High Times was the cultural headquarters of the cannabis movement for half a century. Founded in 1974, it created the vocabulary, community and media infrastructure that the legalisation movement needed. This is its complete story.
High Times was founded in 1974 by Thomas King Forçade, a cannabis smuggler and radical publisher who had previously operated the Underground Press Syndicate, a network of countercultural publications. Forçade initially conceived High Times as a satirical publication along the lines of National Lampoon but focused on cannabis culture. The first issue, published in the summer of 1974, featured a centrefold image of cannabis buds rather than the Playboy-style nude it parodied. The magazine immediately found an audience: it was addressing a community — cannabis users — that had no other mainstream media serving them. Forçade was a genuine outlaw: he smuggled cannabis from Mexico and Colombia and used the profits to fund radical publishing ventures. He committed suicide in 1978 at age 33, but had established High Times as the world’s premier cannabis publication. The magazine’s connection to the broader counterculture is foundational to its identity.
High Times did more than publish cannabis journalism. It created the cultural infrastructure for a community that had no other public-facing institutions. The magazine popularised strain naming conventions, introduced consumer-grade cultivation advice, published the first cannabis reviews treating the plant with the same seriousness as wine criticism, and provided legal resources for readers facing cannabis arrests. Its cultivation column, written by Ed Rosenthal (who became known as the Guru of Ganja), was the most widely read cannabis growing guide in North America through the 1980s. The magazine also served as the primary communications channel for the nascent cannabis advocacy movement: NORML news, state-by-state policy updates, and the emerging medical cannabis movement all found coverage in High Times when mainstream media ignored or dismissed cannabis stories. The 420 origin story spread to global cannabis culture primarily through High Times after editor Steve Hager published the Waldos’ account in 1991.
The Cannabis Cup, launched by High Times in Amsterdam in 1988, was one of the most culturally influential cannabis events in history. The annual Amsterdam competition brought cannabis judges from around the world to evaluate strains submitted by Dutch coffeeshops and breeders. The Cannabis Cup created the framework for cannabis quality competition that now underpins an entire sector of the cannabis industry. Winning a Cannabis Cup became commercially significant for Dutch breeders whose winning genetics could command premium prices internationally. The competition introduced the concept of strain names as brand identities — White Widow (winner 1995), Jack Herer, and AK-47 among dozens of winners whose names have become globally recognised. The Cannabis Cup moved to the United States after Colorado and Washington legalised in 2012, with events in Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. It is now one of the largest cannabis industry events in the world. Read about the Dutch genetics that the Cup immortalised in our White Widow and AK-47 strain guides.
High Times navigated the transition to cannabis legalisation with mixed results. The magazine had derived much of its cultural authority from covering a countercultural and illegal subject with seriousness and community loyalty. As cannabis became mainstream, the magazine faced competition from mainstream lifestyle media covering cannabis for the first time and from digital cannabis journalism that did not need the High Times brand. The publication was sold multiple times and attempted a public offering in 2020. Its Cannabis Cup events remained commercially successful. High Times established cannabis dispensary chains under its brand name. By the mid-2020s, High Times remained a recognisable brand but operated in a transformed market where its pioneer status was a historical credential rather than a competitive advantage. Explore the broader commercial landscape in our cannabis celebrities and women in cannabis guides.
Thomas King Forçade, a cannabis smuggler and radical publisher, founded High Times in 1974. He died by suicide in 1978 at age 33, leaving the magazine to continue without its founder.
The Cannabis Cup is an annual cannabis competition launched by High Times in Amsterdam in 1988. Judges evaluate strains for quality, potency and terpene profile. Winning strains gain international recognition. The Cup has expanded to US legal states since 2012.
Yes. High Times continues publishing in print and digital formats as of 2026. It has expanded into cannabis dispensary ownership and cannabis events. The brand remains globally recognised though its media dominance has diminished in the digital age.
High Times has had many culturally significant issues. The first issue (1974) with its cannabis bud centrefold was culturally defining. Issues featuring Bob Marley, Snoop Dogg and other major cannabis culture figures have collector value.
Editor Steve Hager encountered the 420 term through Grateful Dead culture, tracked down the Waldos in San Rafael and published their account in 1991. This spread 420 from a Northern California subculture code to international cannabis culture vocabulary.