{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-tags-template-js","path":"/tag/aids/","result":{"data":{"allArticle":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Article_2745-markdown","title":"8 Fast Facts About the History of Cannabis in the U.S.","slug":"8-fast-facts-about-the-history-of-cannabis-in-the-us","content":"Marijuana in the U.S. has a rich and colorful history: From the plant’s beginnings on the continent as a staple colonial crop to its effective outlaw status in 1937, and now with its new resurgence, our relationship with the plant is everchanging. On Independence Day, we take a look at the United States’ relationship with marijuana—the good, the bad and everything in between. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### 1. Cannabis in the Form of Hemp Was an Important Part of Colonial Life\n\nLet’s start with some tidbits you may have picked up from your pro-marijuana uncle at Thanksgiving dinner: Hemp was a crucial part of the New World economy. So much so that Virginia passed a law in 1619 that required every farm in the colony grow hemp. The fibrous plant was used for the production of sails, clothing and rope.  \n\nMany of the founding fathers also grew the cash crop including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Contrary to popular myth, the Constitution and Declaration of Independence weren’t written on hemp paper; they were written on parchment, or animal skins. Though, it’s possible that drafts of the documents were written on hemp paper, as it was popular at the time. \n\nRELATED: [WHAT IS HEMP & WHAT IS IT USED FOR](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56dfbf5fab06d8000c000076/what-is-hemp-and-what-is-it-used-for)\n\n### 2. Cannabis Was Sold in Pharmacies Across the West in the late 1800s & early 1900s\n\nIn 1842, Irish physician William Brooke O’Shaughnessy returned from his travels in India and brought cannabis to Britain, renewing interest in the plant’s medicinal properties among Westerners. \n\nFrom the late 1800s to early 1900s, cannabis—often mixed with other drugs and in the form of tinctures—was a popular sight on pharmacy shelves across the U.S. Marijuana was used as a remedy for everything from pain and insomnia to muscle spasms and seizures. \n\n### 3. Smokable Cannabis Entered the U.S. via Mexico & the Caribbean \n\nIn the 1910s, Mexican refugees, fleeing violence from the Mexican Revolution, brought cannabis with them to the U.S., particularly to Texas. Cannabis had been brought to Latin America multiple times in the 1700s and was often smoked; its use there was already well-established. \n\nAround the same time, cannabis arrived in New Orleans and other coastal cities from the Caribbean. It was here that the plant began to take root in what would become jazz culture. Jazz musicians brought the plant with them to cities throughout the Midwest—including St. Louis, Kansas City and Chicago. \n\nThe popularity of cannabis among Latinos and African Americans birthed the stereotype of the plant as a “colored people’s drug,” a notion that Harry Anslinger, the first commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics, would take advantage of in the years to come.  \n\nRELATED: [MARIJUANA’S STORIED HISTORY: FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO NOW](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5ad6746f049b4f000a64e890/marijuanas-storied-history-from-ancient-times-to-now)\n\n### 4. Alcohol Prohibition May Have Helped Popularize Cannabis \n\n![](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-12196254-3e36-42d0-88e1-4eb89638918a/original.png)\n\nIn 1920, the Volstead Act established alcohol prohibition in the U.S. Though there’s no direct evidence to point to, historian Barney Warf, who authored the paper [_High Points: An Historical Geography of Cannabis_](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1931-0846.2014.12038.x), theorizes that Prohibition may have contributed to the popularization of cannabis. \n\n“Tea pads” began appearing in Harlem and soon spread across the country; they were often associated with the black “hepster” jazz scene. These pads, which often resembled speakeasies, were places where folks could go to purchase and consume marijuana in a peaceful, comfortable atmosphere. By the 1930s, it’s estimated that there were about 500 tea pads in New York City. \n\n### 5. Henry Anslinger Sculpted Marijuana’s Negative Image & Sold It to the Masses\n\n![Henry Anslinger promotes a negative image of cannabis](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-1e2e3b11-30c6-424e-8523-9c9a443fe05b/original.png)\n\nYou can thank Henry