Tag: High Times era

The Ones Who Built It: Chris Simunek and the Lost Soul of Cannabis Journalism

Chris Simunek sits indoors in front of a deep red wall decorated with painted zebras. He has short dark hair and wears a dark jacket over a white shirt. The lighting is dim and warm, giving the scene a moody, artistic tone. A watermark in the corner reads “Image by: Rebekah Harris

In Part Two of our exclusive interview with former High Times Magazine Editor-in-Chief Chris Simunek, the conversation turns raw. From outlaw growers and underground legends to lost friends and a culture gutted by greed, Simunek reflects on the rise and fall of cannabis journalism. This is not nostalgia. This is what the movement lost when legalization cashed in.

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Reefer Saints and Sinners: The Outlaw Monks of Marijuana

Three hooded monks in brown robes stand in dim, dramatic lighting. The center monk holds a large cannabis bud like a sacred relic, while the monk on the left cradles a full cannabis plant and the monk on the right smokes a joint. The scene has a solemn, ritualistic tone, evoking religious imagery blended with outlaw cannabis culture. The text on the image reads: “Reefer Saints and Sinners, The Outlaw Monks of Marijuana, Pot Culture Magazine

Before weed went corporate and clean, it was kept alive by outlaws in flannel and flip-flops who risked prison to protect a plant. These weren’t boardroom visionaries or brand ambassadors—they were underground botanists, seed smugglers, and clone-hustling legends. From Nevil’s skunky Dutch castles to the hills of Kentucky and the grow rooms of California, this is the real origin story of cannabis culture one built with grit, guts, and a middle finger to the system.

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