Two male Humpback whales were recently recorded having a homosexual encounter in the wild off the coast of Maui.

According to a new study by the Pacific Whale Foundation published in Marine Mammal Science, humpback whales have been studied extensively but documented instances of reproductive actions have been exceedingly rare. That is until some photographers – Lyle Krannichfeld and Brandi Romano – caught two male humpbacks engaging in sexual contact right below their boat 2 kilometers west of the Molokini crater off the coast of Maui on January 19, 2022. 

They sent their photos to scientists who recently confirmed in a peer-reviewed study that the photos were confirmed to be one of very few documented instances of humpback penis extrusion and the very first documented instance of homosexual interactions between humpbacks.

“The sighting occurred when individuals aboard a private stationary vessel, located approximately two km west of the Molokini crater, saw two humpback whales approaching their boat. One whale was visibly thin and covered in whale lice, displaying signs of poor health and drawing the attention of the photographers,” said the Pacific Whale Foundation on their website. “During the encounter, a second whale engaged in an unexpected behavior—repeatedly approaching the first whale, using its pectoral fins to hold the injured whale in place, and initiating shallow, brief penetrations.”

The whales in question reportedly circled the photographers’ boat for a while, giving them ample opportunity to take their NSFWW (not suitable for whale workplace) photos. Scientists with the Pacific Whale Foundation hypothesized that since one of the whales seemed to be having health issues, this may have contributed to the behavior for whatever reason.

“The two whales circled the boat numerous times, allowing Krannichfeld and Romano the opportunity to carefully document the event by holding their cameras over the side of the stationary vessel (note: it is illegal to swim with or approach humpback whales within 100 yards in Hawaii and the vessel remained in neutral as the whales approached),” the Pacific Whale Foundation said. “The health disparity between the two whales adds a layer of complexity to this unique observation. One whale’s poor condition, possibly caused by a ship strike, may have contributed to the observed behavior.”

The sexual encounter between the whales reportedly took place when one of the whales extruded its penis and penetrated the genital opening of the other whale. The penetrations lasted about two minutes at a time, according to the study, and lasted for about a half hour. When the encounter was over, the whale doing the penetrating took off right away (typical) and the sick whale hung out for a few minutes until swimming away as well.

“Upon reviewing the photographs, it was noticed that Whale A had a significant jaw injury, that likely impaired normal feeding behavior,” the study said. “It was also observed that Whale B had its penis extruded throughout the entire encounter and, at times, would penetrate the genital opening of Whale A, using its pectoral fins to hold Whale A.”

The study said that male humpback whale penis extrusions have been documented in the presence of other male humpbacks, but that this is the first time penetration has been documented. It has been previously theorized that the penis extrusions were acts of aggression towards the other males while competing for females during mating season.

Homosexual behavior is not particularly uncommon among members of the animal kingdom. It has been documented in dolphins, orcas, seals, walruses and several of my neighbors’ dogs. An entire book called Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity was published about the topic in 1999.

“The world is, indeed, teeming with homosexual, bisexual, and transgendered creatures of every stripe and feather. From the Southeastern Blueberry Bee of the United States to more than 130 different bird species worldwide, the ‘birds and the bees,’ literally are queer,” the book said. “On every continent, animals of the same sex seek each other out and have probably been doing so for millions of years. They court each other, using intricate and beautiful mating dances that are the result of eons of evolution.”

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A group of gay bar owners and LGBTQ+ advocates recently released a joint statement regarding recent “visits,” which they describe as raids, conducted by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Control Board (LCB) at their businesses in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. The LCB told bar owners on Jan. 26 and 27 that law enforcement observed violations of the law often called the “lewd conduct law,” which requires employees and patrons to clothe specific parts of their bodies.

A coalition of these advocates release a statement on Instagram on Jan. 29 about the raids, including Joey Burgess (The Cuff Complex and Queer/Bar), Keth Christensen (The Seattle Eagle), Kevin Kauer (Massive), Dan Savage (podcast host and author), Terry Miller (founder of the It Gets Better Project alongside his husband, Savage), and Kurt Olivo, and called on advocates to attend an LCB meeting on Jan. 30.

