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High Times in Baghdad

Hard to believe High Times is 30 years old. It feels like just yesterday I was hanging with one of their first photographers, Johnny "Photon" Farrell, discussing potential centerfolds. Now three decades later, since "Operation Pipe Dreams" shut down their major source of advertisers -- bong makers -- the magazine is changing its focus this year, concentrating on a wider range of political subjects. However, they haven't forsaken marijuana news entirely. They report there's plenty of cannabis in the new liberated Iraq.

"There are few laws in Iraq right now," writes Dave Enders, High Times's man in Baghdad, "so although drug possession was punishable by death before, you can now pass a spliff openly in front of the cops."

The expanded coverage simply paints a bigger picture .

He also writes about U.S. soldiers and the nutty do-gooders who've swarmed into Iraq and about Hamid, "a 26-year-old translator/bodyguard/heavy-metal fan." Hamid was an Iraqi soldier until he deliberately shot himself in the leg to avoid fighting the Americans and now smokes weed and writes protest lyrics set to the tune of "The Wall" by Pink Floyd: "We don't need no occupation, We don't need no CPA. . . . "

"The desire to leave," Enders concludes, "is the only thing US soldiers and Iraqis have in common."

HT has kept the luscious centerfolds but to quell the complaints of their loyal readers who miss the old format, they have also spun off a new magazine, Grow America, for those who are only interested in cannabis-related issues.

For myself, I kind of like the new format. General politics are inextricably linked to drug policy reform and our work will mean nothing if we let the politicians destroy civil society in the interim. We're wishing High Times success with this new editorial policy. Who knows, if they keep this up we might start reading the magazine regularly again.