For a city built by queer pioneers, it’s hard to believe it took until 2025 to open a gay-owned cannabis dispensary. But Green Qween isn’t just filling a gap, it’s rewriting the rules.
With a glimmering five-foot disco ball, a mural by queer artist Patrick Church, and signs urging customers to “Pass Joints, Not Judgment,” Green Qween’s new West Hollywood location is less dispensary, more love letter to queer joy, resilience, and high-style rebellion.
The Queer Roots of Cannabis
Green Qween co-founder Andrés Rigal is quick to remind us that the cannabis industry, now flooded with corporate interests and glossy packaging, owes everything to queer activists.
“The cannabis industry owes so much to queer activists and people living with HIV/AIDS who fought for medical access when it wasn’t safe or legal to do so,” Rigal says. “That history is often glossed over in today’s profit-driven market. It’s not a footnote. it’s the foundation.”
Rigal points to figures like Dennis Peron, founder of the San Francisco Buyers Club, who turned activism into action during the AIDS epidemic. At Green Qween, that spirit lives on in everything from brand partnerships to hiring practices.
“Equity isn’t a trend, it’s the architecture,” Rigal says. “We don’t just give shelf space to LGBTQ+ and BIPOC brands. We help them grow.”
A Love Letter in Neon and Glitter
Step inside Green Qween’s latest outpost at 802 San Vicente Boulevard and you’ll feel it immediately, the scent jars, the bold colors, the disco ball refracting sunlight onto Santa Monica Boulevard. It’s not subtle, and that’s the point.
“Green Qween was always meant to feel like a portal, a sensual escape that nods to the past, reflects the present, and invites us to imagine a more radiant future,” Rigal says. “This isn’t just about weed. It’s about the nights that saved us, the aesthetics that shaped us, and the kinship that carries us.”
Inspired by his two decades in LGBTQ+ nightlife, Rigal brought that sense of sanctuary to the dispensary’s design. “Nightlife raised me,” he adds. “From the disco ball to the lighting that shifts with the rhythm of the day, every detail tells a story. This is a sacred space.”
From The Abbey to the Apothecary
To bring Green Qween to life in West Hollywood, Rigal partnered with Tristan Schukraft, the entrepreneur behind MISTR and the new steward of legendary nightlife venue The Abbey.
“The LA Blade once called me ‘The CEO of Everything Gay.’ I just liked it and ran with it,” Schukraft laughs. “But really, everything I do comes back to uplifting the LGBTQ+ community: nightlife, healthcare, hospitality, and now cannabis.”
For Schukraft, Green Qween is more than a business, it’s about reclaiming economic power. “Visibility is important,” he says, “but ownership is power. We can’t just be the talent; we have to be the landlords, the investors, the decision-makers.”
Queer All Year, Not Just for Pride
With Pride Month in full swing, Green Qween could easily ride the rainbow wave. But Rigal insists their commitment to the community runs much deeper than seasonal marketing.
“‘Queer all year’ isn’t our catchphrase, it’s our commitment,” he says. “We reinvest in LGBTQ+ nonprofits year-round. We hire from our community. Rainbow capitalism thrives on performative gestures. We’re here with intention.”
That mission is visible across all three Green Qween locations, Downtown LA, Sherman Oaks, and now West Hollywood, each one a unique expression of queer culture and cannabis equity.
Why It Took Until 2025
Despite its reputation as a queer mecca, West Hollywood had never hosted a gay-owned dispensary… until now.
“It says more than we’d like to admit,” Rigal notes. “Cannabis went corporate fast. In that shift, the very communities who fought for access, queer people, BIPOC trailblazers, trans pioneers, were pushed to the margins. We lost our seat at a table we helped set.”
But now, with unanimous support from the West Hollywood Business License Commission and a chorus of community voices, Green Qween is reclaiming that legacy. “We’re not just opening a store, we’re taking our place,” Schukraft adds.
The Dream: A Queer Cannabis Ecosystem
As for what’s next? Green Qween isn’t stopping at three locations. Schukraft envisions a national network of queer-owned cannabis spaces, from the Castro to Fire Island.
“Stay at The Tryst, have a cocktail at The Abbey, get dinner at The Canteen, protect yourself with MISTR, and get your cannabis from Green Qween,” he says. “It’s not just a business plan, it’s a whole LGBTQ+ ecosystem.”
And for young queer creatives hoping to follow in their footsteps?
“Don’t wait for permission,” Schukraft advises. “Build your own table. Our community has always been made of artists, hustlers, and revolutionaries. Keep that legacy alive.”
With glitter in its roots and power in its purpose, Green Qween is more than a dispensary. It’s a movement, one joint, one disco ball, and one unapologetic act of queer ownership at a time.