Anslinger, commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (which would later become the Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA), for promoting a negative image of marijuana. \n\nIn his 32-year career, Henry frequently dismissed scientific evidence, which stated that cannabis use didn’t lead to violent behavior or the use of addictive drugs. He manipulated public opinion, causing many to believe that cannabis use:\n\n* Led to temporary insanity \n* Was addictive\n* Was a gateway drug\n\nHe also promoted the narrative that the plant was used by communities of color and linked this use to violence and crime. His efforts would ultimately culminate in the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, which didn’t distinguish hemp from marijuana and placed all production of cannabis under government control. \n\n### 6. The U.S. Re-legalized Hemp During WWII—Then Promptly Criminalized It Again \n\n![Hemp for Victory film](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-185a1117-face-41ea-b0ab-46c140bb261d/original.png)\n\nDuring World War II, industrial fibers that were often imported from overseas were in short supply, prompting the federal government to lift the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. To encourage farmers to grow hemp, and likely to explain the lifting of a ban of a substance that they’d recently promoted as extremely dangerous, the U.S. government released a film titled _Hemp for Victory_ in 1942. The film goes through the history of hemp and how it was used for rope and cloth.\n\nShortly after the war, the DEA initiated a series of anti-hemp programs, and the plant was once again criminalized. \n\n### 7. Beatniks & Hippies Popularized Cannabis Use in White America \n\nIn the 1960s, use of cannabis among America’s white middle class began to expand. This phenomenon is credited to the Beatniks, who made a drug often associated with poor communities of color seem more approachable. The hippie counterculture movement would popularize the plant further, though it did little to change cannabis’s illegal status.\n\nIn fact, as most cannabis consumers know, the worst was yet to come: In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act would classify cannabis as a Schedule I drug, a substance with high abuse potential, no medical use and severe safety concerns. This classification, in combination with mandatory drug sentencing laws, would disproportionately affect men of color. \n\n### 8. The AIDS Epidemic Brought Medical Marijuana to the Forefront of the Public’s Mind\n\nWhen the AIDS epidemic hit the U.S. in the 1980s, there was no medicine to combat the virus’s effects. Eventually, the FDA approved a drug called azidothymidine (AZT). While it was effective and manageable for some AIDS patients, for others its side effects only seemed to worsen the disease’s already debilitating symptoms, which included nausea, fatigue and cachexia.\n\nNaturally, people with AIDS gravitated towards marijuana for its ability to relieve nausea and stimulate appetite, in spite of its contraband status. And so began the fight to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. [This movement was led in part by activists Dennis Peron](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5b1832a9bf4c4d000a0e743d/how-lgbtq-activists-brought-medical-marijuana-to-the-masses) and Mary Jane Rathburn, whose work received much media attention. Dennis would go on to draft and pass Proposition 215, which legalized medical marijuana in California. \n\nTo date, there are 30 states plus Washington, D.C., where medical cannabis is legal and nine states plus Washington D.C., where adult-use cannabis is legal. Meanwhile, more than a dozen states allow very limited medical use of marijuana.\n\nPublic perception about the plant is changing: Major polls by Gallup and the Pew Research Center indicate that the majority (over 60%) of Americans support marijuana legalization. It’s taken decades for the cannabis community to undo the misinformation spread by Henry Anslinger and like-minded officials. With marijuana still illegal at the federal level, time will tell whether this work has been enough to bring the plant into a new light. \n\nPhoto credits: [Jurassic Blueberries](https://www.flickr.com/photos/jurassicblueberries/) (main image); [Orange County Archives](https://www.flickr.com/photos/ocarchives/) (alcohol prohibition); [Wikipedia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/ReeferMadness_13.jpg) (Henry Anslinger); [Wikimedia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Hemp_for_Victory_1942.webm) (Hemp for Victory).