HighTimes Mag

[jackfrost]

went 2 get the latest "Hightimes" mag a couple of weeks ago and I was told that the customs had confiscated the shipment and would not be letting anymore in.

 

What is this country becoming?

 

JF, peace

[Guest Wilderbud]

They done the same thing about 10 years ago.

[BlackBeauty]

I tried to order some mags and a new calendar from the website a few years ago and got the msg then that they were no longer shipping outside the US

[Guest niall]

went 2 get the latest "Hightimes" mag a couple of weeks ago and I was told that the customs had confiscated the shipment and would not be letting anymore in.

What is this country becoming?

Hasn't High Times been banned in Australia for years? It's a crap magazine anyway, subscribe to Cannabis Culture instead, fuckloads better. Ed Rosenthal moved over to CC a while ago, he's in a legal battle with HT over money owed to him and their trust account which he was meant to have a share of. Plus High Times just announced at the Cannabis Cup that they're no longer a pot magazine, they're splitting off growing into Grow America or something, and High Times is going to start covering other topics and basically become more like Rolling Stone...

 

CC apparently can't be sold in Australia but I don't think it's officially banned. Anything with growing information, inciting others to break the law, isn't allowed I think. Just subscribe and it gets posted out, I've never had a problem receiving my copies.

[mr_magoo]

I've been a subscriber of HT for about 5 years and received this months copy ok so not sure what the deal is. Sounds like it's going to shit though - noticed there's less and less MJ content than previously so might be a good time to move onto something else. It's a shame, it was a really really good mag.

[Luke Skywalker]

Yeah, I heard something stupid like that, that it would slowly reduce it's cannabis content over the near future and become something different. The readers will vote with their wallets, shows what can happen to a good mag when a shite editor gets control.

 

Anyway, as to the customs, well, it would likely be that a shipment destined for a supplier was raided, as it is illegal to have these items for sale really. If something is refused classification by the censorship board, (if that's what happened, which I would imagine was the true case) then they are siezed and destroyed, (I think they're destroyed...) when they're discovered. Individual subscriptions would be different, as these are all sent out individually from the originating country of publication, as opposed to being imported en masse by a distribution company to be sold on to newsagencies or other outlets, depending on the mag.

 

I think it's a bloody travesty when you can't buy a magazine because it shows you how to grow buds, but it's considered perfectly kosher to buy a mag which shows graphic violence, or one which tells young teen girls to go out and have sex at 12, or one which encourages cigarette smoking, or alcohol use.... Which is more harmful?

 

Perhaps a member here may know of the relevant federal or state legislation which covers the publication of cannabis cultivation information? I'm hoping to write my own book on the subject in the next few years, (well, hopefully a lot sooner than that, like the end of 2004, but at this rate it may take a while.... ) and I've recieved a fair bit of conflicting advice. I think it could be state, it could be federal which would govern it, but either way it's not going to stop me. They can't stop x-rated videos getting out of canberra, then they certainly ain't gonna stop me.

[Guest Elefunk]

subcribe thats what i do..

not that higtimes is anygood anymore

almost everythings a reprint..

 

Respect

Ele

[Ferre]

Yeah, High Times sold out to commerce and is now just onother glossy magazine. They always had this greed thing with money anyway.

[Guest Elefunk]

In my new issue of hightimes there's an advert pushing a new mag -

 

GROW AMERICA - by hightimes..

 

hehe

[skullface]

hello i sent the office of film and literature a question about weather it is legal to own/buy/sell cannabis mag and book in nsw , and this is the message they sent back....

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

I refer to your email of 1 January 2004 regarding the legality of books and magazines dealing with the cultivation of cannabis.

 

Under the national classification scheme, the Classification Board is responsible for the classification of publications on behalf of the States and Territories.

 

The Board is required to apply the National Classification Code, which is a schedule to the Commonwealth Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995, and the Guidelines for the Classification of Publications when making classification decisions. The Code and the Guidelines are approved by Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers with censorship responsibilities. I have provided a link to the Guidelines for your information.

 

The classification scheme for publications is only partially compulsory, and not all publications are required to be classified. By law, only ‘submittable publications’ are required to be classified. ‘Submittable publication’ is defined in section 5 of the Act, as follows:

“...an unclassified publication that, having regard to the Code and the classification guidelines to the extent that they relate to publications, contains depictions or descriptions of sexual matters, drugs, nudity or violence that are likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult to the extent that the publication should not be sold as an unrestricted publication or are unsuitable for a minor to see or read.”

 

Publications can be classified as:

Unrestricted Generally, no restrictions on sale or display. However, the Board can impose a condition that an Unrestricted publication is contained in a sealed wrapper.

Category 1 Restricted Only to be sold to persons 18 years of age and over and only to be displayed in a sealed wrapper (not to be sold in Queensland). The Board can impose a further condition that the sealed wrapper is made of opaque material.

Category 2 Restricted Only to be sold to persons 18 years of age and over and only to be displayed on restricted premises (not to be sold in Queensland).

RC (Refused Classification) Not to be sold.

 

As you will note from the Guidelines, drug use is listed as a classifiable element for publications. Material containing discreet descriptions and depictions may warrant an Unrestricted classification, however, descriptions and depictions of a higher impact may warrant a Category 1 Restricted or Category 2 Restricted classification. Material containing detailed instruction on the use of drugs will be refused classification (RC). It is illegal to sell or deliver RC material in Australia.

 

I am unable to comment on the legality of the publications to which you refer without further detail, including their titles. You may wish to search for these publications using the classification database available at www.oflc.gov.au. The database allows searches by title, however, to search for RC material you must tick the option ‘include adult and RC material’ in the advanced database search.

 

If you continue to have concerns about these publications and have further information, you may wish to contact the Office of Film & Literature Classification switchboard on (02) 9289 7100 or oflcswitch@oflc.gov.au and ask that your query be referred to a Community Liaison Scheme (CLS) staff member. CLS staff fulfil an educative role assisting retailers and distributors to comply with their legal obligations under the national classification scheme and to identify breaches of classification laws.

 

I hope this information assists you.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

Barbara Vosoba

A/g Principal Policy Officer

15 January 2004