High Times
High Times is a privately held cannabis media company founded in 1974, publishing a flagship magazine, operating Cannabis Cup events, running an e-commerce marketplace and 9M+ social properties, and serving cannabis consumers, professionals, and brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersNew City, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What High Times does
High Times is a privately held cannabis media company founded in 1974, currently owned by Josh Kesselman (founder of RAW Rolling Papers), who acquired the brand in 2025 following securities-fraud issues under prior leadership. The company operates across print, digital, live events, and commerce, and serves cannabis consumers, industry professionals, and brands seeking access to the category. Its audience includes millions of social followers and a 50-year-plus cultural footprint in the U.S. cannabis space, with early international expansion referenced (e.g., Germany).
The company's core products include a flagship print magazine priced at $59.99/year for subscriptions, an archive of 586+ past issues, the Cannabis Cup live event series, a podcast network, digital content, and branded merchandise. It has launched a cannabis e-commerce marketplace through a partnership with Hoodie Analytics, distributing products including THCa and accessories. The 'Grobot' AI chatbot, built in partnership with Grobotix.ai, provides text-based cannabis grow advice to consumers. Cannapages powers localized regional editions, and a sponsorship deal with Americas Cardroom supports the 'Kicking Back' docuseries.
High Times makes money through a combination of direct-to-consumer print subscriptions, e-commerce sales, marketplace commissions, B2B digital advertising against 9M+ social followers, Cannabis Cup ticket and sponsorship revenue, and content/sponsorship deals. The customer base spans individual cannabis consumers, advertisers, and event sponsors in cannabis-adjacent verticals. The business model is currently undergoing a transition under new ownership, with simultaneous expansion across commerce, print, and licensing.
High Times firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- High Times
- Legal name
- High Times Magazine
- Website
- https://hightimes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- High Times is a privately held cannabis media company founded in 1974, publishing a flagship magazine, operating Cannabis Cup events, running an e-commerce marketplace and 9M+ social properties, and serving cannabis consumers, professionals, and brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
High Times industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cannabis Media and Publishing
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), All Other Publishers (513199)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cannabis Online Ordering for Delivery (Marketplace/Aggregator) (CRANAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cannabis Lifestyle & Apparel/Brand Merchandise Retail (CRANAHAJ), Cannabis Accessories & Smoke Shops (Pipes, Papers, Grinders) (CRANAHAG)
Keywords
Where High Times is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
High Times business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Print magazine subscription model delivering quarterly issues. The 2026 relaunch edition is priced at $59.99/year for 4 collectible print issues delivered to subscribers' doorsteps.
- E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer merchandise sales including apparel, 50th Anniversary collectibles, 420 merchandise, and cannabis-related products through the company's own storefronts (hightimes.shop and shop.hightimes.com)
- E-commerce Platform Commission: Partnership with Hoodie Analytics enables High Times to drive transactions through its platform, connecting consumers with licensed dispensaries for pickup and delivery orders. The platform operates separately from editorial content.
- Cannabis Cup Events: High Times Cannabis Cup events including the Montana 2026 Cup, NJ Winners, and judge participation programs. These events generate revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships, and brand partnerships.
- Content Sponsorships: Sponsorship deals for original content series such as the 'Kicking Back' World Cup docuseries with Americas Cardroom, generating revenue through branded segments, themed promotions, and watch-party activations.
- Digital Advertising: Display advertising, sponsored content, and brand partnerships across the High Times digital platform with social media following of over 9 million combined across Facebook (5.8M), Instagram (2.5M), Twitter (720K), and YouTube (270K).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Print Subscription - Quarterly Issues |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
High Times product offering
Product offeringCore offering
High Times is a cannabis-focused media and publishing brand producing a print magazine and digital editorial content, organizing the Cannabis Cup consumer events, selling branded merchandise and THCa products, and operating a cannabis e-commerce platform through a partnership with Hoodie Analytics that connects consumers to dispensaries.
Product overview
High Times is a legacy cannabis media company operating primarily as a multi-platform content publisher. The core offerings include the flagship High Times Magazine (print and digital zine), the digital archive The Vault (586+ issues), and the Cannabis Cup awards event. The company has expanded into e-commerce with its own branded THCa products (prerolls, flower pouches) and a merchandise shop. Recent additions include an AI-powered grow coach called Grobot, a cannabis e-commerce shopping platform via Hoodie Analytics partnership, and original content including the 'Kicking Back' World Cup docuseries. The company also runs a multi-podcast network and publishes localized regional editions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- High Times Cannabis Cup: Annual cannabis competition and awards event identifying and awarding the best cannabis products across various categories.
