Why is Cannabis use so high in the LGBTQ+ Community?
Research consistently shows that LGBTQ+ people use cannabis at higher rates than their straight and cisgender peers, but why? The reasons are layered: many use it to manage the stress of discrimination or rejection; to cope with anxiety, trauma, or chronic pain; to find community in social spaces; or simply for pleasure and relaxation.
The connection to cannabis use runs deep. During the AIDS crisis, queer activists were among the first to advocate for medical cannabis to help alleviate AIDS symptoms when few other options existed. Dennis Peron, a gay activist in San Francisco, opened one of the first public cannabis buyers' clubs and helped write Proposition 215, California's landmark 1996 medical cannabis law. Our community helped build the movement that made legal cannabis possible.
Stash Your Stash Campaign
In partnership with SAY San Diego, The Collective Coalition hosts an annual design contest to engage LGBTQ+ artists in a public health advocacy campaign called Stash Your Stash. Artists are asked to create a sticker design that resonates with the LGBTQ+ community and promotes safe cannabis use and storage. Winning sticker designs have been distributed in March & Ash dispensary locations as well as featured in billboards across the City of San Diego. Check out the Stash Your Stash LinkTree below for more information on the project and safe use resources!
