The movement to legalize marijuana is finally finding success. Gay activism helped start it. / LGBTQ Nation

After years of the “war on drugs” and nearly a century of strict anti-marijuana policies, the United States is nearing full legalization of medicinal and recreational cannabis substances. Almost half of the country now lives in states where marijuana is legal.

All of these advances build on decades of work by dedicated activists, with gay activists playing an outsized role in advocating legalization.

Related: Americans think marijuana is “more morally acceptable” than being gay

In 2021 alone, New York, New Mexico, and Virginia passed laws making possession or use of recreational cannabis legal. Legislation is advancing in Louisiana, Minnesota, and Rhode Island.

Last fall, voters in the conservative states of South Dakota, Mississippi and Montana approved all votes to ease restrictions on cannabis.

The US House of Representatives has passed a law to legalize cannabis, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) has pledged to push the law forward in the upper chamber, although President Joe Biden (D) is reluctant to do so.

As with many progressive policies, San Francisco was at the forefront of marijuana adoption. The city’s large gay population was no coincidence for this cause. In many ways it was why.

The push to decriminalize marijuana possession began in the 1970s. Prior to his assassination in 1978, Harvey Milk pushed for a non-binding election urging the district attorney to stop prosecuting the possession and use of marijuana.

Efforts to legalize marijuana increased significantly with the advent of AIDS in the 1980s. The treatments for the disease have been poor at best.

Marijuana turned out to be a legitimate treatment for the pain and loss of appetite that were common with AIDS. The hospital activist and volunteer Brownie Mary visited the wards of the San Francisco General Hospital and offered cannabis brownies to AIDS patients.

The person who campaigned the most for legalization in Golden Gate City, and eventually all of California, was Dennis Peron, who became known as the gay “father of medical marijuana.”

Peron was a Vietnam War veterinarian selling medical cannabis from a shop in Castro. Peron recognized the benefits of cannabis for people with AIDS and organized a nationwide campaign to legalize medical cannabis. This initiative was passed in 1996 with more than three quarters of the votes.

The problem was personal for Peron. His partner died of AIDS.

The largest legalization of medical marijuana by the largest state marked the beginning of wider acceptance for its use in all forms. While getting approved for medical use wasn’t all that difficult, the transition from legalizing medical cannabis to legalizing recreational activities soon became inevitable.

Ironically, Peron refused to legalize recreational marijuana on the grounds that all use was medicinal.

Years later, in perfect pairing, the first election campaigns to legalize recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington state coincided with the election campaigns to legalize marriage equality. Both measures were implemented without any problems in both countries.

The speed at which attitudes have changed on both topics is remarkably similar. At the turn of the century, about a third of voters were in favor of legalizing cannabis and a third for marriage equality. Both issues are now supported by two-thirds of Americans.

A major split on these issues: a majority of evangelicals support the legalization of cannabis while continuing to speak out against LGBTQ rights.

Changing attitudes towards society is time consuming, as LGBTQ activists can attest. It’s no wonder gay men like Dennis Peron have applied the same lessons to the quest for marijuana legalization with the same winning effects.