Back in September, I hosted a meet & greet / listening party for Cycle of Pain at Rye Bar in Bayonne, NJ. Check out this cool video of the event, courtesy of NY Rocks TV.

Are you planning to attend the 22nd Annual Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam later this month? If so, you might want to come party with me at the two events I'll be hosting there for Coffeeshop Travel. Check it out....





Haven't booked your trip yet? Just go to Coffeeshop Travel and tell 'em Bobby Black sent ya!

Dicki Peterson, founder, frontman and bassist for the legendary rock group Blue Cheer, passed away yesterday (Oct. 12th) in Germany after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 61 years old.

I first met Dickie in June 2006 at a motorcycle rally in New Hampshire, where I spent the night in jail for the privilege of interviewing him for HIGH TIMES. We became instant friends, and over the past several years I'd seen him play and smoked him out on numerous occasions. But none of these encounters compared to the last time I saw him, when the band headlined the HIGH TIMES Doobie Awards in March 2008. There, I had the honor of presenting him with a Lifetime Achievement Award, an award I know he truly cherished.

I'm deeply saddened over the loss of this amazing man. Getting to know him and see him perform over the past several years has been a privilege, and knowing that he considered me a friend has been one of the greatest honors of my life. His music and memory will forever live in my heart. All I can say is ... for their sake, I hope they have earplugs in Heaven....





Check out all my articles in High Times about Blue Cheer here.

Well friends, this has been a most eventful weekend for yours truly. At the Boston Freedom Rally pre-party at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA this past Friday, I was unexpectedly presented an award (by my colleague Danny Danko) for Best Rally Video for the potcast I shot and edited (with the help of my beloved Vegas Price, of course) from last year's rally entitled "No Cuffs For Cannabis."




The next day, I got to speak on stage at the 20th Anniversary Boston Freedom, and met some amazing people, including one woman who told me very sincerely that her son and many other young people she knows look up to me, that I'm making a difference and that "what you say matters." That same day, the Wall Street Journal's "Speakeasy" blog published an interview with me regarding pot in the media, which was then picked up on another news site MEDIAITE.COM.




Then on Sunday, I had the incredible honor of visiting Dr. Lester Grinspoon and his wife at his beautiful home outside Boston. Dr. Grinspoon is a Harvard professor of Psychiatry and author of Marijuana Reconsidered (1971), the first serious text to examine the medical qualities of cannabis from an objective, scientific perspective—and thus, one of the biggest icons of the marijuana legalization movement. But despite this, he seemed almost more excited to meet me, telling me that he found the column I'd written about meeting his son in Amsterdam to be one of the most well-written stories he'd read in HIGH TIMES. Needless to say I was incredibly flattered. His wisdom, warmth and hospitality are greatly appreciated.

Finally, on Monday Vegas and I visited Salem for the first time and spent the day taking in all the witchy history and fun the town has to offer. As a Wiccan high priest, there was little information amongst the various tours and museums that I didn't already know. However, the re-enactments provided a stark reminder of what can happen in a society when misinformation, prejudice and hysteria (particularly in the names of God and "morality") are allowed to dominate the public conversation (yes, I'm talking to you, you Town Hall nutballs!). Being at the Witch Trial Memorial on the day before the anniversary of their executions (which also happened to be the day before Mabon / the Autumn Equinox) was a sad and sobering moment. But most of the day was great fun, and to top it all off, both our waitress at the restaurant we ate at and  our tourguide at the Salem Witch Village turned out to be fans of my work and HT! Too cool...

In all, I was both honored and humbled to have my journalistic talents recognized so many times and in so many ways in just a few days time. My sincere thanks to all of you who follow my work, both in the magazine and online. I shall endeavor to remain worthy of your attention and accolades.

This weekend I will be traveling up to Beantown to speak at the 20th Annual Boston Freedom Rally on Saturday. Aside from celebrating their double-decade milestone anniversary, and adding a second stage, this will also be the first year the rally will be held after the passage of Massachusetts' Question 2 ballot initiate decriminalizing small amount of marijuana (possession of up to one ounce is punishable only by a $100 ticket), so this will be without a doubt the biggest, baddest rally yet.

As usual, HIGH TIMES will be there—sharing a booth with NORML. We'll be selling magazines, books and dvds, plus we'll have $50 off coupons for this year's Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam (courtesy of CS Travel) and a photo booth where you'll be able to take your picture of yourself on the cover of HIGH TIMES! Needless to say, if you love the herb, this event is not to be missed. We hope to see you there!



To get a sneak peek of what to expect, check out the potcast from  last year's event:

What's up rock n rollahs! For those of you in the NY/NJ area, I'll be hosting a special meet & greet / listening party for Cycle of Pain (featuring members of Black Label Society / Monster Magnet / Tantric) at Rye Whiskey Bar in Bayonne, NJ. The band will be there to hang with fans, answer questions, sign CDs and play DJ. I'll be playing their entire self titled album and interviewing them live for HIGH TIMES. Plus we'll have free copies of HIGH TIMES and other cool freebies to give away. So come on out for a drink and some serious metal!!!

