High Times was a big name back when being a stoner was something that was practically guaranteed to get you in jail at one point or another. The High Times name hasn’t gotten any smaller, and this publication’s vision has expanded enormously.
At Best Dosage, we frequently cite pages on the High Times website in our guides and articles. Find out why we consider this publication to be a reliable source.
High Times quick facts
- Founded in 1974
- In operation for 47 consecutive years as of 2021
- Print publication turned web giant
- Well-funded and prestigious publisher
- Creator of the Cannabis Cup
One of the oldest names in cannabis journalism
To many, High Times is still a magazine. And it’s true, High Times continues to publish a monthly print publication.
To most, however, High Times is a polished, authoritative online source of information on everything cannabis — and beyond. Back when even cannabis was still firmly prohibited, High Times was talking about weed, psychedelics, and the writing of Hunter S. Thompson.
High Times has retained this penchant for far-flung journalism ever since. The High Times website is a treasure trove of information on cannabusiness, culture, events, and even growing techniques.
Speaking of events, everyone has heard of the Cannabis Cup. What some stoners sometimes absentmindedly forget, however, is that it’s actually the High Times Cannabis Cup.
Early cannabis publisher
In addition to being one of the first magazines to openly talk about weed (among other countercultural topics), High Times was also one of the only publishers of cannabis-related books for many decades.
“The High Times Encyclopedia of Recreational Drugs,” for instance, was once considered a bible of drug lore. High Times continued a successful book publishing run until the early 2010s when this magazine started focusing more on its online presence.
One of the world’s biggest cannabis websites
Having sold 500,000 magazines per issue at its peak, High Times reached new heights when its daily web traffic ranged between 500,000 and 5 million unique viewers per day in 2014.
Relocating to Los Angeles in 2017 in response to cannabis legalization in California, High Times was quickly acquired by investor firm Oreva Capital. High Times recently acquired Green Rush Daily, a rival website, in a multi-million-dollar deal.
We don’t mention all this to brag on High Times’ behalf. Illustrating the achievements of a platform simply provides the groundwork for explaining why it’s reputable.
Long story short, lots of people look to High Times for pertinent, well-written cannabis info. High Times is held accountable to its longstanding editorial standards and equally prestigious reputation, all-but ensuring that content posted on this platform can be trusted.
It’s also worth noting that High Times is enjoyable. High Times content is witty and intelligent, and it has a tendency to inform you of things you’d never expect.
Throughout the latter decades of the 20th century, High Times served as a much-needed bastion of cannabis counterculture. It seems that High Times will always occupy this role in one form or another.
Sponsors widely publicized events
Pandemic-related restrictions to the freedom to assemble have prevented High Times from hosting its usual events. During normal times, the High Times Cannabis Cup and other High Times events serve as the center of American cannabis culture.
The Cannabis Cup allows legal cannabis producers to compare their products. It puts high-quality, impressive products in the spotlight and can do great things for a brand’s trajectory.
Filling the same purpose for the CBD industry is the High Times Hemp Cup, which pits CBD products against each other for the top prize. High Times also sponsors an annual Business Summit, a meet-and-greet for cannabis industry professionals.
These days, there are lots of hemp publishers. It has become a lot easier recently to reach an audience of cannabis users.
High Times, on the other hand, has been battling for the right of cannabis to have a place in public discourse for close to half a century. Along the way, High Times has become a torch around which people physically gather to strengthen and renew the cannabis industry throughout the nation.
Highly capitalized and here to stay
Every aspect of the cannabis industry has become easier to enter over the last few years, but cannabis remains a reasonably volatile industry to be in. There’s no telling if half of the biggest cannabis websites currently in the game will still be around in 10 years.
That’s because, in part, most current cannabis publishers haven’t even been in business for 10 years yet. Since High Times has already been around for almost five decades, it’s statistically more likely to still be around a decade from now.
High Times isn’t expanding wildly like some other cannabis publishers. Every year or two, however, you hear news of some new major move High Times has made, reminding you that it’s still an important player.
Instead of stagnating or fading away, High Times continues to take steps to establish its place in the future. The High Times website is just as sleek and responsive as newer cannabis sites, and everything High Times does benefits from the irreplaceable gravitas of its multi-decade magazine run.
High Times overall score
Upon evaluating this publisher from every angle we could conceive of, we give High Times a near-perfect overall score of 4.96 out of 5.
Authority: 5/5
Clarity: 5/5
Sourcing: 5/5
Topics: 4.8/5
Community: 5/5
Instead of scrounging desperately for reputable sources, High Times often is the source. In terms of information on using cannabis and CBD, High Times is a little lacking, so we can’t say that this publisher’s content covers a truly exhaustive array of topics.
For decades, High Times has been renowned for its high-quality writing, and it’s inarguably true that this platform remains an indispensable pillar of the cannabis community. High Times is a little bit different from all the young whippersnappers now vying for attention, but veteran cannabis users know there’s nothing like High Times when you’re looking for the straight dirt on a particular hemp or cannabis topic.
