From The Editor: Going, Going, Gonzo!

When I was in high school, I wanted nothing more than to be Hunter S. Thompson. It didn’t matter that I was a chubby, mousey scene kid coming out of her awkward phase and still learning about sexuality and drugs. I had found my calling. I loved to write, and I liked weed and psychedelics, and I wanted my entire life to be an adventure, just like HST. 

Then, I went to college and started learning all kinds of things: the problematic aspects of the gonzo narrative: how it centers the male gaze and the cis, white experience, as well as how feminism and queer theory intersect with everything in the world, and my own journey to understand myself. 

Of course, today, I don’t fancy myself to be a modern-day HST, like I thought I would back in high school. But I can’t ignore the groundwork that his legacy has led to, for better or for worse: Cannabis journalism and other alternate narratives are accessible and possible, and we can’t forget that. Thompson lived right here in Colorado and made a local impact. 

And now, today, we are still embracing the gonzo legacy of sharing news and culture, but from an even more intersectional, inclusive lens. The legacy of gonzo lives on in the work we’re doing to free incarcerated cannabis prisoners, legalize psychedelics, and embrace the healing change of unlearning racism and homophobia.

So this April, whether you’re gonzo and sober, puffing on some flower and reading up on mushrooms, or simply adventuring and living your best life, we’ve got a narrative for you.