Can 'High Times' Rise from the Ashes? (w/ Josh Kesselman)

Can 'High Times' Rise from the Ashes? (w/ Josh Kesselman)

Author: David Bienenstock August 14, 2025 Duration: 48:05
When a bunch of vulture capital d-bags ran High Times into bankruptcy, the magazine's illustrious fifty year history appeared to be burnt out. But then, in June, Raw Papers founder Josh Kesselman announced that he’d bought the brand for $3.5 million. In this episode, Josh explains how and why he bought High Times, and his high hopes for a return to glory. Josh also shares his own weedy life journey, an inspiring tale of a young stoner who became obsessed with rolling papers, opened a bootstrapped headshop while still a college student, and eventually created an iconic global weed brand of his own.  PATREON Please ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 150+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday.

Great Moments in Weed History delves deep into humanity's 10,000+ year relationship with cannabis (a.k.a. marijuana) to explore the humor, heart, and historical importance of the planet's most revered and maligned plant. Hosted by David Bienenstock.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Great Moments in Weed History
Podcast Episodes
Speaking Truth to Flower [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:09
The War on Weed first started crumbling because of courageous cannabis patients like John, a super chill, funny and cool person to share some herb with who helps spread the word about the plant's miraculous medicinal pro…
7/10 Special: Hash's High Holiday w/ Roger from Puffco [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:02
Our annual celebration of cannabis concentrates explores the global phenomenon of contemporary hash with one of the leading innovators in the scene. Puffco founder and CEO Roger Volodarsky is truly and fully a hash-head…
Chef Roy Choi's Korean Tacos Kickstarted Stoner Cuisine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:26
"Weed taught me how to be American," chef Roy Choi says of his favorite leafy green. Weed also inspired his most iconic creation–the Kogi taco–easily one of the stoniest culinary sensations of all time. A life-long, loud…
Cannabis in the Ancient World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:11
The archeological evidence proving weed played a central role in ancient spiritual practices—including the Judeo-Christian tradition—is irrefutable. But just as the plant's medicinal properties have long been denied by t…
Inside Thailand's Weed Revolution [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:28
With a homegrown cannabis culture dating back to antiquity, and a well-established reputation for growing the world's finest weed, Thailand has long ranked as a dream destination for herbally-infused travelers. But it's…
Let's Overgrow the Government! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:45
It's a call to farms! If everyone with the legal ability to home grow their own weed gets started right now, by this fall we'll be flooded with so much high-quality, low-cost herb that we can essentially de-commodify can…
4/20 Started w/ a Treasure Map to a Weed Garden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:56
Get lit and settle in for our annual re-telling of the incredible true story of 4/20. We trace the origins of this high holiday to a single weed crew in the 1970s called the Waldos, and then track precisely how April 20t…
2nd Annual Weed-A-Thon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:26
Time to roll a joint, split a blunt, pack a bong, endabulate a dab—or do all of that everywhere all at once. Because it's the freaking Weed-A-Thon, my friends! 'Tis the weediest episode of the year, as we puff tough whil…