GUEST PERSPECTIVE
Cannabis Industry Can’t Shut Out LGBTQ Community
Advocates push to make sure queer folks have access to marijuana licenses
BY TYME FERRIS & THOMAS KUPIEC
The State of New York is
on its way to fostering
the most diverse and
equitable cannabis industry
in the country, as it will
require that about half of all business
licenses be awarded to social
equity applicants. However, as it
stands, the social equity measures
outlined in the Marihuana Regulation
and Taxation Act (MRTA) do
not include the LGBTQ community,
drastically outcasting many
of those impacted by prohibition as
well as those who served as trailblazers
in the marijuana legalization
movement.
Recently, leadership from Pantheon
Collective worked with New
York State Senator Jeremy Cooney,
who proposed a new bill that would
include gay, lesbian and bisexual
people in the state’s social equity
applicants for cannabis businesses
(Senate Bill 7517 was previously
submitted to committee to include
transgender and gender non-binary
people). In order to make the vision
set forth by the MRTA a reality
and properly acknowledge the LGBTQ
community’s role in the cannabis
movement, New York must
amend this oversight by passing
this legislation.
The LGBTQ community and
cannabis activism have coincided
for decades
The queer rights and cannabis
legalization movements are tightly
intertwined. Our community has
long been an ally of legalization
and decriminalization, with numerous
members being outspoken
activists and the plant has played
a large role in the lives of many LGBTQ
people.
Cannabis is a known treatment
for HIV/AIDS Wasting Syndrome (a
qualifying condition in New York’s
medical marijuana program), Historically,
HIV/AIDS has disproportionately
affected the LGBTQ
community. Because of this, the
cannabis movement and gay rights
movement not only gained ground
at the similar times but were also
based in advocating for ostracized
Incoming marijuana regulations in New York State should include the LGBTQ community, advocates say.
populations and combatting legislation
that disproportionately
restricts the liberties of disenfranchised
communities at higher rates
than those of privileged ones.
Mary Jane Rathbun became
Brownie Mary through her distribution
of pot brownies to patients
as a hospital volunteer for
the Shanti Project, the fi rst organization
to offer medical services
to AIDS patients. At one point,
Rathbun was baking nearly 600
brownies a day and was arrested
several times for her efforts to help
a population that was otherwise
being ignored.
Brownie Mary, along with Dennis
Peron, also co-founded San
Francisco’s Cannabis Buyers club,
the fi rst public medical cannabis
dispensary in the US. Despite constant
threats of violence, harassment,
and arrest, membership at
the collective at one point exceeded
8,000 HIV/AIDS patients.
Paul Scott was another activist
who contributed greatly to the
LGBTQ community’s advocacy for
cannabis in San Francisco. He created
the fi rst medical marijuana
facility in Inglewood, helping terminally
ill patients cope through
cannabis use and participation in
support groups. Scott also helped
found Los Angeles’ Black Gay Pride
organization and continues to advocate
for queer people of color in
REUTERS/MARIO ANZUONI/FILE PHOTO
the industry today.
A gay man was the “Father of
Medical Marijuana”
Of the many activists we have
to thank for where the cannabis
industry is today, Dennis Peron, a
Bronx native and advocate for those
suffering from HIV/AIDS, should
be on top of that list. Following the
loss of his partner Jonathan West
due to AIDS and after witnessing
the benefi ts of cannabis in easing
his pain, Peron emerged as a
leader, not only in the cannabis
space but in the LGBTQ community,
greatly infl uencing the push
to legalize medical marijuana.
Widely revered as the “Father of
Medical Marijuana,” Peron worked
tirelessly on behalf of San Francisco’s
LGBTQ community at the
peak of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in
the 1980s and 1990s for access to
medicinal cannabis. He eventually
co-authored California Proposition
215, also known as the “Compassionate
Use Act of 1996,” establishing
California as the fi rst state to
legalize medical marijuana. The
passing of Prop 15 is thought to
have paved the way for California
to again set a precedent by legalizing
recreational use through Proposition
64 in 2016.
The industry needs LGBTQ
representation
Overall, cannabis remains a
dominant issue for our community.
However, LGBTQ leadership in the
industry is lacking. With cannabis
being recognized as a legitimate
business endeavor, large corporations
headed by more privileged
groups will actively push queer individuals
and people of color out of
entrepreneurship. LGBTQ people
deserve a seat at the table, and
outcasting our community, which
helped pave the way for legalization,
will make the signing of the
MRTA a simple gesture with hollow
meaning.
Therefore, senate bills S7603
and S7517 are absolutely necessary,
not only to ensure New York
builds a diverse cannabis industry,
but also to honor the decades
of work the entire LGBT community
has tirelessly done to support
access to medical and adult-use
cannabis and acknowledge the important
role cannabis has played
in helping those with HIV/AIDS.
As our state works to approve,
and hopefully combine these bills,
our hope is that our elected offi cials
look to rename the consolidated,
overarching legislation the Dennis
Peron bill to bring attention to this
extraordinary individual’s efforts
and further exclaim this community’s
relationship with cannabis
and the movement for legalization.
Tyme Ferris (he/him) is a cannabis
consultant and co-founder and
CEO of The Pantheon Collective. He
is a member of the LGBTQ+ community
and the former Director of Operations
for The Farm Co. (Colorado)
and Mayfl ower Medicinals (Massachusetts).
Thomas Kupiec (he/him) is a licensed
acupuncturist who believes
in the medicinal benefi ts of cannabis.
He is also a member of the LGBTQ+
community and co-founder of
The Pantheon Collective.
The Pantheon Collective is a LGBT
majority-owned cannabis start-up
working towards LGBT equity and
inclusion in New York’s adult-use
cannabis market. If you or someone
you know are interested in fi nding
out more about entering the cannabis
industry please reach out to our
leadership team at info@thepantheoncollective.
com.
JANUARY 13 - January 26, 2 10 022 | GayCityNews.com
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