{"id":2099,"date":"2017-10-18T04:00:58","date_gmt":"2017-10-18T11:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dispensaries.com\/blog\/?p=2099"},"modified":"2017-10-18T07:00:24","modified_gmt":"2017-10-18T14:00:24","slug":"hugh-hefner-legalized-marijuana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dispensaries.com\/blog\/hugh-hefner-legalized-marijuana\/","title":{"rendered":"Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner Lifelong Supporter Of Legalized Marijuana"},"content":{"rendered":"

For many years, Hugh Hefner symbolized a certain lifestyle embraced by many in the 1960s and 1970s who were rebelling \u2013 quietly and otherwise \u2013 against what they saw as a repressive \u201cestablishment\u201d culture. In that regard, Hefner, who died last month at the age of 91, had no equals.<\/p>\n

Hugh Hefner Supported Marijuana Legalization<\/h2>\n

He\u2019s best known, of course, as founder of Playboy magazine and the empire he created around it. That included film, television, books and many \u201clife style\u201d products. But another area where Hefner was far ahead of the establishment and most everyone else was legalized marijuana.<\/p>\n

In an interview for the book \u201cHigh on America,\u201d Hefner said<\/a>, \u201cSmoking helped put me in touch with the realm of the senses. I discovered a whole other dimension to sex.\u201d<\/p>\n

But his support went far beyond his own personal enjoyment.<\/p>\n

Early Support<\/h3>\n

After his death, marijuana legalization advocates remembered his early and steadfast support for the cause.<\/p>\n

When the National Organization For Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) was formed in 1971, Hefner gave the fledgling organization a $5,000 grant. NORML founder Keith Stroup wrote about Hefner after the Playboy founder\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

Stroup said Hefner went far beyond that initial grant, becoming \u201cour primary funder all during the 1970s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hefner also published articles in Playboy magazine about marijuana laws and the incarceration of those who possessed marijuana. In short, he was an early opponent to the War on Drugs, particularly where marijuana was concerned.<\/p>\n

In addition to money and editorial support, Hefner also provided marijuana advocates the media playbook for changing pop culture. Playboy moved sexual topics into the mainstream. High Times magazine, which started in New York City and recently moved to Los Angeles, used Playboy as a template to bring issues surrounding marijuana into the mainstream.<\/p>\n

Why The Support?<\/h3>\n

The above quote shows that Hefner, such like scientist Carl Sagan<\/a>, found a connection between marijuana and sexual experience. But his support for legalization went far beyond that.<\/p>\n

In addition to the money and support within Playboy, Hefner also publicly spoke out against drug laws. Things got especially bad in the 1970s, when his then-secretary committed suicide after being given a 15-year sentence on drug charges. The New York Times provided details on the incident in 1975, including Hefner\u2019s comparison of federal drug agents to the people who ran witchcraft trials in the Middle Ages.<\/p>\n

Hefner told The Independent in an interview in 2009 that marijuana laws are not based on \u201crational justification.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese laws are truly hurtful to society. Prohibition gave us organized crime. Our laws in terms of drugs not only put all kinds of people who have drug problems in prison, but in the process completely corrupt entire countries,\u201d Hefner said.<\/p>\n

Although he had less influence in his later years, interviews such as that reflected the views of many in the 21st<\/sup> century. As Stroup wrote, Hefner was a \u201cfearless cultural crusader.\u201d Whatever people\u2019s opinion of Hefner \u2013 and there\u2019s plenty to criticize \u2013 there\u2019s no debating that point.<\/p>\n

In 2017, with even Olivia Newton-John<\/a> and Joe Montana<\/a> advocating marijuana, it\u2019s important to remember how far the debate has come and the people like Hugh Hefner who helped make it happen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many know Hugh Hefner supported marijuana legalization long before it was popular, but few know why. How did the Playboy founder help fight the good fight?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2100,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19],"tags":[38,204,203,144,205],"yoast_head":"\nPlayboy Founder Hugh Hefner Lifelong Supporter Of Legalized Marijuana<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Many know Hugh Hefner supported marijuana legalization long before it was popular, but few know why. 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