“We are issuing this statement to express our concern over recent events targeting gay men. Specifically, unjust raids were conducted by the Joint Enforcement Team (JET) and the Liquor Control Board at several historic gay bars, by extension threatening all active LGBTQ nightlife venues,” the statement said. “Our coalition consists of establishments that provide safe spaces for diverse and marginalized communities to express themselves through love, music, dance, and art. The recent raids have disrupted these operations and undermined trust and security within our community.”

The statement continued to explain that none of the venues within the coalition have ever previously been cited for alcohol or violent offenses, and at most, citations related to an individual’s clothing, such as “being shirtless or wearing a jockstrap.” Furthermore, raids on LGBTQ+ businesses have historically persecuted marginalized communities in their safe spaces, and the most recent events cause the relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and law enforcement to be challenged.

In response, the coalition statement called for an investigation into the LCB raids. “Our coalition remains committed to fostering positive relations with all stakeholders, emphasizing the need for mutual respect and an understanding of the unique challenges faced by gay, and by extension, LGBTQ+ community as a whole,” the statement concluded. “This statement serves as a call for justice, equality, and the protection of the rights and dignity of our community members.”

The coalition, alongside other residents and advocates, attended an LCB meeting on Jan. 30, where members of the community called out the LCB. “These were raids. Stop calling them visits. If everyone in a bar leaves when you show up, 10 of you in uniform with flashlights, they are not experiencing your presence as a social call,” Savage said. “The message sent was if they are raiding gay bars in Seattle, if they are harassing gay men for being shirtless in gay bars in Seattle, we are winning—the bigots are winning.”

According to King5, the LCB also had individuals taking photographs in the bars to obtain evidence of “lewd conduct.” The LCB investigators didn’t make their visit or their identity known to business owners or patrons at the time. “Taking pictures without consent of gay men and then posting those pictures as evidence is immoral,” said an unnamed speaker at the meeting. Savage described the LCB raid as a violation, rather than a “visit,” and explained that the photos are subject to the Public Disclosure laws which means they will be released to the public once the investigation has been completed. “Not all the men who go to the Eagle are out of the closet in all areas of their lives. Men could lose their jobs or homes once these photographs are released,” wrote Miller on Instagram on Jan. 31. “LCB officers knew these photos would become a part of the public record. LCB officers knew each photo they took had the potential to ‘cause harm to the depicted person.’”

At the meeting, LCB Director David Postman stated that the violations were recorded during the usual enforcement duties conducted by LCB officers. Postman also acknowledged the LCB’s history with the LGBTQ+ community in the past, and he and two other board members agreed to prevent incidents like the raids from happening again.

Washington State law, also referred to as the “lewd conduct law,” prohibits such conduct for any business that holds a liquor license, including employees or patrons being unclothed and exposing parts of the body “to view any portion of the breast below the top of the areola or of any portion of the pubic hair, anus, cleft of the buttocks, vulva, or genitals,” among many other examples. King5 wrote that the law was intended to prevent strip clubs from serving alcohol, but Postman commented that changes to the law are being reconsidered in the Washington legislature. “The lewd conduct law, it’s problematic, just talking about my personal point of view here,” Postman said.

However, Postman also added that even if the law is archaic, they must continue to enforce it until changes are made. “When there’s laws on the books, it’s really hard to just say ‘Well, we’ve decided not to enforce that one’—the lawmakers, the legislature doesn’t like that, and for good reason,” said Postman. “I can tell you; there is no crackdown on lewd conduct right now, there is no crackdown on gay clubs, there’s no crackdown on clubs in Seattle or anywhere else. We’re doing our normal business here.”

LCB board member Jim Vollendroff also spoke at the meeting, ensuring members of the LGBTQ+ community that they will seek a way to prevent it from happening in the future. Likewise, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell also issued a statement about the LCB inspections, acknowledging community concerns. “Under my administration, we will not target people or communities based on their sexuality,” Harrell said. “We understand concerns raised by the community based on a perception of violating this principle.”

Last year in July, a new cannabis ordinance took effect, which offers labor protections for employees, which “will help provide a stable workplace, stronger workforce, and contribute to a better overall economy for Seattle.”

