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The celebration and support of Pride holds a special place in the cannabis community. Due to the tireless efforts of HIV/AIDS activists who dedicated their lives advocating for the medical potential of cannabis, Proposition 215 was passed in 1996. Also known as the Compassionate Use Act, the California law was the first to permit the use of medical cannabis, making the LGBTQ community directly responsible for the legal weed we enjoy today.
Each year, Pride week sees cannabis brands partner with LGBTQ organizations, launching promotions such as limited-edition Pride products, charity initiatives or (digital) Pride events. All contribute a portion of proceeds to said organizations, or to the benefit of the the queer community.
While the weed industry continues to evolve from a legacy-market boys club to the fully inclusive space it will become, as of now, there are only a handful of LGBTQ owned-and-operated brands for consumers to support. This year, instead of spending money on products that only elevate your mind, elevate the community that made it legal to get elevated in the first place.
Here are the brands and products supporting LGBTQ organizations for Pride 2020.
Aster Farms x Coolhaus x Sweetflower
Mendocino-based flower brand Aster Farms teamed up with LGBTQ-founded SoCal ice cream brand Coolhaus and popular dispensary chain Sweet Flower [Melrose, Arts District, Studio City], to bring you two limited-edition treats sure to sweeten Los Angeles Pride Week: an Aster Farms Rainbow Chip pre-roll paired with Coolhaus’s “EnjoyMINT for All” frozen dessert pint.
For Sweet Flower customers, be one of the first 50 people to add the promo in your cart to receive a $5 Rainbow Chip pre-roll — a fruity, herbal hybrid of Sunset Sherbert and Mint Chocolate Chip — and a complimentary pint of EnjoyMint for All, a decadent dairy-free, non-GMO, plant protein peppermint base adorned with a rich trail of chocolate cookie crumbs and a gooey purple marshmallow swirl.
Since so many people are displaced due to current events, Aster Farms, Coolhaus and Sweet Flower will be providing a donation to the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Homeless Youth Initiative. Each company will be matching the $5 consumer purchase with a $5 donation.
Kiva
Leading edibles brand Kiva will be ringing in Pride 2020 with the re-release of their super popular Proud Camino gummies. Each tropical punch gummy features a mellow serving of 5 milligrams THC, perfect for a novice user or those simply trying to take the edge off spending the once-lavish weekend of Pride bored at home.
In addition, Kiva will be donating $15,000 to GLAAD for Pride month, as well as working with drag queen Jinkx Monsoon to put on a national Virtual Pride Parade on Saturday, June 13th through Instagram. Jinkx will be serving as the Grand Marshall, and with each person joining the virtual parade, Kiva will be donating $5 toward GLAAD.
Lowell Herb Co.
For this installment of Lowell Farm Co.’s yearly Pride promotion, the leading cannabis brand has teamed up with two of their LGBTQ owned partner farms, Tuff-n-Tendergrass and Ventoso Farms, to bring you a very special surprise: the Pride 2020 Blend.
The Pride 2020 Blend is a standout sativa that combines two standout strains, Blue Hawaiian and Magic Melon. Bursting with citrus and fresh fruit, Blue Hawaiian offers an alert head high, while Magic Melon levels you out with its air of euphoria and whimsy.
If blends aren’t your jam, Lowell will also be releasing 1g pre-rolls of each strain, featuring Blueberry Muffin Indica from Ventoso Farms, and Magic Melon Sativa from Tuff-n-Tendergrass.
Flow Kana
Flow Kana is teaming up with Earthen Farms, a social and environmentally conscious cultivator in Mendocino County, for a limited edition drop: the Double Chem OG 1/8th.
This sungrown indica features a gassy, loud aroma and a rich, smooth taste. Placing 4th in the Sun-Grown category at the 2019 Emerald Cup with genetics originally from Rebel Grown, this heavy-hitting strain packs a punch. Featuring terpenes like caryophyllene, limonene, myrcene, and humulene, this strain is mentally uplifting, but has a strong relaxing effect on the body.
Proceeds are going to a national LGBTQIA non-profit organization serving as a lifeline for at risk queer youth.
