Bob Lemmo, the original news editor of High Times, died August 9th at age 64. Lemmo was diagnosed with diabetes at age five, and, after a long and hard-fought battle with the debilitating disease, he eventually succumbed to it nearly 60 years later.
Lemmo is survived by his wife, Penny Sherwin Lemmo, who during these past difficult years has cashed in her 401k and life savings on treatments for Bob’s illness. There is a fundraiser ongoing to raise the means for Penny to stay in the apartment she shared with her husband.
In 1975, Lemmo was the first journalist responsible for news coverage entirely focused on marijuana, hashish and other recreational drugs. He was one of the writers of the nationally best-selling book, the High Times Encyclopedia of Recreational Drugs.
Prior to High Times, Lemmo had been editor of underground newspapers in New York and Arizona. He was a knowledgeable, black-market ganjapreneur in New York City during his years after High Times, when health conditions forced him to abandon his freelance writing.
This is a tragic and difficult time for Lemmo’s family and friends — please take the time to check the fundraiser being held in Bob’s name, and give what you can.
Photo: Bob Lemmo wrote the cover story for Issue #6 of High Times.
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