Downtown Los Angeles will see its first LGBTQ+ and BIPOC-owned dispensary this celebratory 4/20. For owners and business partners Andrés Rigal and Taylor Bazley, the new Green Qween retail store is much more than a dispensary. 

According to Spectrum News 1, Rigal explained, “When we looked at cannabis, we just really didn’t see ourselves anywhere in the industry.” And he’s right; it’s been far too long that inclusive and ever-growing communities like the LGBTQ+ haven’t received the representation they deserve. 

Green Qween owners want the “space to represent the community…using cannabis as a vehicle for change.” The dispensary will also house other LQBTQ+ and BIPOC cannabis brands to truly center all operations around the need for change and inclusion. 

What’s just as impressive, a portion of the proceeds will go towards the DTLA Proud Community Center, which lends services and programs to the surrounding community, reports Spectrum 1 News. 

Rigal told the outlet that in DTLA, it’s common to see one gay bar open, “and then you’ll have another queer business open” following the motion. These LGBTQ+ businesses then spur a “gayborhood,” and Rigal explains, “What we’re trying to do is create that gayborhood in cannabis.”

Taylor Bazley mentioned that the fight to accept marijuana (medical and recreational) and the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement is “conjoined. He wants the Green Qween dispensary to recognize advocates who’ve made positive impacts in both communities. 

One of those advocates is Dennis Peron, who was suffering from intense symptoms and side effects of his HIV/AIDS treatment during the epidemic. Peron quickly became known for merging both communities by promoting the benefits of medical marijuana for the invasive symptoms of his treatments. 

Both Bazley and Regal feel that it’s only appropriate if their customers have a direct way to support their community during their everyday cannabis-related routines. 

“We give a space for LGBTQ consumers to discover those brands and an authentic way and learn about who they are and what they stand for,” Bazley told the outlet. 

Green Qween’s vibrant and colorful storefront sits in a sleek art deco building with sky-blue glass countertops, smokey creme floors, and bright orange tints. The store’s abundance of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC-owned cannabis brands are waiting to help like-minded consumers find new ways to support their community. 

Green Qween dispensary will host its grand opening on our favorite day of the year, April 20, in Downtown Los Angeles. For more information, stay up to date with Green Qween here.