Photo credit: westend61
Pride Month is a reminder that the cannabis industry (like every industry) should reflect the people who helped build it. In New York, queer and trans communities have long shaped cannabis culture through activism, artistry, and underground networks of care. Yet as legalization expands, many of those same voices are pushed to the margins. This list highlights five queer-owned businesses that are pushing the industry forward. From design studios and grassroots collectives to organizers and brand builders, these New York-based founders are creating space, building community, and redefining what cannabis culture can be.
FLAMER
Some cannabis brands are born in boardrooms. Flamer was born at a protest.
Co-founders Matías Alvial, Wyatt Harms, and Khalil Acevedo met through queer and racial justice organizing in New York—long before legalization, bright red pre-rolls, or business plans. Their connection wasn’t just about weed, but about shared values: care, resistance, and building something better together.
Flamer is a reflection of that. It’s queer-owned, chosen-family-run, and rooted in a belief that cannabis can bring people together. Not just at parties, but across communities. Their flower comes from small, sun-grown farms in Upstate New York. And their gatherings—like 4/20 picnics in the park—are joyful and full of all the people who don’t always get invited into the room. Their strains—like Silly Goofy, Lobotomy, and Pillow Talk—cover the full spectrum of moods, from playful to zoned out.
In an industry that’s still finding its way, Flamer is carving out space for queer joy, collective care, and the kind of community that doesn’t fade when Pride Month ends.
Shop FLAMER at The Emerald Dispensary, Housing Works Cannabis Co., The Travel Agency, and more.
Proud Mary
Proud Mary reminds us that advocacy and access must go hand in hand. Founded by Brie Brewer in 2019, this grassroots organization was created to amplify LGBTQ+ voices within the cannabis industry—an industry that, despite its rapid growth, often sidelines the very communities that helped shape it.
Through education, networking, and visibility, Proud Mary creates inclusive and equitable space for queer professionals, entrepreneurs, and consumers alike. Their signature Proud Mary Lounge is featured at cannabis trade shows and events. It offers a dedicated space for connection, collaboration, and celebration of queer excellence.
More than just a networking group, Proud Mary is a movement that centers community care, uplifts underrepresented voices. It actively works to build a cannabis culture rooted in diversity, equity, and pride.
Old Donna
Old Donna offers a quiet, reflective take on queer creativity—one rooted in home, ritual, and the beauty of restraint. This Brooklyn-based, queer-owned design studio specializes in small-batch glassware that pairs vintage charm with modern minimalism.
Each piece is crafted with intention, embracing slow design as a way to honor the rhythms of daily life. Whether it’s a tumbler resting on a sunlit window sill or a glass held during a late-night conversation, Old Donna’s work speaks softly but meaningfully. Their objects aren’t made to be showpieces; they’re made to be lived with, touched often, and appreciated over time.
In doing so, Old Donna reminds us that queerness can be as much about softness, presence, and care as it is about visibility.
Dank Dykes
Founded by and for queer women and gender nonconforming folks, Dank Dykes is a grassroots cannabis collective. It centers on community and celebration. What began as a grassroots delivery service by Taylor Barber and Baileigh Wilks quickly grew into a queer cannabis social club built on connection, joy, and community care.
Based in New York City, Dank Dykes began with Telegram orders and door-to-door drop-offs by bike or car. Today, Dank Dykes hosts events like game nights, comedy shows, and social hours. All center queer women and gender-nonconforming folks, while welcoming all members of the LGBTQ+ community. With a name that came to them one night and just stuck, Barber and Wilks continue the long tradition of queer cannabis culture—grassroots, handmade, and rooted in love.
Weed Auntie
Created by Solonje Burnett, Weed Auntie is a multidimensional platform that blends cannabis culture with mindful play, creative collaboration, and eco-conscious fashion. It also includes a clothing line designed for cuties who care.
At its core, Weed Auntie is about curating spaces—both physical and emotional. It offers a place where people can connect with themselves, each other, and the plant. That ethos extends to the wardrobe. From a limited-run hemp jumpsuit made in partnership with Stateless to on-demand t-shirts, hoodies, bags, and pins, Weed Auntie’s apparel invites wearers to live their values with intention and style.
Burnett also works with brands and communities to uncover their essence and tell their stories, building bridges between cannabis, culture, and collective healing.
Pride is about visibility, but it’s also about action. Supporting queer-owned cannabis businesses means investing in a more inclusive, creative, and community-driven future for the industry. For a full list of queer-owned cannabis businesses, visit The Emerald Magazine’s directory here.
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