Platinum Vape
Platinum Vape” humanitarian efforts go well beyond supporting the LGBTQ community for the month of June. With the creation of REACT, a full-time social equity program that allocates proceeds of certain products to support LGBTQ organizations (among others), they are able to provide needed financial support to at-risk communities year round.
This year, PV will be releasing a Pride-themed vape cartridge through REACT, where 25% of proceeds will be donated to the California and Michigan chapters of Equality California & Equality Michigan.
Platinum Vape’s full gram vape cartridges are available in participating California dispensaries and retail for $60 and half gram vape cartridges retail for $35. Vape cartridges contain 90% THC.
SPARC
SPARC, a long-trusted cannabis company based in San Francisco, launched its compassion program in the early 2000s at the Maitri AIDS Hospice. To this day, the company delivers free cannabis products to AIDS patients twice a month. In honor of Pride Month, SPARC will launch its exclusive cartridge called Unicorn OG, donating $1 of each sale to the GLBT Historical Society.
Besito
In many ways, the female-founded LA vape brand Besito embodies the microdosed, design-forward future of the LA cannabis market. Since their golden, hexagon-shaped pens burst onto the scene in 2019, Besito’s chic look, subtle high, and history of LGBTQ rights and criminal justice reform advocacy, has made them a favorite amongst the hip and socially conscious canna-crowd.
To celebrate Pride, Besito will be building off their partnership with LA’s LGBT Center from last year, again donating 5% of all proceeds for June & July to the Center. Additionally, Besito will be offering 30% off all of their limited-edition merch and artist collaborations during LA Pride Weekend, June 12—14.
Look out for their upcoming social media experience called Puff Puff Pass Pride 2020. This virtual joint chain will feature drag queens and gay icons during LA Pride Week to tease their new (and first!) smokable product launching June 15th.
Kush Queen
Kush Queen, the female-founded topical and wellness brand famous for exploding the cannabis bath bomb trend, refuses to let Pride 2020 pass without a party. This year, turn your tub into a club with their Pride Edition Bath Bombs, complete with THC or CBD, and a heavy dose of eco-friendly glitter.
Available in 25 milligrams THC x 25 milligrams CBD or just 100 milligrams CBD, the aroma of lavender, sandalwood, frankincense, orange, lemon and chamomile will melt you into euphoria, while the eco-friendly glitter swirls and shimmers in the water.
Kush Queen will be donating a portion of the proceeds of the Pride Edition Bath Bombs, available exclusively through Sol Distro, to Asylum Connect, a non-profit tech company providing the first and only resource website and mobile app for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and other persecuted LGBTQ+ people.
Yummi Karma
With their flirty aesthetic, dessert flavored tinctures, and topicals catering to the pampered, the women owned-and-operated SoCal brand Yummi Karma is no stranger to the spirit of Pride. This year, they’ll be honoring the LGBTQ community with a special addition to their popular YK Drops tincture line, Rainbow Sherbert Drops.
The Rainbow Sherbert Drops pack a whopping 600 milligrams of broad-spectrum THC (20 milligrams per dropper), complete with a delicious rainbow sherbert flavor. Great for recreational use and available exclusively through Sol Distro, they’re one of Yummi Karma’s first “Good Karma” products, meaning all purchases of this product will help support the Orange County LGBTQ Center.
Generation Pride
Just because the IRL Pride events have been cancelled doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate in style! Generation Pride is a multi-event, monthlong virtual celebration produced by celebrity florist and cannabis advocate, The Flower Daddy, womxn and non-binary creative group, Tree Femme Collective, and nonprofit hub Social Impact Center.
Hosted on June 27th, the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, “The Summit” will feature a full spectrum of influential speakers, educational programming, and unique performances highlighting the intersections of LGBTQIA+ and minority communities in the cannabis space.
And on June 20th, Generation Pride is bringing Pride Brunch to you with a virtual party featuring performances from an array of entertainers, including cannabis advocate and drag icon LaGanja Estranja. The “Take Your Pride Higher Brunch” will deliver gourmet brunch boxes filled with breakfast treats, plus optional add-ons like a mimosa bar or cannabis product kits, and of course, lots and lots of glitter.
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