5 Queer Figures in the Cannabis Movement
The cannabis legalization movement has come quite a long way in the last 40 years, and it is thanks to entire communities of people working tirelessly across generations. To realize the historic moment the legal cannabis industry is now in, it took the efforts of many, including LGBTQIA+ people who were integral in early legalization efforts in San Francisco and beyond. These queer advocates helped carry the mantle of safe access to cannabis for all throughout the country in the ensuing decades, and many continue to do so today.
From promoting cannabis’s therapeutic potential during the AIDS epidemic to championing its mental health benefits to advocating for the civil rights of everyone to consume safely and freely, queer people have long been on the frontlines of the fight against cannabis prohibition from the start. This Pride Month, we at True Labs want to call attention to past leaders and current figureheads who pave the way for advancement in cannabis legalization. Get to know five influential queer folks in cannabis.
Laganja Estranja
The notorious “queen of weed,” Laganja Estranja is a world-renowned drag queen based in Los Angeles. Best known for competing on the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Estranja is a massive supporter of the legalization of, and consumption of, cannabis.
Noting that cannabis changed her life mentally and physically, Estranja uses her media presence to promote and celebrate cannabis. She has graced the covers of Emerald Magazine and Dope Magazine, becoming both the first queer and first transgender person to appear on the cover of a cannabis magazine. She has also appeared in High Times twice. Estranja also collaborated with brands like Kiva to help fundraiser for the Los Angeles LGBT Center, where she has hosted #LaganjasDanceSchool. She has also collaborated with the California edibles brand FRUIT SLABS, which released a limited edition flavor with Estranja in 2019.
Dennis Peron
American activist and businessman Dennis Robert Peron was one of the earliest leaders in the movement for cannabis legalization throughout the 1990s. Known for promoting the medicinal value of cannabis for AIDS patients, Peron, a gay man, sold cannabis from a storefront in San Fransisco for many years in hopes of making cannabis more accessible to those with AIDS, including his partner Johnathan West.
Driven to action by his late partner’s experience, the San Francisco Buyers Club dispensary was established in 1994 to assist AIDS and cancer patients. He also co-founded California’s first public cannabis dispensary and organized for the passage of California's Compassionate Use Act of 1996. This resolution successfully influenced the state government to permit medical cannabis sale and consumption, and kick-started a nationwide cannabis legalization movement that millions benefit from today.
Wendy Chapkis
Wendy Chapkis, PhD is a Professor of Sociology and Women & Gender Studies at University of Southern Maine. Her areas of research focus on issues such as drug policy reform, LGBTQIA+ history and culture, and body politics. During her time as an advocate, Chapkis authored Dying to Get High: Marijuana as Medicine, an investigative look at how terminally ill AIDS and cancer patients created the country’s first medical cannabis collective. In addition, she was also a featured interviewee in Out in the Redwoods: Documenting Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender History at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Shannon De Grooms
Shannon De Grooms is a activist and co-founder and executive director of This is Jane Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to women and non-binary people living with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The organization educates, facilitates community, and uplifts those managing PTSD symptoms in their daily lives, including through the consumption of cannabis.
As a member of and supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community, De Grooms’ organization aims to shed light on the realities of PTSD in these communities and provide a safe space for survivors through raw, powerful black-and-white photographs accompanied by personal stories, panel discussions, and advocacy events. In addition, De Grooms served as the youth advocate at the Los Angeles LGBT Center and partnered with the Eaze Compassion project to help bring free medical cannabis to low-income patients in California.
Isamarie Pérez
Isamarie Pérez is a business development and tech strategist in the cannabis space and a queer advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community dedicated to advancing cannabis public policy and social equity. Since 2017, Pérez has sat on the board for Supernova Women, a nonprofit organization founded in 2015 that works to empower Black and brown people in the cannabis industry and natural plant medicine space. Pérez also spoke at the Lesbians Who Tech + Allies Summit in 2020, where she shared her experience coming from big tech into cannabis tech and the opportunities available to LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) people in cannabis.
Celebration through recognition
More than 50 years since the start of Pride, it is important to remember that advancements in the legalization movement would not look like it does today without the courage of LGBTQIA+ individuals who paved the way for those to follow. Leading the fight toward equity and inclusion in cannabis and queer spaces, these individuals -- and many, many others -- have gone above and beyond to increase education and access. This month and every month, we celebrate them and thank them for their invaluable contributions to the industry and community we love.