The Multi-State Operator (MSO) Acreage owned Botanist dispensary is honoring LGBTQ Pride month with Seed Pride.
Seed Pride is their message that “we reap what we sow, and the seeds we plant today, how we act, how we treat one another and our account of respect, understanding, and kindness to all, will be what the world sows tomorrow.”
During Pride month in New Jersey, the Botanist is donating a portion of Pride merchandise to the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Garden State Equality. Garden State Equality is a member of the Equality Federation, an advocacy organization devoted to social justice and building influence with a network of state LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations.
“With LGBTQ+ rights under attack in over half of U.S. States, including New Jersey. It is more important than ever for brands to show up and be active allies,” said Acreage’s Sr. Vice President for Innovation & Strategy Patricia Rosi.
“Acreage is honored to support the Equality Federation by selling The Botanist’s limited-edition Pride merchandise. Not only in New Jersey but also at every The Botanist location nationwide. Our hope is “Seed Pride” in New Jersey and beyond, and the Equality Federation’s network of LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations will ensure our donations make an impact in The Botanist’s own backyards,” she added.
Acreage’s The Botanist brand encourages all to “SEED Pride” and recognize the LGBTQ+ identity, affirm equal rights, and celebrate the visibility, dignity. And diversity in the LGBTQ+ community.
The Botanist Pride limited-edition merchandise is available at The Botanist retail locations.
LGBT Pride Month and Cannabis
Along with the Botanist, the NJ CannaBusiness Association (NJCBA) has been honoring Pride Month.
The Cannabis Legalization movement has deep roots in the fight to recognize LGBT Pride and gay rights. The first cannabis legalization activists started making progress at the height of the AIDS pandemic. It devastated the gay community. But it was ignored for several years by the homophobic Republican President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.
In San Francisco, CA, patients dying of AIDS, most of whom were gay men, were eager to consume cannabis. It helped their pain and lack of appetite. The leading cannabis activists, Dennis Peron and Brownie Mary, fought for legalization to help the patients. Peron set up an unlicensed medical cannabis dispensary lounge to help AIDS patients. It was similar to the model found in the film the Dallas Buyers Club. Peron and Brownie Mary led the fight to legalize medical cannabis by referendum in California in 1996.
(More on that in my book Cannabis 101!)
New Jersey cannabis advocate Jay Lassiter visited Peron’s lounge and fought for New Jersey to legalize for years.
June became Pride Month in the wake of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Angry LGBT+ patrons of the Stonewall Inn in New York City fought back against police who raided the Mafia-owned place because it used to be illegal to be gay. They held the first gay rights march held shortly after.
The U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide on June 26, 2015. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision announced on Friday to overturn national abortion legalization via Roe v. Wade, many feel the Republican-dominated partisan court will move to overturn the 2015 decision next.