- The Vault
- Grobot
- High Times FC
- Kicking Back
Products and services
- High Times Magazine
- High Times Digital Media
- Cannabis Cup
- High Times Branded THCa Products
- High Times Branded Merchandise
- High Times Cannabis E-Commerce Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- 9M+ combined social media followers across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use High Times
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
High Times technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature1 record
High Times partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Americas CardroomcoreAmericas Cardroom became an official sponsor of 'Kicking Back,' a new High Times docuseries hosted by Ethan Zohn exploring soccer, cannabis, and local culture during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The sponsorship coincides with Americas Cardroom's 25th anniversary and includes filming across Los Angeles, Dallas, and Miami, with branded segments, themed promotions, and watch-party activations tied to World Cup matches. Americas Cardroom's Martin Zamani appears in exclusive segments, with details of a major promotion announced on July 1.
- CannapagesminorCannapages plans to launch localized editions of High Times magazine under a new publishing license. This move signifies a strategic expansion into regional markets by the magazine, with Cannapages serving as a publishing partner for High Times Local editions.
- Hoodie AnalyticscoreHigh Times partnered with Hoodie Analytics to launch a cannabis e-commerce shopping and discovery platform on HighTimes.com. The platform allows consumers to search for legal cannabis products, compare pricing and availability, and place pickup or delivery orders through integrated retailers. Hoodie's data platform also provides High Times' editorial staff with market trend insights, while editorial decisions remain fully independent. The platform operates as a separate environment from the publication's editorial content, with all purchases made directly with participating licensed dispensaries.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
High Times competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- The Cannigma: Cannabis education and science-focused publication with medical/patient emphasis. Partial overlap with High Times on cultivation and science editorial, but narrower consumer demographic and no event/marketplace verticals.
Direct peers
- Merry Jane: Cannabis lifestyle and culture media brand with celebrity backing, focused on editorial content, video, and brand partnerships. Directly comparable to High Times' cultural-content positioning and sponsorship-driven revenue model.
- MJBizDaily: Cannabis industry trade publication covering business, policy, and market intelligence with a major annual B2B conference. Comparable to High Times as a cannabis-focused media brand monetizing through advertising, events, and subscriptions.
- Herb: Digital-first cannabis content and lifestyle publication with strong social audience. Comparable to High Times in audience overlap, content categories, and advertising-driven business model.
- Ganjapreneur: Cannabis business news and podcast network serving industry operators and investors. Comparable to High Times' B2B-facing content and podcast monetization, though narrower consumer reach.
- Weedmaps (WM Technology): The largest cannabis marketplace connecting consumers to dispensaries, with growing editorial and advertising products. Comparable to High Times' Hoodie Analytics–enabled marketplace strategy and brand-discovery model.
- Cannabis Now: Print and digital cannabis magazine covering news, culture, and policy. Closely comparable to High Times' flagship publication and audience across legalization, cultivation, and lifestyle content.
- Leafly: Cannabis discovery marketplace with substantial editorial content and a strain database. Directly comparable to High Times because both operate at the intersection of cannabis content and commerce, monetizing audience through advertising and retail referrals.
Others
- Hoodie Analytics: Cannabis data and commerce platform that powers High Times' marketplace. Enabler and strategic partner rather than a competitor; included because the integration is a defining piece of High Times' commerce roadmap.
Broad incumbents
- Vice Media: Large multi-platform digital media company with cannabis, culture, and documentary content. Comparable in editorial format (longform, video, docuseries like 'Kicking Back'), brand-sponsorship model, and youth-skewing audience, though cannabis is one vertical among many.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
High Times social profiles
Digital presenceHigh Times financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
High Times leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
High Times subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
High Times funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
High Times M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A5 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about High Times
What does High Times do?
High Times is a cannabis-focused media and publishing brand producing a print magazine and digital editorial content, organizing the Cannabis Cup consumer events, selling branded merchandise and THCa products, and operating a cannabis e-commerce platform through a partnership with Hoodie Analytics that connects consumers to dispensaries.
Is High Times a public or private company?
High Times is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was High Times founded?
High Times was founded in 1974. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is High Times based?
High Times is headquartered in New City, United States, in the North America region.
How does High Times make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Sales, E-commerce Platform Commission, cannabis Cup Events, content Sponsorships and digital Advertising.
Who are High Times's main competitors?
The Cannigma is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Merry Jane, MJBizDaily, Herb, Ganjapreneur, Weedmaps (WM Technology), Cannabis Now and Leafly. Hoodie Analytics is listed as an others. Vice Media is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does High Times have an API?
No public API is recorded for High Times.
What industry is High Times in?
High Times's product category is Cannabis Media and Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANAGAD, Cannabis Online Ordering for Delivery (Marketplace/Aggregator), with a secondary code of CRANAHAJ, Cannabis Lifestyle & Apparel/Brand Merchandise Retail. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.