\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56201c206430320006bb0000/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/14b42/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg","srcSet":"/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/f836f/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg 200w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/2244e/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg 400w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/14b42/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg 800w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/47498/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg 1200w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/0e329/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg 1600w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/c62f6/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg 2005w","srcWebp":"/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/58556/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/61e93/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp 200w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/1f5c5/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp 400w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/58556/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp 800w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/99238/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp 1200w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/7c22d/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp 1600w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/3a4e8/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp 2005w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2714-markdown","title":"How LGBTQ Activists Brought Medical Marijuana to the Masses","slug":"how-lgbtq-activists-brought-medical-marijuana-to-the-masses","content":"While marijuana still remains illegal on the federal level, acceptance of the plant is on the rise: In October 2017, a Gallup poll indicated that 64% of Americans were in favor of legalizing marijuana—the highest number since the annual poll was first conducted in 1969. \n\nIt’s easy to forget in this modern, adult-use era of cannabis consumption that the right to use the plant was (and in some places, still is) hard fought, initially by some of the most marginalized members of society: the activists and leaders of the LGBTQ movement. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### The AIDS Epidemic Sweeps the Nation\n\nIn the late 1970s and early 1980s, doctors in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco began noticing unusual illnesses among young men with same-sex partners. Researchers eventually concluded that the illnesses had to do with a breakdown of the immune system. They eventually gave the syndrome a name: acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), but they were still at a loss on how to treat it. \n\nThis, compounded by the government’s slow response to the crisis, meant that there were no specific drugs to address AIDS, and few available ones to deal with the consequences of immune system breakdown. As a result, the LGBTQ community suffered tremendously: From January 1981 to March 1982, there were [290 reported cases](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.3322/canjclin.32.6.330) of compromised immune systems in the U.S. (the terms HIV and AIDS didn’t exist yet), the majority of which occurred in men with same-sex partners. By 1989, [100,000 people in the U.S. were living with AIDS]( https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001442.htm). \n\nFaced with this epidemic, people with AIDS (PWA) and their allies, many of whom were also pioneers of the gay liberation movement, began to mobilize. “Almost overnight, gay rights activists became AIDS activists, fighting not for equality, but for existence,” writes Clinton A. Werner in his 2001 essay, “[Medical Marijuana and the AIDS Crisis](http://www.cannabis-med.org/iacm/data/pdf/2001-03-04-2.pdf).” \n\nPWA and their supporters began to research possible treatments in other countries, where guidelines weren’t as stringent as those set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). By 1987, the first “buyer’s clubs” for these treatments emerged in San Francisco and New York, giving people access to these alternative therapies. \n\nIn the same year, the FDA also approved a drug called azidothymidine (AZT). While it was effective and manageable for some patients, for others its side effects only seemed to worsen the already debilitating symptoms of AIDS, which included nausea, fatigue and cachexia. \n\n### LGBTQ Activists Turn to Illicit Marijuana to Help Those