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Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey last week filed legislation to increase benefits and modernize services for the state’s military veterans that includes a proposal to study the medical benefits of psychedelic drugs. The bill, known as an Act Honoring, Empowering and Recognizing Our Servicemembers and Veterans (HERO Act), was unveiled on November 9 by Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services.

The Healey administration said in a statement that the legislation would positively impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of military veterans living in Massachusetts, including nearly 30,000 women and LGBTQ+ vets. At a ceremony marking the bill’s introduction, Healey said that the legislation is the first time in 20 years that a Massachusetts governor has “introduced a comprehensive and expansive legislative package dedicated to the welfare of veterans.”

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country, and this transformative legislation marks an important step toward ensuring that Massachusetts supports them in return,” said Healey. “From day one, our administration has been committed to revitalizing veterans’ services in Massachusetts and ensuring that every one of these heroes receives the benefits, resources and support that they deserve.”

Among its many other provisions, the HERO Act would establish a working group to research the “health benefits of psychedelics as treatment for veterans suffering from physical or mental health disorders related to their service,” according to the governor’s office. 

The legislation has the support of representatives from several veterans service organizations, including Bill LeBeau, Adjutant for Massachusetts Veterans of Foreign Wars. 

“We’re grateful to Governor Healey and her team for recognizing the need for giving back to the heroes who have served our country, both at home and overseas,” LeBeau said in a statement. “With this bill, the Healey-Driscoll Administration demonstrates a real commitment to accomplishing outcomes for our Veterans that will be meaningful and impactful in so many ways; it also sends a signal that more needs to be done to support them.”

Other key provisions of the HERO Act include expanding access to behavioral and mental health treatment, increasing benefits for disabled veterans, improving support for employers that hire veterans, updating the definition of a veteran, expanding the scope of the Veterans Equality Review Board, initiating a pilot program for LGBTQ+ couples denied IVF reimbursement by the Veterans Health Administration, and codifying the state’s medical and dental benefits for military veterans.

“By promoting inclusivity and expanding benefits, we’re not only showing our gratitude to veterans but also addressing their evolving needs,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This legislative package represents a significant step forward in the care and support we provide to our veterans, particularly for women and LGBTQ+ veterans.”

Psilocybin And Mental Health

Research has shown that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy can have a positive effect on many mental health conditions commonly experienced by the nation’s military veterans. Studies conducted by Johns Hopkins and other researchers have shown that psilocybin has the potential to be an effective treatment for several serious mental health conditions, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety and substance misuse disorders. A study published in 2020 in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Psychiatry found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy was a quick-acting and effective treatment for a group of 24 participants with major depressive disorder. Separate research published in 2016 determined that psilocybin treatment produced substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer.

Federal agencies including the Food and Drug Administration are currently reviewing the potential for psychedelics to treat serious mental health conditions. In May 2022, the head of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration wrote to U.S. Representative Madeleine Dean, a Pennsylvania Democrat, that FDA approval of psilocybin to treat depression was likely within the next two years.

As the nation faces rising rates of substance use and mental health issues “we must explore the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapies to address this crisis,” Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, assistant secretary for mental health and substance use, wrote to Dean.

The ongoing research has prompted several states to consider legislation to ease the prohibition on psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs, particularly for therapeutic purposes. In May, Oregon officials issued the state’s first license for a psychedelic therapy treatment center following the legalization of magic mushrooms for therapeutic use with the passage of a 2020 ballot measure. A similar initiative was approved by Colorado voters in 2022.

Healey’s proposal is not the only plan to reform laws prohibiting the use of psychedelics in Massachusetts. Supporters of a proposed ballot measure to legalize the possession and supervised use of psychedelics began collecting signatures in September. The campaign has already reportedly collected more than 75,000 signatures on petitions to bring the initiative to a vote, which could come as soon as next year.

State lawmakers have also taken legislative steps to achieve psychedelics reform. At least two bills, https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S1009 in the Massachusetts Senate and another in the state House of Representatives, would remove criminal penalties for some natural psychedelics. Under the bills, adults would be permitted to grow and use small amounts of certain psychedelics, including psilocybin mushrooms.

