Every revolution has its pamphleteer. America's latest rebel
crusade—for the legalization of marijuana—has inevitably produced its
own pamphleteer, of sorts, a cause-and-cash-oriented, superglossy
bimonthly called High Times. Pot has already been “decriminalized” in
five states, and several others are expected to follow. So the magazine
at $1.50 per copy , has had a heady time in its
first year. It has shot from a claimed circulation of 25,000 to 300,000
in its current issue. Its 20 youthful staffers—many of them refugees
from straight publications like Good Housekeeping—work out of a large
loft in Manhattan. Editorially, High Times has so far ranged all the
way from the bizarre to the benumbed. One early issue ran a far-out,
unverified, unsigned account of President John Kennedy “turning on” to
alleviate his back troubles . Later issues
have come down to more clear-eyed and believable fare, including pieces
on the medical effects of drugs, roundups on drug busts, and even the
latest summary of drug prices in the U.S. and abroad.Broader Appeal. Despite its growing sobriety, the question recurs
whether High Times is not in fact encouraging lawbreaking when it
advertises itself as “devoted entirely to the exploration of
psychoactive drugs.” However, hip-casual Editor Ed Dwyer, 27, formerly
with Coronet, draws a careful distinction. Says he: “We support the
legalization of marijuana, but we never advocate the use of it. We
report on its use and the interesting facts associated with altering
consciousness, but we do not lead our readers into drugs. Everybody
must decide by himself. It's a personal thing.”The five national-magazine distributors have boycotted High Times.
Publisher-Owner Andrew Kowal, 24, is unperturbed. A Syracuse University
dropout, Kowal says the magazine has been successfully marketed through
boutiques and head-shops, which are also major advertisers, and through
local distributors. Only a small number, 9,000, are mail subscriptions.
Kowal predicts a 400,000 press run for the next issue: “We expect
circulation to level out at some point,” he says slyly, “but we will go
as high as we can.”Still, a single-cause magazine can come down as fast as it goes up.
Concerned but bullish, Editor Dwyer plans to broaden High Times' appeal
to include the clothes, food and homelife of the pot generation, and
investigative stories on the drug agencies. Says Dwyer: “Our audience
is optimistic and pleasure-oriented. We're putting it all together for
this readership.”