Click here for more info and to RSVP:
CYCLE OF PAIN LISTENING PARTY

And check out their hit single "Do My Work High" in my latest potcast!

If you love weed, odds are you've fantasized about moving to Amsterdam and working at a coffeeshop. Well this Spring, I got to live out that fantasy when I spent a week working at two of Holland's coolest smoke spots—Amnesia and Barney's. In this unprecedented exposé, I'll take you behind the smoke and mirrors to reveal first-hand what it’s really like to work in a Dutch coffeeshop. Check it out for yourself ...

COFFEESHOP CONFIDENTIAL VIDEO



Wanna help me make this the highest viewed potcast of the year? After you watch it on hightimes.com, click over to YouTube, give it 5 stars, and add it to your favorites! Then go to 420.com and vote for it there too!

Special thanks to BARNEY'S and AMNESIA, and CYCLE OF PAIN for letting me use their track "Do My Work High" (featuring Cypress Hill's Sen Dog) for the video.

And of course be sure to read the full story in the October issue of HIGH TIMES ... ON SALE NOW!!!

http://hightimes.com/magazine/bobbyblack/5822

Missed my interview on Marijuana Radio last night? Well fire up a bowl and listen to it right here!

For those who are interested, I'll be on MARIJUANA RADIO tonight at 9pm to discuss the 22nd Annual Cannabis Cup this November, as well as our new Cannabis Cup Preview issue going on sale today, which features my unprecedented expose of Amsterdam's cannabis industry entitled COFFEESHOP CONFIDENTIAL. Tune in online and check it out!

Whats up metalheads!

Wanted to let you know that starting tonight I'll be hosting a new weekly Metal Night at Rye Bar in Bayonne New Jersey. From now on, I'll be there every Wednesday from 9pm-1am playing the best in heavy rock and metal from the 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond. Plus, I'll be giving away free copies of HIGH TIMES! If you're in the area and like to bang your head, get yer ass out and hang with us!

There's only one week left to get in your entry for the "Hemployment Opportunity" contest to become a HIGH TIMES editor-for-a-day! The deadline is August 1st, so send in those resumes and story samples ASAP!

Here are a few of the entrants who went the extra mile by submitting a video resume on 420.com. Check 'em out and let me know which of 'em you think seems most deserving to win....

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t receive an email or letter from some idealistic young pot smoker saying, “You have the coolest job ever! How did you get it?” or asking, “How can I get a job at HT? I’ll do anything—I’ll even mop the floors!” It seems like stoners are willing to do just about anything to land a gig here. After much consideration, I’ve decided it’s high time for us to pay it forward and give someone out there the opportunity to step up and prove their worth. So this fall, I’ll be recruiting one lucky stoner to take over my gig by becoming an honorary HIGH TIMES Editor-for-a-day—and it could be you!

If chosen, you’ll be invited up to the HIGH TIMES offices to meet the staff and see firsthand what it’s like to work behind the scenes at the world’s most notorious magazine. You’ll also walk away with a one-year subscription to the magazine, copies of our Swimsuit, Grow and Cannabis Cup DVDs, and whatever other goodies we can dig up for you.

Excited yet? Well, hold on—I haven’t told you the best part yet!

As any of you who follow my column know, being on the staff of HIGH TIMES isn’t just about hard work—it’s also about living the BBD. So in addition to your other duties and prizes, you’ll also score yourself (and a guest) an all-access pass to our historic, invitation-only HIGH TIMES 35th Anniversary party this fall, where you’ll get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and mingle with top stoner celebrities and leaders of the marijuana movement. Then, when it’s all over, you’ll write your very own story about the experience, which I’ll edit and publish as the next issue’s Almost Infamous column! Plus, your name will be listed as an honorary editor in the masthead of that issue alongside the rest of the staff. How’s that for the bigger, better deal?

Want to know how to enter? Of course you do. It’s simple: just send me a résumé and sample of your writing (it can be an essay, article, report or short story that is marijuana-, psychedelics- or High Times–related, between 500 and 1,500 words), along with a scan of your driver’s license or passport and two photos of yourself by August 1, 2009. In addition, you have the extra-credit option of submitting a self-promo video by posting a link to it on 420.com with the letters “BBD” somewhere in the headline. I will then sift through all the entries and pick the individual who I think displays the most potential and enthusiasm to be our honorary editor, and announce the winner at hightimes.com/bobbyblack on August 15.

To qualify, you must be 18 years of age or older and live in the New York City area, or be willing to make your own travel arrangements and accommodations (HT will not pay for your travel or living expenses). Oh, and you’ll have to fail a drug test so we know you’re legit.

All right, Blackolytes—this is your big chance to show us what you’ve got, so you’d better bring it! Who knows—if you have what it takes, you might even become our next big pot star!

Hola folks! Wanted to give you a heads up that I'll be making my standup comedy debut this Saturday night (6/20) at Baja Tilly's Laugh Lounge in Tempe, AZ. If you're a fan of HIGH TIMES, live in the area and like to laugh, come on out and check it out. Look at it this way: if you smoke enough weed, anybody can be funny. Plus, if I suck, you can always laugh at me rather than with me!

http://www.myspace.com/tempelaughlounge