The Humboldt County Public Library — in Northern California, the heart of the country’s prime marijuana region — used to keep donated copies at the reference desk but stopped about a year ago when library staff realized someone had torn out the insides of the issues, leaving behind only the covers.
The Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, which serves Clark County, subscribed to High Times in July after a patron requested it, said Lynne Caldwell, the assistant director for collection and technology services. Copies of the magazine — so far the library has just the September and October issues — are available only at the Vancouver branch, the largest in the system.
The Multnomah County Library counts itself as a longtime subscriber to High Times, which sits in the periodical room, next to copies of Heirloom Gardener and the Herb Companion (kitchen, not stoner, variety). The Denver Public Library began subscribing last year, while the Seattle Public Library has kept a copy of High Times on the shelf for at least 16 years.
Libraries in Denver, Seattle and Portland — and even smaller libraries in Oregon — have long maintained collections of marijuana-related books and DVDs. Seattle added another 10 titles after Washington legalized the drug in 2012. The new books cover how to research marijuana strains, how to grow, harvest and cook with it, said Andra Addison, spokeswoman for the Seattle Public Library. (Among the newest additions to the library’s stacks: “Mr. Bud’s pot smoking games: 25 fun ways to get baked with your friends,” by Mr. Bud, which, according to library records, has been checked out three times.)