The Vital Connection Between Cannabis and the LGBTQIA+ Community: Why Inclusion Matters More Than Ever

Author: Josephine MacFarlane

As a non-binary, bisexual person who has worked within the medical cannabis sector for the past four years, I’ve witnessed first and both the transformative potential of this field and its shortcomings. At a time when LGBTQIA+ people, especially trans people are facing heightened persecution across the UK, US, and globally, the cannabis industry must do more. Not merely as healthcare providers, but as active allies to those who rely on this medicine for their daily well-being.

Medical Cannabis would not be legal in the US without the activism of LGBTQIA+ people. Medical cannabis is also integral to the lives of many within the LGBTQIA+ community, forming a vital part of both physical healthcare and mental health treatment. Yet despite this, queer patients remain underserved, unheard, and underrepresented within cannabis spaces. It’s time for the industry to embrace the responsibility of becoming not only accessible, but actively affirming and supportive.

The Roots of Medical Cannabis Legalisation: A Legacy of LGBTQIA+ Activism

The modern medical cannabis movement owes an incalculable debt to LGBTQIA+ activists, particularly during the height of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco. Patients were using the plant for relief from nausea, wasting syndrome, and chronic pain associated with HIV/AIDS, and the side effects of early antiretroviral therapies at a time when patients were often left to suffer in silence. This was the same period as when Princess Diana shook the hand of a man suffering with the HIV in front of the world’s media. She did so without gloves, publicly challenging the notion that HIV and AIDS was passed from person to person by touch.

Figures such as Dennis Peron, a gay rights and cannabis activist who lost his partner Johnathon West to AIDS, were instrumental in the drafting and eventual passage of Proposition 215 in 1996. This made California the first state to legalise medicinal cannabis (source). But Peron was far from alone. Mary Jane Rathburn, better known as “Brownie Mary,” became famous for baking cannabis-infused brownies for AIDS patients throughout San Francisco General Hospital in the 1980s (source). Her tireless activism—and repeated arrests—brought national attention to the potential uses of cannabis.

Paul Scott, a Black, gay AIDS activist and founder of the Los Angeles Black Gay Pride movement, was also a vocal supporter of cannabis as medicine, advocating for those at the intersection of racial and queer marginalisation (source). He also ran one of the first local cannabis clubs for patients. Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California, also played a role in advancing cannabis advocacy, publicly supporting Proposition W, a 1978 initiative calling for the decriminalisation of cannabis in San Francisco (source).

These names are not incidental—they are foundational. Without their courage and activism, the legal and cultural acceptance of cannabis that we benefit from today might never have materialised. These are not all of the names of course, just a collection of prominent activists, and only ones within the US. This not just queer history—it is cannabis history.

The Trans Community: Common use and Administrative Barriers

In recent months and years, the trans community in the UK has experienced undeserved, unrelenting abuse. This has been a worldwide increase, but particularly bad in the UK where it has been perpetuated by politicians and businesses. I am personally disgusted to see this and encourage readers to donate to trans+ charities, platform marginalised voices, join protests, donate to healthcare fundraisers, email your MP, and more.

Trans patients frequently encounter bureaucratic and systemic obstacles when seeking treatment—especially when discrepancies exist between legal identification documents and affirmed names or gender markers. This disconnect can cause gender dysphoria, anxiety, and delays in care.

Healthcare providers, medical cannabis clinics, and pharmacies should not rely on improvisation in these instances; structured, patient-centred systems must be put in place. This means robust staff training on trans-inclusive practices, technology infrastructure that allows for recording affirmed names and pronouns, and explicit policies that reassure patients of their dignity and right to respectful care.

LGBT+ Cannabis Patients and PTSD: The Overlooked Connection

The relationship between PTSD and the LGBTQIA+ experience is well-documented. Research consistently shows that queer and trans individuals face significantly higher rates of PTSD due to lifelong exposure to stigma, discrimination, violence, and systemic marginalisation (source). Unfortunately, mainstream medical cannabis discourse has often failed to acknowledge this connection. A 2020 study in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research demonstrated that cannabinoids, particularly THC and CBD, can help alleviate key symptoms of PTSD—including hyperarousal, intrusive thoughts, and insomnia (source).

For queer and trans patients living with the compounded weight of trauma, cannabis is not just a medicinal option—it can be a lifeline to reclaim stability and well-being. By neglecting to centre LGBTQIA experiences in discussions around cannabis and mental health, we risk perpetuating the very invisibility and erasure that contribute to PTSD in the first place.

Building Inclusive Spaces: Existing Advocacy and Community Organisations

Fortunately, a growing number of advocacy organisations and community spaces are working to reshape the industry for the better. Groups like Proud Mary (proudmarynetwork.com) and The Full Spectrum (thefullspectrumnetwork.com) provide vital platforms for queer professionals and patients alike, pushing for systemic change in how cannabis businesses operate.

These initiatives are complemented by social spaces like Cirrus Social Club in Denver, Colorado (cirrussocialclub.com), a queer-led cannabis lounge that embodies the idea that community spaces should reflect the diversity of those they serve. These organisations don’t just create safe spaces—they actively model how inclusion can be integrated into the fabric of business operations, setting the standard for others in the industry to follow.

More cannabis companies need to follow suit—not merely by offering tokenistic gestures of support during Pride Month, but through sustained partnership, financial backing for advocacy efforts, and by implementing robust inclusivity policies within their own operations.

A Call to Action for the Cannabis Industry

As the cannabis sector matures, ethical responsibility must keep pace with commercial growth. Inclusion is not an optional extra; it is foundational to the legitimacy and long-term success of this industry. By embracing both the historical and present-day contributions of LGBTQIA+ communities, the cannabis industry can transform itself into a more truly compassionate, equitable, and progressive space.

There are countless more things I could say about queer people and medical cannabis. So many of my friends are queer medical cannabis patients, and the legitimacy of the treatment option has helped them to speak to family about their medication. I’m one of those same people. Medical cannabis has helped to save queer lives in the past—and it continues to do that critical work today. It’s time we honoured that legacy not only with words but with decisive, meaningful action.

To follow Josephine’s story visit: (3) Joséphine McFarlane | LinkedIn