A Queer History of Cannabis

Brush up on your LQBTQ+ cannabis icons and take your Pride celebrations to a higher level.

Pride month is a time to commemorate, advocate, and celebrate our badass LGBTQI+ communities across the United States and the world.  From the first Stonewall riot to RuPaul’s Drag Race, the fabric of our revolutionary spirit has been waved high in the form of rainbows. As history would have it, it’s often marginalized sectors of our society that lead the fight for new ideas in our culture and policies. So it comes as no surprise that the queer community has had a major role in the acceptance and understanding of the benefits of cannabis. 

The LGBTQ+ and cannabis communities are both no strangers to stigma. It is often the marginalized sectors of our society that are responsible for expanding our ways of thinking, but also carrying the burden of fighting for a greater good. Everyone at midose. extends a huge THANK YOU to all the courageous people who came before us and shaped the cannabis-loving world we live in today. 

Medical Marijuana + the Queer Community

We can’t talk about pride month and its connection to cannabis, without talking about the AIDS epidemic. In the early 1980s, AIDS cases predominantly impacted gay men and queer communities throughout the country. In 1981, one of the first cases in the United States was documented in San Francisco, California.  Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) inhibits the body’s ability to fight off infection and disease, greatly weakening the immune system. We now know that there are three stages of HIV: primary infection with mild to flu-like symptoms, asymptomatic phase, symptomatic HIV infection, and late-stage HIV, which is referred to as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). A person can contract and carry HIV asymptomatically for weeks before experiencing symptoms. The asymptomatic stage of HIV is what drove such high transmission rates during the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. 

How does this connect to cannabis? It came down to patient care. Cannabis played a huge role in helping to alleviate the intense side effects of HIV/AIDS medications. Many patients turned to cannabis to help relieve pain, calm nausea, and stimulate their appetite. The mental and emotional toll on patients from the lack of education surrounding HIV/AIDS, often resulted in patients feeling or actually physically being isolated from their family and friends - leading to anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. Many caretakers at the time believed cannabis helped provide patients with mood-enhancing relief, and improved their overall well-being. 

One of the most well-known cannabis advocates during the 1980s was Mary Jane Rathbun, also known as “Brownie Mary.”  Mary baked her way into the cannabis lexicon by providing cannabis-infused brownies to HIV/AIDS patients in San Francisco. This radical act of care was against the law at the time, but Mary championed the use of medical cannabis through multiple arrests and was a prominent figure in the movement to destigmatize the use and distribution of medical cannabis. Mary’s compassion, courage, and activism had a huge impact on her community, and progressing advocacy for the legalization of medical cannabis. This a reminder of why ‘special brownies’ truly are so special.

“This was a gay response to an epidemic. It was the gay community that legalized marijuana.”

-John Entwistle

You Better Werk on Your Policies

Mary Rathbun worked alongside many cannabis advocates, like Dennis Peron. Dennis was a well-known LGBTQ+ activist and cannabis entrepreneur. Ever heard of a little thing called the Cannabis Buyers Club? Yeah, that’s Dennis,  widely credited as the “Father of Medical Marijuana.” Dennis was a Vietnam veteran living in San Francisco and selling cannabis from the upstairs floor of his supermarket. After living through the death of his lover, Jonathan West, from HIV/AIDS, Dennis stepped into the role of activist. 

In 1973, Dennis worked with Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California. Together, they got enough signatures to get Proposition W on the ballot. When Proposition W passed it served as a non-binding initiative, advising law enforcement to ignore the possession of cannabis if it was less than one ounce. Sadly, adherence to Proposition W by law enforcement was short-lived after the tragic assassination of Harvey Milk and SF Mayor George Moscone. Dennis was also one of the authors of Prop P, a 1991 resolution declaring the city's support for medical marijuana as an approved treatment for AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis. 

In 1994 Dennis and his partner John Entwistle co-founded the San Francisco Cannabis Buyer’s Club - one of the first public medical cannabis dispensaries in the United States. 

Dennis, Mary, John, and many other LGBTQ+ activists worked tirelessly on the landmark cannabis policy - Proposition 215.  Also known as The Compassionate Use Act, Proposition 215 aimed to decriminalize the medical use of cannabis and provide legal protections for patients and their caregivers. In 1996, the proposition passed with a majority vote of 55.6%, becoming the first medical marijuana ballot initiative passed at the state level.

The Compassionate Care Act was a legal and cultural catalyst in recognizing the medical value of cannabis. It eventually led to the passage of the California Adult Use Marijuana Act (Prop 64) that passed in 2016. The first domino in a series of efforts to decriminalize and legalize the use of medical and recreational cannabis throughout the country. 

So much of our present cannabis community was born out of the activism, compassion, and love of the San Francisco LQBTQ+ community, who fought for the right to grow, possess, use, and provide cannabis as a viable medical remedy.  

Queer Cannabis Advocates to Brag About

Karen Pall + Wendy Robbins 

This duo started the reality TV phenomenon The Marijuana Show! I know, it almost sounds too good to be true. Inspired after seeing the positive impact cannabis made on their friends diagnosed with breast cancer, married couple Karen and Wendy launched The Marijuana Show aired in 2014. The show centered around the search for the next big pot entrepreneur, with contestants pitching their big ideas on products and services to change the cannabis industry and become the next marijuana millionaire. Think Shark Tank…but with a lot more cannabis. 

Laganja

A cannabis rights activist and beloved drag queen, Laganja rose to popular stardom after competing on Season 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She has since used her artist platform to bring attention to and host numerous conversations advocating cannabis legalization. In particular, she wrote a song “Look At Me,” dedicated to the individuals and families affected by the war on drugs. Laganja became the first LGBTQ+ advocate to be featured on the cover of a cannabis magazine with her featured story “Balancing Gay Rights, Cannabis, and the Pursuit of Happiness” for Dope Magazine.

Amber E. Senter

The pursuit of more equity continues with the work of leaders like Amber E. Senter, who strives to address injustices and create more opportunities for Black and Brown communities within the cannabis industry. Amber is the Executive Director and Chair of the Board for the non-profit Supernova Woman, which worked with Senator Steven Bradford to develop California’s Cannabis Equity Act of 2018. This Act established a state-run program designed to expand cannabis industry business opportunities and participation among economically marginalized communities. Supernova Woman also helped to create the country’s first cannabis Workforce Development Program. 

We’ve got a lot to fight for when it comes to both LQBTQ+ and cannabis protections, but it’s still important to celebrate the moment, the love, and the now. So grab your glitter and your favorite cannabis blend and remind the world what love and community is all about!