High Times

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.

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

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

• Cannabis media
• Cannabis publishing
• Cannabis events
• Cannabis merchandise
• Cannabis advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

New City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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)
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Americas CardroomcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 June 2026Americas 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.
• CannapagesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 December 2025Cannapages 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 AnalyticscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 December 2025High 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

Emerging 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

• Xx.com/HIGH_TIMES_Mag
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFQ7vc-dWlSUZd6OqsAepMA
• Facebookfacebook.com/hightimesmag
• Instagraminstagram.com/hightimesmagazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A5 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about High Times