Suffering From AIDS \n\nMarijuana has been around for centuries, and many seem to be naturally attuned to the plant’s benefits. So, it should come as no surprise that cannabis’s anti-emetic and pain-relieving properties were quickly used throughout the AIDS community for symptom relief, according to the [autobiography of Dennis Peron](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009YBJSAO?ref_=kcr_store_sample), the late marijuana activist. However, cannabis was—unsurprisingly—one of the therapies that buyer’s clubs weren’t allowed to sell. \n\nDennis, who was a prominent figure in the San Francisco LGBTQ community at the time, watched many of his friends succumb to AIDS early on in the epidemic. He notes one incident in which an acquaintance was suffering in the hospital, unable to consume marijuana for fear of repercussion from the hospital’s staff. \n\nDennis and his friends paid him a visit, barred the doors to his room and sat with him all day, smoking cannabis and keeping him company. He recalls the incident as a turning point, in the way he and his friends viewed the plant. \n\n“Suddenly we realized that this oh-so-controversial weed wasn’t just a safer alternative to liquor and hard drugs as we had been using it, but was actually a real therapeutic medicine in its own right. … I saw that the AIDS crisis had made this obvious to anyone who thought about it for even two seconds,” he writes.\n\nRELATED: [MARIJUANA’S STORIED HISTORY: FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO NOW](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5ad6746f049b4f000a64e890/marijuanas-storied-history-from-ancient-times-to-now)\n\n### New Drug Program Allows AIDS Patients to Access Cannabis Legally\n\nDennis and his friends weren’t the only ones attuned to how cannabis could help people living with AIDS. Bob Randall, a glaucoma patient, wasn’t a part of the LGBTQ community, but he was a strong marijuana advocate and credited the plant with helping him keep his vision. \n\nBob became the first legal medical marijuana patient in the U.S. via the Compassionate Investigational New Drug (IND) program, which allowed the use of drugs not yet approved by the FDA under special circumstances. \n\nWhen the epidemic hit, a person with AIDS named Steve L. reached out to Bob; he wanted to gain admission into the Compassionate IND program for cannabis, with his doctor as a sponsor. The process took months, but Steve was approved and received his cannabis on Jan. 25, 1990—just 18 days before he would succumb to the disease.\n\nBob wrote an obituary for Steve in _High Times_ magazine; it was noticed by Barbara and Kenny Jenks, a young couple with AIDS. Kenny was a hemophiliac who contracted HIV from a blood transfusion and then subsequently transmitted it on to his wife. They were low-income with few health-care resources. They’d been using cannabis to help with their symptoms until their trailer was raided, and Kenneth was sent to jail. \n\nIn Bob’s eyes, Barbara and Kenny were the perfect spokespeople for promoting the use of medical marijuana for AIDS. They were a young heterosexual, monogamous couple that the majority of society could empathize with.  \n\nTogether with Bob, the couple was approved for the Compassionate IND program, and as a group they started the Marijuana/AIDS Research Service (MARS), an organization that was specifically dedicated to helping AIDS patients navigate the Compassionate IND program’s complicated application process. \n\nMARS was met with enthusiasm in the AIDS community, and the FDA began to receive many applications. However, in 1991, the Compassionate IND program was closed—inciting furor in the public and helping fuel support for Dennis Peron’s next steps. \n\n### Dennis Peron Drafts the Nation’s First Medical Marijuana Initiative: Proposition P \n\nThe AIDS epidemic pushed the concept of medical cannabis into the public’s consciousness. While Bob and the Jenkses fought for medical marijuana access via the federal government, Dennis’s partner Jonathan West was in the late stages of AIDS and using cannabis to manage his symptoms. The police received a tip that Dennis was selling cannabis and proceeded to raid the couple’s home.\n\nDennis was arrested, and at his trial, Jonathan testified that the cannabis found in their home was his, and that he was using it for medical purposes. Based on this testimony, Dennis was released. Sadly, however, Jonathan passed away two weeks later. \n\nThe whole ordeal inspired Dennis to fiercely advocate for medical marijuana access and legalization. Soon after his release from prison, Dennis drafted Proposition P, which he describes as “a eulogy to my Jonathan and to all the young gay men lost to this epidemic.” \n\n[Proposition P](http://www.marijuanalibrary.org/Proposition_P_Nov_1991.html) was the nation’s first medical marijuana initiative. It urged the city of San Francisco to make enforcing cannabis laws the lowest priority. It also urged the state of California to restore “hemp medical preparations” to the list of available medicines in California and listed a broad category of symptoms for which cannabis could be used.\n\nProposition P passed with 80% of the vote. \n\n### The Nation’s First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Is Born in Dennis Peron’s Garage\n\nNow out of jail, Dennis and a few collaborators were making runs around San Francisco, delivering cannabis to PWA. Overwhelmed by demand, they saw a need for a distribution center. \n\nThinking about the buyers’ clubs that already existed for alternative therapies, Dennis wondered if one could be created specifically with the idea of providing marijuana to PWA. Even with the passing of Proposition P, such a concept was still illegal; but he wondered, what if he did it anyway, got arrested and subsequently filed a court case arguing that selling cannabis was a [medical necessity](http://norml.org/marijuana/medical/item/medical-necessity-defense)? \n\nIf Dennis and his collaborators won—and he believed they had a decent chance, they would set a new precedent that would legalize the distribution of cannabis to PWA. Gutsy as ever, and riding the wave of their recent success, Dennis and his team set out to do just that. \n\nThey set up a store in his garage and invited a media outlet to film their first sale. The story was aired on public television.\n\nThey waited for the police to arrive—except the cops never did. Instead, what they got was PWA contacting the news station to find out where the club was and how they could buy cannabis.\n\nAnd just like that, the Cannabis Buyers’ Club, the nation’s first medical marijuana dispensary, was born.\n\n### Public Support Turns Proposition 215 Into Law, Making Medical Marijuana Legal\n\nAccording to Dennis’ memoirs, once the group realized that the San Francisco police weren’t coming to get them, they set out to provide medical marijuana as well as use the Cannabis Buyers’ Club to shape public opinion. \n\nThe dispensary was a press magnet, and the activists gave the media everything they needed to cover a good story: freedom to film, good visuals and most importantly, many PWA who had stories about how the plant was helping them. \n\n“This ongoing series of reports helped synchronize public opinion with the needs of the AIDS patient community directly. These interviews reinforced the crucial message that marijuana is medicine,” writes Dennis.\n\nDennis knew that if there was ever any hope for legalizing medical marijuana in California, he’d need the public’s approval. \n\nThe Cannabis Buyers’ Club eventually grew too big to be contained in Dennis’ little apartment. The club moved to a larger location in San Francisco, where Dennis could cater to more patients and foster a community of like-minded activists. \n\nIt was here, through a network of patients, activists and cannabis suppliers, that Proposition 215, a California law that legalized medical marijuana, would come into fruition. On Nov. 5, 1996, California voters approved the law with 55.6% of the vote. Oregon, Alaska and Washington would do the same two years later. \n\nBy garnering public support and cleverly using their networks, LGBTQ activists led by Dennis Peron were able to change the public’s perception and bring medical marijuana to the masses. These folks were willing to go to great means—facing jail time and even death threats—to ensure that patients could access the medicine they needed. It’s a struggle that we easily forget today, but one that we should remember and honor, especially as we navigate this new era of cannabis consumption. \n\nPhoto credit: [Cannabis Reports](https://www.flickr.com/photos/cannabisreports/)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56201c206430320006bb0000/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/14b42/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.jpg","srcSet":"/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/f836f/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.jpg 200w,\n/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/2244e/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.jpg 400w,\n/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/14b42/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.jpg 800w,\n/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/47498/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.jpg 