It is pride month and there are a wide range of events in the US this month celebrating LGBTQ people. A lot of these events are taking place in Washington DC and, thanks to the legal weed status in DC, will involve the safe and legal consumption of cannabis. When looking over the products offered at a DC dispensary, it is important to remember that a large reason that we are now able to enjoy legal cannabis is thanks to the work of LGBTQ individuals who fought for legalization.

While the struggle to smoke a plant legally and the struggle to have your lifestyle treated as legal and normal are in no way equivalent, the cannabis and LGBTQ movements have a lot of overlap that many cannabis fans have probably not even considered. Both of these movements have also seen a lot of positive change over the last decade and they have helped to change the social and political landscape in our country.

Cannabis and LGBTQ

It should come as no surprise that there is a lot of overlap between advocacy for cannabis rights and LGBTQ rights. Some of the earliest pushes for medical marijuana legalization came from LGBTQ protestors. Long before medical cannabis was legal anywhere in the US, LGBTQ groups were pushing for the use of cannabis to help cancer, HIV, and AIDS patients get relief for their symptoms. Figures like Harvey Milk gay advocates to bring the need for medical cannabis into the public eye. In a similar vein, many cannabis users have supported the struggle of LGBTQ members of their communities to gain the basic rights they deserve.

One of the individuals who had the largest impact on the legalization of Medical Cannabis in California was Dennis Peron. Dennis, a gay man from New York. Dennis sold cannabis in San Francisco and quickly noticed its medical benefits amongst gay men suffering from AIDS, a disease that would eventually claim his partner. His continued advocacy for medical cannabis throughout the 1990s led to the founding of the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club, the first medical cannabis dispensary in the United States.

Inspired by the work of Dennis Peron was Mary Jane "Brownie Mary" Rathbun. When you imagine someone who was a crusader for both gay rights and cannabis legalization, a friendly looking grandmotherly figure probably isn't the first image that comes to mind. Mary was a volunteer at San Francisco General Hospital who would bake cannabis infused brownies to provide some relief for patients. She started out baking her brownies for profit but after seeing just how much relief cannabis was capable of offering, she began accepting donations and providing her brownies free of charge. She would bake hundreds of brownies per day and was arrested three times for making these brownies. The publicity from her arrests led to some of the first clinical studies on the medical benefits of cannabis use.

One thing that has always formed a common thread between the LGBTQ community and cannabis enthusiasts is fighting to have society be more socially tolerant. Both groups just want to be able to exist and enjoy their lives without interference or having to deal with inaccurate perceptions about their lifestyles.

Here at TreeHub, we are happy that people in DC can love who they want to love and relax the way that they want to relax. It's a beautiful thing and we're celebrating pride month knowing that we would not exist without the hard work and dedication of LGBTQ protestors and advocates who fought for our right to enjoy weed legally here in DC.

2021 Pride Events in DC

This year there are plenty of great pride events for DC residents and visitors to check out. This includes both in person and online events that will be sponsored by LGBTQ organizations in DC. We'll go over a few of the upcoming events that you can enjoy to celebrate the DC LGBTQ community both in person or from home.

Hooked on Capital Pride - The Hooked on Capital Pride event is being hosted at Hook Hall and the final night is on June 30th. From 3 to 9 pm attendees will be able to enjoy drink specials, music, and an all around celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. Send off pride month with a bang by partying at this great event.

Pride Ride Group Bike Event - We Ride DC and goDCgo will be throwing a group bike ride along the Capital Pride Parade route on June 26th. The socially distanced event will take riders along this gorgeous route and through several iconic landmarks in DC and riders will be able to visit queer owned businesses along the route. The ride will conclude with a ride along the city's new bike lanes to Dupont Circle.

