8 outstanding queer-owned cannabis brands from Pride 2023
Before legalization, San Francisco pharmacy SPARC sold these cheeky, provocative T-shirts that read “Legalize Gay Pot.”
Then, boom – we legalized it.
For decades, the cannabis and LGBTQ+ communities have organized, protested, educated, and championed their right to exist and thrive. And often their goals overlapped. Lest we forget, Dennis Peron opened San Francisco’s first medicinal cannabis dispensary, Cannabis Buyers Club, to help queer people cope with AIDS and other medical conditions. Brownie Mary Rathbun’s main clientele were AIDS patients. Without the combined activism of these two communities, Prop 215 might not have existed, beginning the country’s slow and enduring journey towards safe and legal access to cannabis.
Today, both movements face unprecedented new challenges. So this June, Leafly wanted to highlight the fire of authentic torchbearers from this great gay movement.
Amber Senter, founder of Supernova Women and umbrella brand MAKR House (not to mention the recipient of the 2023 Emerald Cup Visionary Award), told Leafly: “Buying power is extremely important; it’s all about intent.” We’ve compiled a list of products from queer cannabis lovers that have made the cannabis landscape a better, sexier place.
Stone Road flowers and concentrates
“Cannabis is an extremely tough business, between over-regulation and taxation,” writes Lex Corwin on Stone Road Medium. “I want to sell many things that make people happy and products that make their lives easier. We can use our voice to highlight the brands that are doing it right.”
Corwin, the founder of Stone Road, knows that Pride begins and ends well past the June compulsion. And sometimes you’re lucky enough to realize who you are and what you want to do at a young age. “Stone Road” refers to the proverbial Eden in Connecticut, where Corwin first began growing. Today, it is his Californian farm that grows all of the brand’s first line of cannabis. It also means leading by example and never being afraid to show your true colors. Stone Road’s branding has always been, as the kids say, very aesthetic, with bold colors, gold text and a design that indicates the care given to the green spaces inside. Stone Road has something for every smoker, from single joints to hash-infused pre-roll packs to eights and pre-ground ½ ounces to dabbables. As in life and love, there is no wrong way. Available in California, Missouri, Oklahoma and Massachusetts.
Peak Extracts variety-specific chocolate
There’s debate over whether it’s possible to truly make strain-specific cannabis edibles, but that hasn’t stopped Peak Extracts founder Katie Stem, herself a medical marijuana patient and Chinese herbalist, from trying. Peak Extracts makes tinctures and topicals, although most know them for their vape pens and strain-specific chocolates that are extracted using an eco-friendly and proprietary CO2 process. Their chocolates are divided into six categories that include strains chosen for their terpene profile and medicinal benefits. Available in Oregon.
Related
How to order weed delivery online at Leafly
Farnsworth Dispensary and pre-rolls
California still holds the crown for cannabis’ queer heritage, but each state can play a role. Farnsworth Dispensary in Great Barrington, MA not only offers an extensive selection of cannabis products, but also makes their own smoking gear and bougie pre-rolls that look like cigarettes without the tobacco. They also founded the Queer Cannabis Club, a consortium of LGBTQ+ cannabis operators co-founded by Cann and Different Leaf magazine to create targeted spaces for queer cannabis operators and enthusiasts and to host events that are both enlightening and enticing.
Related
We visited America’s cutest gay cannabis store – Flore
Ventoso Farms flower
When it comes to cannabis and queer history, there is almost nothing more valuable than time. Time to get to know ourselves, get to know the plant, experiment and learn from each new day. Ventoso Farms technically began in the 1980s when founder Linnet Lockhart moved to the Emerald Triangle and began growing cannabis – one of the region’s first queer women – her tagline is “queer to table”. They grow sun-grown cannabis in small, holistic batches and sell it through dispensaries in Northern California.
Buy highly rated pharmacies in your area
We show you pharmacies near Mountain View, CA
Show all pharmacies
Landrace Origins coffee
For every person who says they can’t live without cannabis, there are ten who denounce that they can’t live without coffee. Well, two-thirds of Americans drink coffee every day. And coffee tends to grow in the same places that intoxicating sativa strains call home. Amber Senter and MAKR House developed Landrace Origins to offer ethical, high-quality coffee and cannabis by combining landrace beans with landrace strains. You can of course buy the coffee separately, but what’s the fun in that? Her first pairing is Congolese coffee and Durban poison flowers, both grown on women-run farms where justice is a priority.
Senter emphasizes that actively supporting queer and BIPOC-led businesses at a time of rising tensions is critical to their longevity and the continued development of a resilient, diverse industry.
“We’ve come under a lot of fire,” she says, “for being black and queer.” That’s what I’m committed to with my products — I make sure I’m making space in my community for my people. It is very important to match with your dollar. Make sure you buy from people who appeal to you.”
If you’re in the Bay Area, Landrace Origins is hosting the High on Flavor, A Unique Coffee and Cannabis Pairing Experience event in Oakland on June 17th. Use the code “leafly” to get $5 off your tickets.
Related
Is Weed Gay?: Cannabis and Queer Health
Cann Lite drinks
By now you’re probably familiar with Cann’s microdose cannabis beverages and their mission to transform the way Americans approach drinking and socialization. Her Pride campaigns have been epic for years and are powered by products loved by people from California to New York. They also understand that not everyone wants a sugared, fruity libation all the time, but the law states that cannabis and alcohol cannot be mixed together. Discover the new Lite line of drinks, including the IPA-friendly Tangerine Hops. It’s the same formula with 2mg of THC and 4mg of CBD, but with a little more astringency.
Madam Munchie’s peanut butter and chocohaze
The macaron is a timeless pastry, and Madam Munchies made a name for itself in the medicinal market by making them powerful and delicious. Their macarons are definitely still on the menu, but sometimes you just need to tweak your treats a bit. Here are the peanut butter and chocohaze spreads, two fortified versions of the best spices ever. Each container contains a total of 100mg of THC and both are vegan and can be consumed straight or drizzled over your favorite snacks. Available in California.
Hey Flamer, Prerolls
New York doesn’t do things by halves, and their approach to cannabis is no different. In a cheeky reclamation of a word that hasn’t always been used kindly, the Hey Flamer team ensures that you immediately recognize they are a dedicated and proud cannabis company. But co-founder Matías Alvial also knows that queerness doesn’t come easy and that nobody should feel pressured to stick with one label. Coming from artist and activist backgrounds, Alvial and his co-founders strive to create opportunities for those that the industry at large doesn’t always pay attention to.
“With New York, it’s the people; it’s the people; it’s the people. I respect authenticity. And that is exactly what Flamer is. I don’t want to be cheesy, but we are the changes we want to see,” he says.
Related
Is weed gay?: Iconic influence in America
Their branding is based on the gritty glamor of New York nightlife. The city is, in Alvial’s words, “the trashy girl we love” who can stand up to the intellect and always knows where the best time is. Their pre-rolls, both single and 5-pack, are divided by effect rather than strain, but all include terpene information for those who want to dig a little deeper. And there’s no smug copy here—their sativa-dominant offering, for example, is called “Silly Goofy” because that’s how weed should feel. Available in New York.
See also
Drew Martin does a run-up
Diamond-studded Disco Jays pre-rolls
OK, it’s time for you to take on the pre-roll and get started. Remember, it is not enough to just wave a flag during Pride or on 4/20 to celebrate. Cannabis and Pride are year-round causes; We hope this list will lighten things up a bit.
Post a comment: