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Tag: High Times

  • Cannapages to Launch High Times Local Under New Publishing License

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    America’s Leading Cannabis Couponing Magazine Steps Into a New Era With Localized High Times Editions

    Cannapages, the longest-running cannabis couponing and deals magazine in the United States, today announced it has secured a license to publish High Times Local, a new city-by-city print edition produced by Cannapages under the legendary High Times brand.

    High Times Local will debut in Colorado in early 2026, with free, digest-sized magazines distributed in dispensaries, smoke shops, and other high-traffic community locations. Each edition will spotlight local listings, dispensary deals, and the unique cannabis culture that shapes each city – bringing consumers a tangible, easy-to-use guide designed for everyday utility.

    “High Times has always been rooted in the people and places that shaped cannabis culture,” said Matt Stang, Partner at High Times. “This collaboration with Cannapages gives local communities something physical again: a simple, accessible guide that connects consumers with the shops and brands in their own neighborhoods. It’s a way to honor where the culture came from while building something useful for the industry today.”

    Over the last 12 years, Cannapages has printed more than half-a-billion physical coupons through its free magazine, establishing itself as a leader in deal-driven cannabis print. The High Times Local license marks the next step in Cannapages’ evolution as a multi-title publisher, with additional verticals already in development.

    “This is a big step in the evolution of Cannapages as a publisher,” said Nathan Johnson, Publisher of High Times Local and co-founder of Cannapages. “We’ve spent years proving that free, deal-focused print and local listings still move the needle in cannabis. To now bring that model under the High Times name is huge for local markets that want something real on the counter again. High Times Local lets us pair their legacy with the kind of everyday utility that keeps people picking an issue up month after month.”

    Each High Times Local edition will feature:

    • Dispensary and brand deals designed to drive in-store visits

    • Local listings connecting consumers with shops, brands, and services

    • Community stories and neighborhood-specific cannabis culture

    • Free, wide distribution in dispensaries, smoke shops, and select partner locations

    • A scalable, repeatable format that can expand into additional markets over time

    The Colorado launch is the first phase of a broader publishing vision from Cannapages, which also includes plans for B2B-focused editions, hemp-centric publications, and tradeshow directories tailored to emerging national and regional markets.

    “High Times Local is our flagship in this new chapter,” Johnson added. “But it’s part of a larger publishing ecosystem we’re building – from consumer deals to B2B and specialty titles – that complements what High Times is doing nationally. Our goal is to give the industry more ways to connect with real people, in real places, in formats that actually get used.”

    Brands, MSOs, and retailers interested in advertising or distribution opportunities in upcoming High Times Local markets can request more information at HighTimesLocal.com.

    About High Times Local

    High Times Local is a new print-first, city-by-city initiative produced and published by Cannapages under license from High Times. Each digest-sized edition is free to consumers and features dispensary deals, local listings, and community-driven cannabis content tailored to specific markets. High Times Local is designed to bring the High Times legacy back to neighborhood counters, helping retailers and brands connect with consumers in an accessible, tangible format.

    About Cannapages

    Founded in Colorado, Cannapages is a long-standing cannabis media and marketing company and operator of one of the nation’s leading cannabis couponing magazines. With more than half-a-billion physical coupons printed over 12 years, Cannapages focuses on deal-driven print, local reach, and measurable results that help dispensaries and brands connect with consumers. Today, Cannapages is expanding into a broader publishing role with High Times Local, B2B editions, hemp-centric publications, and tradeshow directories aimed at serving the next phase of the cannabis and hemp industries.

    Source: Cannapages

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  • These Two Iconic Cannabis Companies Could Disappear

    These Two Iconic Cannabis Companies Could Disappear

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    Both were high flying symbols of the promise of the legal cannabis industry.  Both, at one point, led by an Adam and both made mainstream headlines.  Now, as the cannabis world take another key step toward mainstreaming, these two iconic cannabis companies could disappear. Both High Times and Medmen went into receivership in the month of April.

    RELATED: California or New York, Which Has The Biggest Marijuana Mess

    As the cannabis industry enters a new era, both companies straddled the gulf between the weed wild wild west and today’s market-price/share-price focus.  Early on, each became the darling of media attention and part of the general population’s conversation. Medmen’s antics saw them skewered on the hit show South Park.  Both became regulars on Cheddar as industry thought leaders. High Times, the founder of the original cannabis cup, made high flying deals, did a controversial “non” public offering, and, in looks, expanded into dispensaries.  Both are now in court waiting to see what happens to the companies and assets.

