New York's First Adult-Use Dispensary Celebrates Pride Month with Drag Events, Fundraisers and New Products

Housing Works Cannabis Co Supports Its Nonprofit Services Through Collaborations With Florist Farms, House of Puff, Drew Martin and FLAMER

NEW YORK, June 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Housing Works Cannabis Co, a CAURD licensee and the first adult-use cannabis dispensary in the state of New York, is in the midst of its monthlong celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and history, including fundraising drives, exclusive product partnerships, queer-owned brand launches, three marches over Pride Weekend, in-store events and more.

"LGBTQ+ culture is at our core. It's one thing to take part in Pride festivities, and it's another to actively support small and queer-owned businesses," said Sasha Nutgent, Retail Manager of Housing Works Cannabis Co. "We're committed to creating a more inclusive and equitable industry and will always keep queer culture alive while working to uplift the lives of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers."

Exclusive Releases and Fundraiser
Florist Farms, amongst the first brands available at Housing Works Cannabis Co, has partnered with the dispensary for an exclusive Pride variety pack of its beloved THC-infused (10mg each) gummies, available now.

Housing Works Cannabis Co also teamed up with House of Puff for its "Queen Size" artist edition rolling papers designed by Sophia Wallace, launching June 24 in advance of the NYC Dyke March.

"At House of Puff, we recognize the immense power of art to dismantle societal biases. We're thrilled to collaborate with Sophia Wallace and Housing Works on rolling papers that passionately promote the importance of female pleasure," said Kristina Lopez Adduci, Founder & CEO of House of Puff. "People who experience fulfillment, not only make the best citizens, but also thrive as unparalleled partners and extraordinary parents—nurturing a future brimming with unity and enlightenment."

This month, Housing Works Cannabis Co debuted products from queer-owned brands Drew Martin and FLAMER. Throughout June, $1 from every sale of Drew Martin's "One Queer Pre-Roll," a limited-edition joint featuring the Sativa cultivar RS11, will go toward LGBTQ+ support services provided by Housing Works, Inc., the longtime New York nonprofit that opened the dispensary in December 2022. The organization, founded in 1990 to address the dual crises of HIV/AIDS and homelessness, provides life-saving services to more than 30,000 New Yorkers.

"As a queer founder in the cannabis industry, Pride offers a moment of celebration amidst the ongoing fight for justice. We get to enjoy working with and consuming this plant freely today because of the sacrifices of our queer forebears," said Drew Martin, Founder of Drew Martin. "This Pride we celebrate—but never stop fighting!"

Pride Events and Activations June 23-25
Ahead of Pride Weekend later this month, anyone interested in attending the annual Drag March on Friday, June 23 are invited to join Housing Works Cannabis Co from 4-8pm to get an accessory from its drag closet.

On Saturday, June 24, the dispensary will host an all day in-store event prior to the NYC Dyke March that includes drag performances, a photobooth and music by ThugPop from 1-3pm. Visitors will be able to shop Pride specials, including oHHo rainbow CBDots. For those interested in meeting up with other queer cannabis enthusiasts, please arrive at Housing Works Cannabis Co located at 750 Broadway in the Astor Place neighborhood by 3pm to accompany one of Sophia Wallace's inflatable sculptures to the Dyke March step off from Bryant Park at 5pm.

The Housing Works community will also be marching in the Queer Liberation March on Sunday, June 25 with signage and T-shirts promoting "Our Gay Agenda" which includes calling for the protection of LGBTQ+ healthcare, especially for trans youth. Also on the agenda is "Make Love Not Drug War" and the declaration that "Pleasure Is Political." The nonprofit's founder, Keith Cylar, coined the term "pleasure activism" and the organization's celebration of both Pride and cannabis is part of this lineage.

"For the last 30+ years, Housing Works has been at the forefront of relentless LGBTQ+ advocacy to be able to provide lifesaving services for tens of thousands of New Yorkers in need," said Elizabeth Koke, Creative Director at Housing Works. "Our roots run deep in the community, not only during June, but every day of the year. We're grateful to be in the position to help and to have the opportunity to consider our lives as queer New Yorkers in the context of our shared histories as well as our visions for a brighter future for all."

All proceeds from Housing Works Cannabis Co go directly into services and advocacy for New Yorkers impacted by the war on drugs, including LGBTQ+ youth and those affected by HIV/AIDS and homelessness. For more information, please visit: hwcannabis.co 

About Housing Works Cannabis Co
Housing Works Cannabis Co is a recipient of New York State's CAURD social equity license initiative and the first legal cannabis dispensary to open in the state. Founded in 2022 as a bold new extension of Housing Works' established retail outlets—which include thrift store locations across the city and a bookstore in SoHo—proceeds from Housing Works Cannabis Co go directly to the nonprofit organization's mission to end social injustices through the provisioning of lifesaving services and relentless advocacy. For thirty years, Housing Works has provided housing, healthcare and other critical services to New Yorkers affected by AIDS, homelessness, substance abuse and criminal justice system involvement. The Housing Works Cannabis Co not only generates additional funding for these services, it does so while modeling the positive role cannabis can play in our communities. Learn more at hwcannabis.co

Media Contact: 
Martha N. Marshall
Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency 
[email protected]

SOURCE Housing Works