1200w,\n/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/0e329/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.jpg 1600w,\n/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/470b3/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.jpg 1858w","srcWebp":"/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/58556/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/61e93/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.webp 200w,\n/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/1f5c5/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.webp 400w,\n/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/58556/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.webp 800w,\n/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/99238/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.webp 1200w,\n/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/7c22d/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.webp 1600w,\n/static/7855bc34d78216e28225d4a36414f1ca/0be64/2d028ebf57c76921fa9b989e8b2dbeee.webp 1858w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2029-markdown","title":"Happy Gay Pride San Francisco!","slug":"happy-gay-pride-san-francisco","content":"Summer has hit us in the Bay Area and this week we head into one San Francisco’s biggest celebrations – Gay Pride. Yet this year is tinged with sadness from the destruction from the mass shooting in a gay club in Orlando. As a country and as citizens we mourn with the families, loved ones & the LGBT community over the devastating loss of lives in a hateful crime committed by one deranged individual.\r\n\r\nThe LGBT community reels from the aftermath from this crime, and unfortunately such vitriol is not foreign to this community. But, the community in the face of violence and disdain has grown in strength and numbers over the years and has built itself on a foundation of equal rights and inclusion. From the unstoppable train of decriminalizing homosexuality from the 60’s forward to the Supreme Court’s decision in 2016 that extended the right for same-sex couples to marry nationwide, the LGBT community has bravely moved society forward. Since its inception it has fought tirelessly to eliminate discrimination, whether it be in housing, employment, or in the right to choose a partner no matter what sex, creed or color.\r\n\r\nThe LGBT community has also played its part in the now widespread legalization in medicinal cannabis. If you use cannabis legally, it’s important to know how the gay community plays a large historic role in your ability to access your medicine.  Back in the 80’s and early 90’s cannabis was one of the few medicines that helped the young men dying of AIDS. These men helped shape the beginnings of the medicinal marijuana movement along with other people such as ‘Brownie Mary’ Jane Rathburn, a hospital volunteer who distributed medicated brownies to AIDS patients who were literally wasting away – and yes, she was arrested for helping them. It was this movement propelled forward in the SF scene that led to Prop 215, the US’s first law allowing for medical cannabis in 1996. Today in the US we stand at 26 states that have legalized the right for citizens to access medicinal cannabis, in varying forms, but legal nonetheless. It’s the LGBT community we have to thank.\r\n\r\nJune is the month so many of us take part in Gay Pride not only in SF but across the country. We stand with and support the LGBT community during their celebrations.\r\n\r\nHappy Gay Pride to All!\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3333333333333333,"src":"/static/3cfeeccf4d8a9e89a7e4f5947eaed632/ee604/649c2fcebecd1935bc294f1a527470f3.png","srcSet":"/static/3cfeeccf4d8a9e89a7e4f5947eaed632/69585/649c2fcebecd1935bc294f1a527470f3.png 200w,\n/static/3cfeeccf4d8a9e89a7e4f5947eaed632/497c6/649c2fcebecd1935bc294f1a527470f3.png 400w,\n/static/3cfeeccf4d8a9e89a7e4f5947eaed632/ee604/649c2fcebecd1935bc294f1a527470f3.png 800w,\n/static/3cfeeccf4d8a9e89a7e4f5947eaed632/f3583/649c2fcebecd1935bc294f1a527470f3.png 1200w,\n/static/3cfeeccf4d8a9e89a7e4f5947eaed632/f90fa/649c2fcebecd1935bc294f1a527470f3.png 1365w","srcWebp":"/static/3cfeeccf4d8a9e89a7e4f5947eaed632/58556/649c2fcebecd1935bc294f1a527470f3.