    Photo courtesy of Medmen

    Medmen hit the market in 2010 with co-founder in Adam Bierman and Andrew Modlin. In 2018 MedMen West Hollywood was one of the first legal cannabis dispensaries to open in California. Hailed as the Apple Store of weed, their slick design captured the feel of the new wider market and set the pace for of retails wishing to attract an expanding mainstream consumer. From there came an expansion including an expensive sort of store on 5th Ave in New York City, greenhouse grows, a REIT, and lots of press.  Things began changing when they went public with a reverse merger.  Things took an ugly turn with a messy lawsuit with the outgoing CFO, the the Journal of the American Medical Association called them out for their marketing, and things went down hill quickly. On March 11, 2024, it was reported by several sources that Medmen had closed operations everywhere except for in San Diego and near LA International Airport. It was announced the company is $411 million in debt while awaiting the court’s decision about their future.

    RELATED: Cannabis Industry Employs The Same As These Companies

    High Times was the leader of the marijuana movement, helping people learn, engage and get stoned. They taught people the value of medical marijuana and brought celebrities to the forefront of the movement. Then the 44-year-old magazine was sold to a group of investors led by Adam Levin and the Los Angeles-based Oreva Capital for $42 million. Rumor has it, the founder’s widow is still owed money from this deal. Levin claimed he could raise the value of the company to $100s of million of dollars, but followed was a messy, tangled trip leaving heartbroken investors behind. Multi rounds of funding with a variety of valuations, a semi-offering to the general public at $11 a share, cancelled cannabis cups, and a web of activities raised eyebrows. From a practical point of you, the site never really looked at the new legal market, they figured the newbies would immediately embrace the legacy culture. Instead, companies like Wana Brands appealed to them with gummies named Calm. The movement moved on and High Times tried to enter the dispensary market. Now all the assets sit with a receiver and the fate of the legendary leader is unknown.

    These are the tails of a fast rising, consumer driven, mainstreaming industry.

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    Terry Hacienda

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  • Cryptocurrency Has Not Changed The Cannabis Industry

    Cryptocurrency Has Not Changed The Cannabis Industry

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    It was the buzz of the marijuana world as legalization become the normal for more states. Everyone wanted to jump on the bandwagon. Cryptocurrency was offered as the answer for dispensaries who couldn’t take mainstream credits. Plus, weed aficionados could make money with “pot coins”. At the time, the industry was flooded with conferences and crypto was a topic on stage and at the wrap around events.  Mainstream and marijuana media ate it up. But, cryptocurrency has not changed the cannabis industry.

    The biggest example cyptocurrency isn’t solving any major cannabis industry problem is the excited around the slow-moving Biden administration moving to reschedule and the Senate embracing SAFER Banking.  Both will have a significant impact on the entire industry generating jobs, investment and hope. Together they will create an atmosphere for mom and pop businesses and large operators to have a fair chance at success.

    RELATED: Yacht Rock Pairs Perfectly With Cocktails

    One of the most high profile boom and bust crypto moments was in 2018. High Time just on the early coin moment and announced they would accept it as a way to invest in their IPO. Days later, theyremoved bitcoin as a payment option for its the yet to happen IPO.

    Photo by MichaelWuensch via Pixabay

    Multiple firms wanted to exploit a perceived loophole to sell cannabis by credit card. Each company got close and then the effort failed. Posabit, now a specialized point-of-sales system for dispensaries, tried and made it work for a short period. In fact, the site updated its FAQ with a statement, saying “Why is credit card processing illegal? (…) Simple: Cannabis is categorized as a Schedule 1 controlled substance at the federal level, which makes it illegal. This hinders credit payment processors from deliberately working with cannabis businesses.”

    Eaze, tried to find a workaround to be able to charge credit cards, by obfuscating the nature of the charges.  Then, Smoakland tried to do the same thing but surrendered when their process partner terminated the relationship.

    RELATED: Yacht Rock Pairs Perfectly With Cocktails

    “Crypto has not changed the legal cannabis industry. It is not an accepted payment method at dispensaries, and I have not seen vendors using it either. However, crypto is popular for making black market purchases, as it is global and harder to trace.” stated Jesse Redmond, Head of Cannabis for Water Tower Research.

    And how are the marijuana crypto companies doing?

    PotCoin (POT) is trading at $0.00083517.

    Tokes (TKS) is trading at $0.001874.

    CannabisCoin (CANN) is trading at $0.004641.

    Cryptocurrency has not changed the cannabis industry, but federal action will.

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    Terry Hacienda

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