Rainbow Ride - On Saturday the 26th, the ANC Rainbow Caucus and several other organizations are hosting the Rainbow Ride. This cycling event will start in Anacostia Park at 1pm and will take riders on a 10 mile trip around the district. Genderqueer DC Virtual Meeting - A online event for people of all gender identities to come together in a safe and respectful space, the Genderqueer DC online event will take place on June 27th from 7 to 9 pm. The meeting will be a place for Queer people and allies to discuss issues and events in the community. #StayatHomeDCTrivia Pride Edition - StayatHomeDCTrivia has been a great way for trivia fans to stay safe while still enjoying the fun of bar style trivia. This special pride themed edition will feature questions focused on LGBTQ history and figures as well as cultural touchstones like film and literature. Drag, History, and a Show: The Dupont Underground and the Washington Blade have joined forces to put together a fascinating event centered around the history of drag in the DC area. The event will include a photo and video exhibition that covers the history of drag performance in DC and a live drag show. Visitors can choose to attend both of these events or just one and they will be taking place every weekend in June.

Cannabis in DC

Thanks to pride month, warm weather, and a near 50% vaccination rate in the DC population, the district is starting to see a lot more visitors this month. On top of this, more DC residents are venturing out to engage in all of the pride activities that are happening. For DC residents and those visiting the city, the ability to enjoy legal recreational weed from DC dispensaries is a great part of being in the district.

Thanks to legal changes in the last few years, it is now easier than ever to enjoy legal weed when you are in DC. You don't have to be a local, so visitors can look forward to enjoying some legal cannabis while they are in DC. The process of acquiring weed is a little different in DC than other parts of the country so there are a few things to understand before you start enjoying a relaxing high in our nation's capital. It's important to understand what makes DC dispensaries different from other weed vendors in the country so you can avoid any issues when trying to place an order.

To understand a little more about what makes DC dispensaries so unique, you need to look at the laws. The reason weed is now legal in DC is thanks to a law known as initiative 71. This made recreational cannabis use and possession legal in the district, but it did not make it legal to sell weed or grow in DC. One thing that initiative 71 does allow is for individuals and businesses to give away weed and other cannabis products as gifts. This means that typically weed vendors in DC will not sell weed itself, but will use a gifting service. These vendors will offer tiers of products as well as a separate menu of free gifts based on those tiers the customers can request with their purchase.

Working with these cannabis gifting businesses is perfectly legal in DC, but it can be confusing for visitors and residents alike. Basically you find a vendor, look at their gifts, and then buy a product that has the same gift tier as the cannabis gift that you want to receive. Depending on the business you may do this in person, schedule a delivery for your product and gift, or you will have to meet a delivery person at an agreed upon location to receive your order. The first step in this process is finding a business that has the kinds of gifts that you are interested in trying.

Once you have your gifts, you might be wondering where you can enjoy them. If you plan on smoking, then the best answer is to just enjoy them in the privacy of your own home or wherever you are staying as long as you are allowed to smoke. The punishment for smoking on DC city property is a small fine, but DC is a lot of federal land where smoking is still criminal. As always do your homework and be safe, it's easy to enjoy your weed responsibly in the city

How TreeHub Can Help?

If you are visiting DC for pride and looking to find some great weed gifts, we are here to help. All you have to do is download our app or search on our website to see the options available near you. Because of how DC dispensaries work, our app is designed to be a hub where potential customers can see the different products available from different providers. Vendors can also use our app to list their products and get the word out about their business to more cannabis enthusiasts in the DC area.

All of the vendors that are listed on the TreeHub App have been verified by members of our team so you can browse with confidence. You can easily sort through options to find the kind of products that you are interested in or see what businesses would be willing to deliver to your area. If you find a vendor that you want to work with, you can also use our website to place a preorder.

This pre ordering process is quick and easy and you don't have to worry about paying through our app or website. Just select what you want, place your preorder, and we will send that information to the vendor so they can contact you, send you the relevant payment information, and help you get the gifts you are looking for quickly.

Our goal is to create a simple online solution to help customers find the weed products they are looking for without having to jump around loads of different websites or make random calls to businesses to see what they have to offer. As always, be sure to enjoy your cannabis products responsibly and have a great pride month!