Photo by Peus80
The story of cannabis legalization is often told through the lens of stoner comedies, savvy politicians, and corporate power plays. But an essential thread is often overlooked: the role of LGBTQ+ activists in fighting for medical cannabis access, particularly during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 90s.
Would we even have legal cannabis today if queer activists hadn’t pushed for medical access a generation ago? It’s impossible to say for sure. But one thing is clear: the LGBTQ+ community didn’t just change cannabis policy—they revolutionized the culture and perception of the plant itself.
Beyond activism, cannabis has long intertwined with queer celebration, creativity, and self-discovery—a staple in spaces from underground raves to pride festivals.
The AIDS Crisis and the Fight for Medical Cannabis
For the LGBTQ+ community, the AIDS epidemic defined the 80s and early 90s. In an era when an HIV diagnosis was essentially a death sentence, with government indifference rampant, the queer community took care of their own.
Enter cannabis. For many AIDS patients, the plant brought relief. It eased nausea, stimulated appetite, and made the side effects of early HIV drugs more tolerable. But with cannabis still illegal under federal law, patients procured their medicine through illicit channels, risking arrest and imprisonment.
LGBTQ+ activists saw this injustice and fought back, becoming the earliest and most vocal advocates for medical cannabis access.
Dennis Peron: The Gay Activist Who Started the Medical Movement
Dennis Peron, a gay cannabis activist in San Francisco, was pivotal in this fight. After watching his partner, Jonathan West, waste away from AIDS, Peron became convinced of cannabis’s medicinal potential. He started the Cannabis Buyers’ Club, providing cannabis to AIDS patients and other seriously ill individuals.
In 1996, he co-authored Proposition 215, which made California the first state to legalize medical cannabis. This groundbreaking law inspired similar legislation across the country—the first dominos in the march toward national legalization.
Brownie Mary: The Weed Saint of San Francisco
Alongside Peron, Mary Jane Rathbun emerged as an unlikely hero: Brownie Mary. A grandmotherly waitress with a flair for baking, Rathbun began distributing cannabis-infused brownies to AIDS patients in the mid 80s. Despite multiple arrests, she continued her mission with defiant compassion.
Through her activism and media appearances, Rathbun helped humanize the medical movement. Here was a sweet old lady—not a stereotypical “stoner”—risking her freedom to bring comfort to the dying.
By reframing cannabis as a medical necessity rather than a hedonistic vice, activists like Peron and Rathbun transformed the public discourse around the plant. Suddenly, the face of cannabis wasn’t a giggling burnout. Instead, it was a suffering patient, a concerned caregiver, a community fighting for survival.
This shift laid the groundwork for the medical cannabis laws that spread across the country in the late 90s and 2000s. And those medical laws, in turn, served as a stepping stone toward recreational legalization we see today in some states.
Cannabis, Gender Exploration, and Sexual Identity
For many LGBTQ+ individuals, cannabis is more than just a recreational substance. It’s a tool for self-discovery, facilitating introspection, body awareness, and the courage to express one’s authentic self. Though research is limited, anecdotal reports suggest that cannabis may be particularly valuable for those exploring gender identity and sexuality.
For example, drag performer and cannabis advocate Laganja Estranja has spoken about the plant’s transformative role in her journey. “Cannabis helped give me the courage to go out and wear what I wanted to wear and be myself,” reports Folx Health, a healthcare company for LGBTQ+ individuals.
“It brings me closer to myself. The feeling of acceptance is the most powerful thing I get from cannabis,” Estranja adds.
Similarly, Mercer C. noted how weed allowed him to, “reflect more deeply on [his] real understanding of [his] gender identity,” without feeling pressured by societal expectations.
Queer Cannabis Brands and The New Era of LGBTQ+ Cannabis Culture
As cannabis legalization spreads and stigma recedes, local queer-led cannabis brands and businesses are emerging with a focus on social equity, community reinvestment, and LGBTQ+ visibility.
At the same time, mainstream brands increasingly market to LGBTQ+ consumers. For example, Kiva Confections has released limited-edition Pride gummies while donating a portion of proceeds to LGBTQ+ nonprofits, demonstrating ongoing commitment.
As cannabis integrates into the mainstream, the industry must honor the LGBTQ+ pioneers who helped make legalization possible. This means donating to queer causes and supporting queer-owned businesses. It also means ensuring that LGBTQ+ individuals are represented at all levels of the industry, from budtenders to board members.
According to a 2022 survey by Vangst, 14% of cannabis industry employees identify as LGBTQIA+. That’s nearly double the national average of 7.1%. However, this representation drops dramatically at higher levels of management and ownership.
While queer-founded brands like Flamer, Peak Extracts, and Equity Trade Network actively create space for LGBTQ+ individuals in cannabis, many larger companies fall short. Industry watchdogs continue to push for more equitable hiring and ownership policies to ensure that the LGBTQ+ community has a lasting presence in the space they helped create.
The Ongoing Intersection of Cannabis and Queerness
The history of cannabis and the LGBTQ+ community is one of activism born of necessity, of fighting for the right to medicate and the freedom to celebrate. Queer pioneers like Dennis Peron, Brownie Mary and Laganja Estranha didn’t just change policy—they revolutionized society’s perception of cannabis and those who use it.
The work continues. LGBTQ+ communities still face barriers to access and business ownership—a microcosm of broader equality struggles. In many ways, the fight for queer cannabis rights reflects the broader struggle for LGBTQ+ equality—a battle for dignity, autonomy, and the right to pursue well-being on one’s own terms.
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