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More than any big city in America, San Francisco has always been on the cutting edge of cannabis consumption––from the beats and poets smoking “mezz” while inhabiting the 1950s North Beach “beat scene” to the openly stoned hippies of 1960s Haight-Ashbury. Cannabis consumption in the “City by the Bay” continued with the groundbreaking use of medical marijuana in the Castro District to treat those affected by HIV and AIDS, leading to America’s first dispensaries. San Francisco has likewise been the vanguard for providing consumption lounges to dispensary customers, offering a place for pot patients and weed aficionados to consume in a relaxing, safe environment.

Big Top Pot

Marijuana was always a big part of gay culture in San Francisco, but it was purely for pleasure in those hedonistic, liberating days of the 1970s. That is, until the very first cases of AIDS were reported in the city in 1980. By the mid-’80s AIDS had developed into a genuine crisis in the SF gay community, with thousands of men being infected with HIV (the virus that leads to AIDS), and developing “wasting syndrome,” also called cachexia, characterized by an involuntary loss of body weight, with prolonged diarrhea, weakness, and fever.

But hope arrived with Dennis Peron, who began dealing weed out of his apartment in the Castro, dubbed the “Big Top Pot Supermarket.” In the mid-’80s, Peron’s partner, Jonathan West, was diagnosed as HIV-positive, and cannabis helped West deal with the symptoms. Weed’s appetite stimulating phenomenon was an obvious fit to combat AIDS wasting syndrome. People with AIDS want to avoid or delay the loss of appetite from wasting syndrome because it’s a calling card that the body’s shutting down.

West passed away from AIDS in 1990, and buoyed by San Francisco’s 1991 pro-medical cannabis initiative Proposition P, Peron opened the first public medical marijuana dispensary in America, the Cannabis Buyers Club (CBC) on Church Street in the Castro in 1994. Peron later moved the club to a more high-profile Market Street location in downtown San Francisco, where it was raided and became the subject of headlines and controversies throughout the mid-’90s.

Peron co-authored California’s Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. In August 1996 then-California attorney Dan Lungren authorized a raid on the CBC pot club and lounge in a move that some maintained was politically motivated. Lungren’s cynical ploy failed to dissuade voters, as Prop. 215 passed with 56% of the vote on Nov. 5, 1996, making California the first state to formally legalize any form of cannabis.

In October 2003 California Senate Bill 420 was passed, along with San Francisco’s Article 33: Medical Cannabis Act, establishing guidelines for regulating medical cannabis dispensaries.

David Goldman, president of the Brownie Mary Democratic Club of San Francisco, along with his husband, Kenneth Michael Koehn, secretary of the Brownie Mary Democratic Club, remember the revolutionary times at the CBC.

“In 1994 Michael and I started going to the Cannabis Buyers Club, located at 194 Church Street in San Francisco, which was a very pleasant experience,” Goldman said. “I know that Dennis [Peron] always wanted to have a safe consumption space for people, where they could socialize. And so the need to have a safe space for consumption was apparent to Dennis, and that motivated him to start at 194 Church Street.”

Goldman explained that about a year later the club was moved to 1444 Market Street within “a building that had four floors, which was a big step up in terms of use of space and the number of people it could accommodate.”

“We started going to that Market Street CBC lounge location every Friday after work,” he said. “They had two different floors for the cannabis; one floor had some of the higher quality cannabis they’d call either ‘A-plus’ or ‘A-double plus’—they didn’t give them strain names back then. And patients could hang out there, and they offered snacks, and people would sing and play music. It was a very relaxed, chill environment; a wonderful way to spend our Fridays after work.”

Koehn added a sobering perspective reflecting on those uncertain years.

“There was also an element of fear in the dispensary lounges during that time,” Koehn said. “The fear of getting busted, that the AG [former Attorney General Dan Lungren] would raid the dispensary. We weren’t personally there when it was raided in 1996, but every time you went there, there was this fear hanging over your head, that this could be the day that trouble starts.”

Ultimately, Goldman associates positive memories with Peron’s club.

“There was a sense of community at the CBC because during that era of HIV, the gay community and the cannabis community highly intersected and we were able to contact and connect with one another,” he said.

Continuing the Tradition

The 2003 SB-420 legislation paved the way for benevolent bud entrepreneurs like Martin Olive to open up his pioneering medical pot dispensary known as Vapor Room, which still exists to this day.

