Pot shots

By Colin Moynihan

Published July 24, 2000 7:23PM (EDT)

Read the story

Thanks for running the article "Pot Shots." Knowing most all the guys mentioned, I would have to weigh in on the side of Cannabis Culture, possessors of much more integrity than the crowd at High Times. Here is my experience with High Times:

Predatory at their core, High Times was successful in putting out of business my low-budget, highly respected journal, HempWorld, by launching a glossy, cheesy version called Hemp Times. Backed by High Times and allegedly using profits that were supposed to benefit NORML, Hemp Times made it a practice to give away much of its advertising to hemp companies in exchange for product they sold in the Planet Hemp boutique. Its editorial content focused almost exclusively on its advertisers.

One year after the three other North American hemp publications went under, Hemp Times finally drowned in its own swill, leaving the hemp industry with no all-industrial publication. Pity, they could have bought HempWorld when I offered it to them in 1995, but being the way they are, they decided to compete rather than cooperate.

Overall, High/Hemp Times promoted a type of premature greed and avarice within the young and fragile hemp industry, while causing much divisiveness. High Times could be easily described as the Microsoft of the cannabis publishing business.

-- Mari Kane
Former publisher of HempWorld
Current editor at Buyside

Steve Hagar, editor of High Times, said:

"We deny the allegations and despise the alligators."

What's he been smoking and where can I get some?

-- Steve Miller


By Salon Staff

MORE FROM Salon Staff


Related Topics ------------------------------------------