POWER TO THE PEOPLE
THE NEW YORK TIMES aptly referred to Michael J. Kennedy as a lawyer for “underdogs and pariahs.” He was a steadfast champion of rabble-rousers and outsiders fighting for human rights, cannabis legalization and personal freedom. And that, of course, includes the founder of this publication, Tom Forçade, and High Times magazine itself.
At Forçade’s invitation in 1974, Kennedy began a 42-year stint as High Times’s general counsel. He defended the magazine against “the dark forces that were certain to line up against a publication whose stated mission was to confront popular misconceptions regarding illegal drugs,” former HT editor in chief Chris Simunek wrote following Kennedy’s death in January 2016.
Indeed, many have speculated that High Times would not have survived were it not for Kennedy, whose astute legal expertise, love of cannabis and relentless defense of the First Amendment made him the perfect advocate for the magazine.
“Whenever someone asked me how High Times managed to stay in business for so long, my answer was, ‘Really, really good lawyers,’ even though everybody knew I was talking about just one—Michael Kennedy,” said former HT associate publisher Rick Cusick.
Even before founding in 1974, Forçade found himself in need of a
