Weed Is Recession Proof, Claims Thriving High Times Editor

The pot aficionado’s handbook High Times has almost singlehandedly owned the marijuana magazine beat for going on 35 years now. But curiously, they’ve had a little bit of competition lately, with Harper’s, New York, Fortune and other mainstream publications all running long-form cannabis articles, a trend we mused on last week, also citing stories from Time and NPR. The newfound mainstream approval must be quite affirming for veterans of the field like High Times senior editor Bobby Black, recently interviewed by the Wall Street Journal‘s Speakeasy blog as an expert on both mary jane and the media.

So, is the Great Pot Moment finally upon us, as Marc Jacobson wondered in his New York story? Black, the marijuana old-timer, points to the economy for the sudden renewed interest in the drug, according to the interview, and shares some surprising details about his company’s economic good fortune and its larger implications:

I wouldn’t say we’re rooting for the recession. But I will say this: the magazine industry is down across the board but High Times is up. That says something. I think there are a lot of people out there growing weed on the side to make money. Weed is recession proof.

He continues to measuredly endorse the media’s more recent coverage of the drug, remarking that “at least they’re being fair,” but notices a leftover skepticism from decades of anti-pot movements, from Reefer Madness to the war on drugs. “Stoners who grow weed grow it for themselves or for their friends,” he reminds us. “Stoners don’t carry machine guns.” And thank god for that!

Black also speaks about the future of his magazine in a time where weed is on the rise and dreams of expansion seem possible, noting, “We would love to have a TV network, playing stoner-friendly content.” Maybe he’s right: perhaps tackling taboos is the answer to print’s woes. That, and sex appeal.

Check out the rest of the interview here.