High Times Is Dead.

In a time when the majority of information and entertainment is consumed through screen time and not the printed page, it can be difficult to express the importance that the lowly magazine once held. Not just Life, Time and other mainstream publications, but those written and published for niche interests such as music, skateboarding, and the Venn diagram touchpoint between the two, cannabis.

The easy and legal accessibility of cannabis, along with a growing social acceptance of its use, can make it challenging to understand just what a different world it once was for cannabis enthusiasts. (Starting with the fact that the term “cannabis” was rarely used – it was marijuana, pot, or weed.)

There were many cities and towns across the nation where possession of a single joint could result in arrest and a potential jail or prison sentence. Having a couple of plants in your closet or backyard could result in even harsher penalties. Although the 1960s had popularized the use of cannabis with the younger generation, it was still considered by the vast majority of Americans to be a dangerous drug that would lead to ruin.

Information about different strains, their effects, and growing techniques were shared word of mouth, this being pre internet and cell phone. There was also a growing culture around cannabis that didn’t have a clearinghouse until Tom Forcade, an underground publisher, produced the first issue of High Times in 1974.

“Shadowy figure” is a most apt descriptor for Tom Forcade, who printed an initial run of 10,000 copies that sold out quickly. More rumors than facts are known, but it’s widely believed that he funded the magazine with proceeds from smuggling and sales of weed and LSD.

The magazine featured a Playboy-like centerfold featuring cannabis flowers and gifted the world with the growing wisdom of Ed Rosenthal, whose “Ask Ed” grow column can arguably be credited with doing more to increase the potency, yield and quality of growers’ efforts than anyone in U.S history.

The magazine quickly gained traction as the bible of cannabis culture and featured a wide variety of notable writers (William Burroughs, Charles Blukowski, Truman Capote and Hunter Thompson, among others), and featured notable cover models including Mick Jagger, Willie Nelson, and of course, Bob Marley.

It also served as a clearing house of cannabis news and information such as a “Weed Prices” section, where readers could mail in the cost and quality of flower and hash in their area. The magazine also championed cannabis user rights and examined the inherent racism that came with enforcing cannabis laws. Their brand quickly grew, even after the passing of Forcade in 1978. But the growth wasn’t easy, as many stores refused to carry the magazine, citing local standards, or Drug Enforcement Administration raids on stores carrying books and magazines about cannabis.

In 1988, High Times held the first of its “Cannabis Cups” in Amsterdam, which, while technically illegal, grew in size, scope and credibility, bringing judges, growers, seed brewers and hash makers from around the world to compete. As Medical and Adult Use cannabis programs began in the U.S., the cup began stateside in numerous states.

The growth came with a shifting of priorities as High Times looked to expand from its original mission as a counterculture publication to a corporate entity as a “cannabis lifestyle brand.”

The year 2017 was the beginning of the end, as a fantastically bunged public stock offering led to accusations of fraud, a $5 million lawsuit from furious investors, a collapse of the Cannabis Cups as sponsors fled, partnership deals evaporated, and branded dispensaries closed, leaving many employees unpaid. The magazine stopped publication in 2024, the website was taken offline, and its remaining assets were placed into receivership.

In June, those assets were sold for $3.5 million to a true cannabis enthusiast, Josh Kesselman, the founder of RAW papers. He and his partner told the NY Times that they plan to resurrect the brand with podcasts, limited edition print editions, short form documentaries, video content, and the Cannabis Cup. He also told the Times that, “Our goal is not to make money on this. Our goal is to rebuild it to what it once was.”

This article appears in the Source September 4, 2025.