Pubdate: Sun, 16 Feb 2014
Source: USA Today (US)
Copyright: 2014 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/625HdBMl
Website: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/index.htm
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/466
Author: Roger Yu and Gabrielle Kratsas
Page: 6

FOR 'HIGH TIMES' MAGAZINE, A GAME CHANGER

Publication Front and Center As Pot Movement Grows

When staffers at the marijuana fan magazine High Times participated in
an "Ask Me Anything" online forum at the website Reddit, they answered
plenty of questions. But they danced around one that was the most
frequently asked: Ever run into legal trouble?

Founded in 1974 by renegade journalist and pot trafficker Tom Forcade,
New York-based High Times is a cult publication with a loyal following
and a steady base of advertisers who have always tinkered with the
boundaries of legality and legitimacy.

But with recreational marijuana now legalized in two states, the
cannabis movement is picking up steam - both as a political issue and
a commercial enterprise for those involved in growing and promoting
the plant.

High Times is no exception. The monthly magazine - whose staffers
frequent grow houses and "dispensaries" that are still illegal in most
states - has always operated with one eye toward law enforcement. But
it's becoming more comfortable with its place in conventional
publishing as the legalization movement spurs reader interest and
emboldened cannabis fans pack its events. An outdoor expo High Times
held this past weekend near Los Angeles drew 13,000. Many in
attendance were openly puffing pot.

Legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington "is
only going to make things better for High Times," says Dan Skye, pen
name of the magazine's editorial director. Skye refused to give his
real name and wouldn't explain, saying only that the decision was
"personal." Several staffers use pseudonyms, perhaps fearful of legal
jeopardy. "When a state legalizes, more people become aware of
cannabis. People say 'What are you going to do when it's legalized?'
But we're actually doing better."

The bulk of its revenue still comes from the magazine, owned by
Trans-High Corp. While the company has suffered along with the rest of
the magazine industry as the print ad market shrinks, its page count
has rebounded to about 150 in recent months, topping the levels seen
before the 2008 financial crisis.

The magazine declined to provide circulation data and is not a member
of any independent agency that collects subscription information. It
has told advertisers that it has a circulation of 235,000, according
to Samir Husni, director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the
University of Mississippi.

The desktop traffic of unique visitors at HighTimes.com in December
totaled 534,000 hits, up 254% from a year ago, according to ComScore.

Skye declined to disclose Trans-High's financial information. Its
major shareholder, Michael Kennedy, who started working for the
company at its inception as chief counsel, couldn't be reached for
comment.

High Times is seeking to seize the cannabis momentum in areas beyond
publishing. Cannabis Cup, the magazine's two-day trade show with a
contest for the best marijuana strain, has expanded; it's in six
cities a year. A Denver show, its largest event, drew 18,000 last
year. The shows feature open booths and outdoor activities. Smoking is
allowed in certain areas. The judges who select the best marijuana
smoke in an undisclosed location.

With marijuana-related startups often unable to secure funding, High
Times also launched last month a private investment firm - run by
Kennedy - to encourage more entrepreneurs in what it hopes is an
emerging niche.

"High Times was the one publication to take marijuana seriously when
nobody else did," says Dale Sky Jones, executive chancellor at
Oaksterdam University, a school for marijuana growers.

Befitting its outlaw image that the magazine is trying hard to shed,
High Times' colorful history doesn't disappoint.

Forcade, the magazine's founder, killed himself in 1978 after a series
of run-ins with law enforcement officials. In 1976, his attempt to
hide a 9-ton load of marijuana in his Winnebago from police went awry
when he accidentally drove it into a Florida swamp, according to a
2012 article on The Daily Beast. The article relied on a retrospective
published on the magazine's 20th anniversary by former High Times
editor Albert Goldman

In its early days, High Times reveled in and actively promoted its
renegade reputation. The magazine often published stories about other
topics - cocaine use, UFOs, guerrilla fighters in Mexico. One 1978
issue featuring President Carter on the cover - with an article
insinuating that a White House doctor may have prescribed cocaine for
medicinal purposes to the president - "sold off the hook," Skye says.

In 2005, the magazine's editors adopted a more laser-like focus on
marijuana, with articles about grow houses, politics of legalization,
popular dispensaries and product reviews. "Before, we were just a
stoners' magazine," Skye says. "We narrowed our focus to make sure we
are addressing the audience all the time. We're now going on all
fronts - hemp, industrial, medical, (political) issues.

With about 20 staffers in the newsroom and advertising, it's a lean
operation that relies heavily on freelancers. "The work they've done
is extensive and far-ranging," says Al Byrne, co-founder of Patients
Out of Time, a non-profit organization that advocates legalization of
cannabis for medical purposes. "They've helped educate the public on
what hemp is. But commingling of medical marijuana with the stoner
image has been negative. They don't do that as often now."

Some traditions endure. Borrowing from Playboy, High Times runs a
centerfold marijuana photo each month. It also seeks frequent
interviews with celebrities, though they can be hard to come by.
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MAP posted-by: Matt