What happens when a rebel media empire, the world’s most trusted rolling paper, and the manufacturer helping iconic cannabis brands cross over to hemp come together? You get more than a product drop. You get a seismic shift in cannabis culture.
Few collaborations hit the cultural gut like this: High Times, RAW, and hhemp.co. The magazine that wrote the rebel narrative, the rolling paper that defines ritual, and the secret manufacturer behind many iconic brands, are scaling cannabis labels into hemp across 45,000‑plus doors. Together, they’re lighting the fuse on a turnkey product portfolio slated for Q4 2025, giving retailers a story‑rich line that spans terp‑saturated pre‑rolls, live‑resin vapes, and collectible merch.
Icon Credentials
Each brand brings its own legacy and loyal audience:
- Founded in 1974, High Times helped shape the language of cannabis long before legalization became a headline. Now, under the stewardship of industry veteran Matt Stang, the magazine is reclaiming its independent spirit and doubling down on community-first initiatives: revived Cannabis Cups, investigative reporting, and strategic partnerships that honor the plant’s counterculture roots. “High Times doesn’t need reinvention, it needs re-ignition,” Stang says, “and partnering with RAW and hhemp.co lets us turn decades of editorial credibility into tangible change.”
- If High Times documented the culture, RAW defined its rituals. Founder Josh Kesselman built RAW on unbleached paper that championed purity at a time when few smokers asked how their rolling papers were made. His mission, “uplifting the world and bringing all of us to the triple next level,” evolved into global philanthropy, sustainability programs, and a cult‑like fan base. In this alliance, RAW serves as the cultural litmus test: if it doesn’t feel authentic, it doesn’t ship. “A rolling paper’s job is to create a positive, uplifting experience,” Kesselman notes. “By joining forces, we can amplify that ethos far beyond the cone.”
- While High Times and RAW bring legacy cachet, hhemp.co provides the engine room. Helmed by “czar of formulation” Dr. Bao Le, the hemp manufacturer condenses R&D, compliance, and national distribution into a 60–90‑day sprint, already powering 45,000+ retail doors for celebrity and craft brands. Dr. Le’s credo of Made Clean. Made Right. Made Better™ turns high‑minded ideals into lab‑verified reality. “We remove friction so vision can flourish,” he says. “Working with High Times and RAW proves that rigorous science and counter‑culture values are complementary, not contradictory.”
Dr. Bao Le at his hemp farm in Oregon.
A Partnership Built on Principles
- Authenticity Over Algorithms: Editorial integrity, ritual credibility, and scientific rigor converge to create offerings that feel lived‑in, not manufactured for trends.
- Transparency as Table Stakes: From open-source rolling-paper specs to QR-linked COAs, no smoke and mirrors here.
- Education as Marketing: High Times will fold storytelling, investigative journalism, and how‑to content directly into product ecosystems, bridging the gap between novice consumers and seasoned aficionados.
What This Means for Retailers and Consumers
Interstate THC restrictions continue to bottleneck growth; meanwhile, hemp‑derived THCa, THCp and rosin gummies create a compliant on‑ramp to national shelves. Retail buyers crave brands with built‑in trust signals, which is exactly what High Times and RAW deliver. hhemp.co’s vertically integrated facility collapses R&D, packaging, and multi‑state testing into one sprint, keeping per‑unit margin intact.
The counter‑culture has always advanced when unlikely icons join forces, and 2025 may prove a watershed year. High Times, the magazine that handed cannabis its first glossy megaphone in 1974, has just reclaimed its independent spirit. Determined to “hand the mic back to the culture and press record,” High Times is steering the storied brand beyond print and events into products that embody its rebel DNA.
RAW arrives at the partnership with unmatched ritual credibility. Guided by Kesselman’s creed of “uplifting the world and bringing all of us to the triple next level,” RAW’s unbleached, additive‑free papers have become the benchmark for smokers who care as much about purity as potency. Its cult‑like global following ensures that anything carrying the RAW watermark commands instant trust on the shelf. “A rolling paper’s job is to create a positive, uplifting experience. Partnering with High Times and hhemp.co lets that spirit roll far wider than we ever could alone,” said Kesselman.
Josh Kesselman and Dr. Bao Le announced High Times collaboration at Champs Las Vegas
The products officially debuted last weekend at CHAMPS Las Vegas, drawing buzz from both wholesale buyers and cultural insiders. From RAW cones packed with THCa flower to High Times-branded live resin vapes, the launch marks the beginning of a broader movement.
Retailers see immediate shelf credibility. Consumers get ritual, rebellion, and reliability in one. And the culture? It gets its mic back.