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/3cfeeccf4d8a9e89a7e4f5947eaed632/61e93/649c2fcebecd1935bc294f1a527470f3.webp 200w,\n/static/3cfeeccf4d8a9e89a7e4f5947eaed632/1f5c5/649c2fcebecd1935bc294f1a527470f3.webp 400w,\n/static/3cfeeccf4d8a9e89a7e4f5947eaed632/58556/649c2fcebecd1935bc294f1a527470f3.webp 800w,\n/static/3cfeeccf4d8a9e89a7e4f5947eaed632/99238/649c2fcebecd1935bc294f1a527470f3.webp 1200w,\n/static/3cfeeccf4d8a9e89a7e4f5947eaed632/5e0b8/649c2fcebecd1935bc294f1a527470f3.webp 1365w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_1969-markdown","title":"What it Takes to Get a NY Medical Marijuana Card","slug":"what-it-takes-to-get-a-ny-medical-marijuana-card","content":"A full 18 months after legalizing medical cannabis, the state of NY finally allows medical marijuana dispensaries to open their doors.  beginning January 7. Patients rejoice. Let the shopping begin! \n\nNot so fast. \n\n**Here’s what you need to know.**\n\nThe dispensaries licensed for business are few and far between. As of mid-January, 2016, there are only 8.  Eight.  Depending on where you are, in the empire state of 55,000 square miles, prepare for a long drive. More are planned for 2016, twelve more, but don’t expect one to appear at the end of the block.\n\nBecoming an actual patient will be difficult.  Unlike other states, severe migraines will not qualify you, neither severe menstrual cramping, nor anxiety, nor clinical depression, nor many other conditions that medical cannabis is known to alleviate.  Instead, you’ll need to be more at the terminally-ill or incurable-disease end of the spectrum. So far, less-than 300 patients have been approved for medical cannabis in New York (as of January 21 2016). If you plan on making the approved list, don’t bother showing up without having Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), Epilepsy, Intractable Bowel Syndrome, or Multiple Sclerosis.\n\nRELATED: [NY EXPANDS CONDITION LIST FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA CERTIFICATION](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5942b0478f2aa0000c61bc9c/new-york-expands-condition-list-for-medical-marijuana-certifications) \n\nAnd, if you're in the unfortunate position of having one of such conditions you’ll need to be seen, and specially approved, by a qualified state physician. This is not your family doctor – only 265 physicians have so far been given the credential to evaluate. Once seen, and given the certification by a physician, you are then able to register for a card. Yes. That’s right. You’ve come this far and you still have to register with the state before being cleared and given a card.\n\nOh, and just to be absolutely sure you’re not going to abuse your medical cannabis privilege, you’ll not be able to smoke it. New York requires that all medical cannabis product be a drinkable solution, an oil suitable for vaporizing, a tincture, or in capsule form.\n\nRELATED: [NY ALLOWS MORE METHODS OF MARIJUANA CONSUMPTION](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/59b3235db8b3ec393021a42a/new-york-allows-more-methods-of-marijuana-consumption)\n\nIf all this seems overly restrictive and harsh, then you’d be right.  It is. It’s symptomatic of the fear, uncertainty and doubt that conservative lawmakers still abide. \n\nIt’s all a bit of shame really. It’s a shame because New York could set a precedent for other states that are wavering on their decision-making.  It’s a surprise because, for so many other reasons, we consider New York to be progressive.\n\nI expect, as time goes by, these harsh restrictions and unreasonable qualifications will relax and be modified. Until then, if you’re a New Yorker, keep your eye on this space and whenever you have the opportunity to share voice on the matter – speak. And whenever you have the opportunity to influence proposition – vote.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.5151515151515151,"src":"/static/74bb7e483224b4c4d55fbf67433084b2/14b42/e871404fa5eeb46e0c986950b6e1a712.jpg","srcSet":"/static/74bb7e483224b4c4d55fbf67433084b2/f836f/e871404fa5eeb46e0c986950b6e1a712.jpg 200w,\n/static/74bb7e483224b4c4d55fbf67433084b2/2244e/e871404fa5eeb46e0c986950b6e1a712.jpg 400w,\n/static/74bb7e483224b4c4d55fbf67433084b2/14b42/e871404fa5eeb46e0c986950b6e1a712.jpg 800w,\n/static/74bb7e483224b4c4d55fbf67433084b2/47498/e871404fa5eeb46e0c986950b6e1a712.jpg 1200w","srcWebp":"/static/74bb7e483224b4c4d55fbf67433084b2/58556/e871404fa5eeb46e0c986950b6e1a712.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/74bb7e483224b4c4d55fbf67433084b2/61e93/e871404fa5eeb46e0c986950b6e1a712.webp 200w,\n/static/74bb7e483224b4c4d55fbf67433084b2/1f5c5/e871404fa5eeb46e0c986950b6e1a712.webp 400w,\n/static/74bb7e483224b4c4d55fbf67433084b2/58556/e871404fa5eeb46e0c986950b6e1a712.webp 800w,\n/static/74bb7e483224b4c4d55fbf67433084b2/99238/e871404fa5eeb46e0c986950b6e1a712.webp 1200w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":0,"numPages":1,"currentPage":1,"id":4925,"name":"Aids","slug":"aids","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}