As the cannabis industry grows, so do many of the brands that have been there since the days of full prohibition. Marijuana itself was once the epitome of the counterculture, with High Times Magazine symbolizing the defiance of a generation.
But marijuana is no longer a fringe movement; it has asserted itself as a mainstream force to be reckoned with. And brands like High Times have had to adjust and grow in a new environment. In the specific case of High Times, adjustment has meant expansion and diversification.
Continuing on that path, today Hightimes Holding Corporation announced the appointment of veteran media and live entertainment executive Kraig Fox as President and Chief Executive Officer. Adam Levin, who has served as High Time’s CEO since its acquisition by Hightimes Holding Corp in 2017, will now serve as the company’s Executive Chairman.
“Kraig’s operating and finance experience with public companies in the live entertainment, music and branding sectors makes him the ideal executive to take the High Times brand, our growing portfolio of assets and our business operations to the next level,” Levin said. “As our operations expand globally, Kraig will provide both the personnel leadership and operational strategy to bring positive returns to those financially invested in the High Times brand. I couldn’t be more excited to have Kraig join us.”
As someone who grew up with High Times, seeing their name in conjunction with things like holding corporations and acquisitions is odd, but also satisfying. It really brings home the fact that the cannabis community no longer has to take a back seat or beg for scraps from the table of power. We are an economic force in our own right, along with being a political one.
Sure, being counterculture is cool, but it can only go so far. When people in your community are being sent to jail and getting criminal records, the fight for a place at the table has to be joined. We could not remain in the shadows forever – not if we want the freedom and rights that were stripped from us so long ago.
Times change, that’s a given. You can either change with them or get left behind. It’s good to see High Times still leading the fight after all these years, positioning itself to be a leader well into the future of legal cannabis.
