The month of June brings with itself the onset of summer, tanned bodies, and of course, long weekends at the beach. But apart from the general aura of summer, June is also known as the Pride month which spreads colours, acceptance, and love across borders, cities, and families. Though the summer of 2020 stands cancelled, the spirit of Pride month remains intact.

With new laws and legalization of several practices that were unacceptable in the 1960s, we, as a country and human being are still unable to digest the fact that there are more than two genders and preferences. While many people have embraced the LGBTQ community, many are still disowned, threatened, and not accepted by our society. 

This draws a similarity between the Pot Industry and the Gay Community as both of them are shunned, unaccepted, and misunderstood.

The collaboration of colours and herbs is not some millennial thing but started in the 1960s where homophobia was widespread, and the AIDS epidemic had just begun which was dubbed as a "gay disease". What bought these together was pivotal Gay cannabis enthusiasts and activists without whom the world would not have eased the restriction on cannabis. 

Pride Month- The History

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It started in late 1969 when people were tired of being legally arrested for being "transgender" while being a gay or a lesbian was considered a mental illness. At a bar called Stonewall Inn, History was created when people came together to outdo the police brutality, the general discrimination, and growing injustice. The police eventually had to lock themselves in the bar as the riot grew bigger outside.

This led to 6 days of protest and spread across cities, countries and every place where people were tired of being judged, shamed, and arrested for simply being themselves. The collective anger and the love for a normal life bought together activists and supporters from all over the world. A year later, the official Pride Parade was organized and later came to be known as the Pride Month. 

One of the most prominent names in the Gay community is Brenda Howard, also known as "Mother of Pride" who helped to coordinate the scattered marches and originated the idea for a week-long series of events around the Pride Day, which eventually turned into the annual celebration in June.

High Pride- Cannabis and LGBTQ- The history

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Cannabis Industry, very much like the Gay Community, was unaccepted by the people. 

“Cannabis and Gay's have always shared in the fight for respect and legal recognition, which inherently links the two communities,” describes Sophie St. Thomas, a Gay sex and cannabis writer, and author of Finding Your Higher Self: Your Guide to Cannabis for Self Care.

The marginalized representation of both groups is another similarity which brings the Pot Industry and LGBTQ community together. But the Gay community played a large role in the legalization of cannabis, and this happened amidst the AIDS crisis in the USA. 

Dennis Peron, one of the pivotal and prominent figures of Marijuana legalization, was an openly gay man at a time when it was not easy to be one. A Vietnam war veteran, he bought back two pounds of marijuana and began selling in San Francisco. Even though he faced trouble and tiffs with the police, he never backed down and continued selling Marijuana. But the revolution and zeal began with the spread of AIDS and the horrifying side-effects of its treatment medicine.

Dennis quickly realized how Marijuana can be valuable in relieving treatment symptoms of the terrible disease, so many of his friends were dying from.  

Even though he was vocal before the AIDS/HIV outbreak, he opened the Cannabis Buyers’ Club to help those suffering from AIDS and its symptoms. He fought for the legalization and went on to co-write Proposition P and Proposition 215, which legalized medical marijuana for the first time in California.

Another central figure that united the marijuana legalization and the LGBTQ community is Brownie Mary. She came to San Francisco amidst the AIDS epidemic and found a unique way to help the patients in the HIV/AIDS hospital wards. She used to sell affordable pot brownies which helped the affected customers. 

After many arrests and community service, she decided to make this the single aim of her life and began selling edibles. She also helped Dennis to open the Cannabis Buyers Club, which brought upon the revolution of legalization of Marijuana. 

Gay and Cannabinism shook hands way before any of them were recognized in good spirit by the people.

It was reported that over 30% of LGBTQ+ adults reported using marijuana in 2015 compared to 12% of heterosexual adults. We can see that cannabis use is significantly higher in Gay folks, but this is not because of HIV. It is because of the myriad mental and physical illnesses Gay people experience at a higher rate. 

High Pride- Rainbows and Brands

Did you know that if the LGBTQ community were a country, it would be the world’s fourth-largest economy, with a GDP of $4.6 trillion? This makes it very clear why companies jump on the bandwagon of the rainbow draped party as soon as June kicks in. 

Many companies share their genuine concern for the Gay community with donations and voicing their concerns all the year-round, while we have some jumping at the marketing opportunities while staying mum for the rest of the year. The Gay community claims they recognize these brands and know which will pick them up only to show business or genuine support. 

While we are fighting the norm, the girly and manly representation have crept into the cannabis marketing industry. The smoking man is always macho with protruding biceps and abs while the girls are enticing and intimidating, to say the least. The Gay community is not always able to resonate with the representation and even find themselves in the middle ground of acceptance in an industry which owes its growth to the Gay community. 

The rainbow colours are a representation of the group but the true appreciation and support for the LGBTQ community can be easily differentiated from those who slap the flag for one month and move forward.

It is pretty clear the Gay community can recognize the brands that are genuinely there to support or simply tap in the benefits of the buying potential. Though there is a shared history between AIDS activists and the legal cannabis movement, it does not align the struggle and is not enough. We must move forward and bring about a true diversity to accommodate more Gay people into the cannabis world. Only then, we can truly bring about change.

This was all about the collaboration of Pot Industry and LGBTQ. This pride month, confined in your home, don't forget the struggle, the spirit, and the activists who made the distant dream a reality. 

Happy Pride Month, y'all! Let's keep it real.