics

By 1976, ''High Times'' was publishing comics in its pages, by the likes of
underground comix Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, ...
creators like
Gilbert Shelton Gilbert Shelton (born May 31, 1940) is an American cartoonist and a key member of the underground comix movement. He is the creator of the iconic underground characters ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'', ''Fat Freddy's Cat'', and '' Wonder W ...
("
The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' is an underground comic about a fictional trio of stoner characters, created by the American artist Gilbert Shelton. The Freak Brothers first appeared in ''The Rag'', an underground newspaper published in Au ...
"), Kim Deitch, Josh Alan and Drew Friedman,
Bill Griffith William Henry Jackson Griffith (born January 20, 1944) is an American cartoonist who signs his work Bill Griffith and Griffy. He is best known for his surreal comedy, surreal daily comic strip ''Zippy the Pinhead, Zippy''. The catchphrase "Are w ...
("
Zippy the Pinhead Zippy the Pinhead is a fictional character who is the protagonist of ''Zippy'', an American comic strip created by Bill Griffith. Zippy's most famous quotation, "Are we having fun yet?", appears in ''Bartlett's Familiar Quotations'' and became a ...
"),
Paul Kirchner Paul Kirchner (born January 29, 1952) is an American writer and illustrator who has worked in diverse areas, from comic strips and toy design to advertising and editorial art. Early life Paul Kirchner was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He atte ...
("Dope Rider"), Milton Knight ("Zoe"),
Spain Rodriguez Manuel Rodriguez (March 2, 1940 – November 28, 2012), better known as Spain or Spain Rodriguez, was an American underground cartoonist who created the character Trashman. His experiences on the road with the motorcycle club, the Road Vultures M ...
("
Trashman Trashman may refer to the following: *Trashman (character), a fictional character and eponymous comic book created by Spain Rodriguez * ''Trashman'' (video game), a 1984 video game for the ZX Spectrum *The Trashmen, a band from Minneapolis, Minneso ...
"), Dave Sheridan, Frank Thorne, and Skip Williamson (" Snappy Sammy Smoot"). Later, artists like Bob Fingerman and Mary Wilshire contributed comics to ''High Times'' as well."High Times Magazine, Trans-High Corporation, 1974 Series,"
Grand Comics Database. Retrieved Dec. 9, 2022.


Notable contributors and staff members

Andrew Weil was a regular contributor to ''High Times'' from 1975 to 1983. For a time, William Levy served as the magazine's European editor. In 1976, Bruce Eisner became a contributing editor for the magazine. Chip Berlet was the magazine's Washington, D.C. bureau chief in the Seventies. Jeff Goldberg was an editor in 1978–1979. Kyle Kushman is a former cultivation reporter for ''High Times'' and has been a contributing writer for over 20 years. Bobby Black had a long association with ''High Times'', from 1994 to 2015, including being a senior editor and columnist. His involvement at ''High Times'' included production director and associate art director; writing the monthly lifestyle and entertainment column "Almost Infamous"; writing feature articles and interviews; creator and producer of the magazine's annual Miss High Times beauty pageant; producer and host of the annual High Times Doobie Awards for music; lead reporter, judge, and competition coordinator for the Cannabis Cup and the
High Times Medical Cannabis Cup The '' High Times'' Medical Cannabis Cup is an annual event celebrating medical marijuana. The first Medical Cannabis Cup took place in San Francisco, California, on June 19–20, 2010. Like the ''High Times'' Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam, man ...
; and A&R, producer, liner notes and art director for ''High Volume: The Stoner Rock Collection'' CD (High Times Records).D'Angelo, Joe
"High Times Records: The Greenest Label In The Biz Marijuana-friendly magazine's label plans to drop first release, THC (The Hip-Hop Collection) Vol. 1, April 16"
mtv.com, Jan 9 2002.
At age 19, Zena Tsarfin started as an intern for the magazine."Girls Don’t Like Metal Interviews Zena Tsarfin,"
''Canada Arts Connect'' (29 Feb, 2012).
She later returned to ''High Times'', serving as the magazine's managing editor until 2001 and then again from March 2006 to January 2007. From 2014 to 2016, Tsarfin was ''High Times''' director of digital media. Danny Danko is the magazine's former Senior Cultivation Editor. The careers of a number of writers/editors from the comics industry overlapped with ''High Times'', including Tsarfin, Josh Alan Friedman (''High Times'' managing editor, 1983), Lou Stathis (''High Times'' editor, late 1980s),
Ann Nocenti Ann "Annie" Nocenti (; born January 17, 1957) is an American journalist, filmmaker, teacher, comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work at Marvel in the late 1980s, particularly the four-year stint as the editor of ''Uncanny X ...
(''High Times'' editor, 2004), and most significantly, John Holmstrom, who began to work for the magazine as Managing Editor in 1987, was soon promoted to Executive Editor, and in 1991 was promoted to Publisher and President. In 1996 he stepped aside to launch and oversee the ''High Times'' website, and left the magazine for good in 2000.


Book publishing

* * * * * * * * * * * Raskin, Jonah. ''Marijuanaland: Dispatches from an American War'' (New York: High Times Books, 2011).


See also

* Cannabis Cup * '' High Times' Potluck'' * Counterculture Hall of Fame * Stony Awards *
High Times Medical Cannabis Cup The '' High Times'' Medical Cannabis Cup is an annual event celebrating medical marijuana. The first Medical Cannabis Cup took place in San Francisco, California, on June 19–20, 2010. Like the ''High Times'' Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam, man ...


Notes


Further reading

* *


External links

* {{Authority control Lifestyle magazines published in the United States Cannabis magazines Cannabis media in the United States Cannabis activism Cannabis law in the United States Drug control law Monthly magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1974 Magazines published in New York City 1974 in cannabis 1974 establishments in New York (state)