High Times. The Magazine of High Society. Summer Issue. Vol. 1, No. 1
New York: Trans-High Corporation, 1974. Quarto, publisher's stapled illustrated wraps.
First issue of iconic cannabis-interest magazine High Times. The monthly periodical was founded by journalist, drug smuggler and counterculture guru Thomas Forçade, with proceeds from his "business." Head of the Underground Press Syndicate, an informal network of alternative press publications founded in the mid1960s, Forçade had the "highdea" for a one-off lifestyle magazine in the mold of Playboy. The first issue turned out to be more than pastiche, however, with seriously researched and reported articles on the psychological and medical benefits of marijuana. When the 10,000 copy print-run sold through, Forçade and his team quickly crafted the second issue, and by 1978 High Times had a circulation of four million subscribers. Regular features of the magazine included interviews, articles on cultivation and trafficking, book, record and film reviews, recipes for edibles, and the infamous "Trans High Market Quotations" column, which lists international market prices for varieties of marijuana, hashish, LSD, and mushrooms. Among this issue’s highlights are an interview with a "lady dealer" ("They think that dealing is all balls and super-charged come on. If they work with me, they find that notion is deflatable, so to speak"), pieces on tantric yoga and hemp paper, and an excerpt from Timothy Leary's work-in-progress on intergalactic space travel, Terra II. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photos and drawings, and with an abundance of ads for paraphernalia and esoterica. Some creasing and rubbing to wraps. Near fine. Scarce. Item #6796
$275.00