“We opened in late 2003 in the SF neighborhood known as Lower Haight,” Olive said. “I worked at another dispensary prior to this and it was like a lot of dispensaries back then, most of the lounges were just folding tables and plastic chairs, and not very comfortable for people.”

Olive said he outfitted the Vapor Room with 1970s furniture; big, plush couches, gaudy pyrex ashtrays, and wood paneling.

“We made it like your cool uncle’s stoner basement apartment. And it was a hit! It really was the first of its kind in San Francisco, along with the CHAMP dispensary, they had a beautiful lounge.”

CHAMP opened at the Market Street location after the CBC departed in 1998 and closed in 2002. In opening the Vapor Room, Olive sought out to build community through cannabis.

“We had a couple tables set up, so it was about 1,500 square feet, not super-big but big enough,” he said. “And [the lounge] really created a communal aspect; medicinal cannabis was this great unifier of all different types of people.”

Even after Vapor Room was forced into a change of location, Olive adapted and made the lounge experience even better.

“Due to some city regulations, we had to move in the building next door around 2006-07,” Olive said. “We took that opportunity to up our game a little bit, so we created a French cafe/apothecary atmosphere; marble tables, nice wooden chairs, with really nice subdued color pallets. It was a little bit more sophisticated than the typical lounge. We had Volcanoes on every table, bongs available, fresh water, hot tea, things like that. So we were giving people more than just a place to access medical cannabis, we were giving them a safe, clean comfortable space in a community setting.”

Even though medical marijuana continued making great strides in San Francisco, this was not acceptable to the federal government.

“In 2012, we got caught up in the Department of Justice crackdown on dispensaries throughout the state of California, and we were evicted without much compassion,” he said. “Leaving Lower Haight was a deep loss for the community, not only for the patients, but for the local businesses that were being supported by the 300 to 400 people we brought into our dispensary on a daily basis. That’s why I think dispensary lounges are so important, they really do support the neighborhoods they’re in.”

Over half of a decade passed until Olive resurrected Vapor Room.

“When we finally reopened in 2018, we found a location in a downtown ‘corporate corridor’ where Twitter, Uber, and Dolby are. So we definitely miss the residential community small business aspect of Lower Haight, but this is what was available. It’s about 700-800 square feet and we are making it work, with a couple of benches for people to smoke at. We do have a beautiful location; it’s nice, clean, and crisp with a big window, and a lot of sunlight and plants.”

But the fact that the club is located within a business district means people generally aren’t hanging out all day.

“It’s more like people on their lunch breaks or in for a meeting,” Olive said. “They’ll come in to buy a joint, take a few puffs and be on their way. Usually we’ll have anywhere from five to 15 people hanging out and chatting. And it is a really good communal atmosphere because you’re basically sitting right next to another person consuming cannabis, regardless if they’re a stranger or not, so you’re buddied up by default.”

The Continued Transformation of Social Consumption

Goldman and Koehn have seen the dispensary lounge landscape morph over the years.

“After CBC closed we didn’t go to dispensary lounges till at least 2006, when I became a medical cannabis patient because I was already using it medicinally and I wanted access to the highest quality cannabis,” Goldman said. “We began to see each lounge had a different vibe. Lounge 847 above the Green Door, on Howard street in SoMa [South of Market district], was our favorite lounge and easy to get to.

“Lounge 847 opened in 2012 and Michael and I held meetings there for Americans for Safe Access and the Brownie Mary Democratic Club. We had a lot of politicians visit there and they were impressed that we had such a great space to hold meetings.”

The Green Door is currently closed but may be reopened pending a multi-million dollar renovation.

“I’m glad we have a diversity of lounges in the city, but most of the new dispensaries don’t get a lot of business, so the lounges are going to waste in that they aren’t being used, which is a shame.”

One Commonality

For Olive one top aspect a cannabis lounge should provide is a comfortable and safe atmosphere for all.

“There’s no room in this concept for any kind of bigotry or racism or classism,” he said. “You can have your fancy Apple store style dispensary and lounge, but if you’re not making the regular guy and girl on the street and low-income people feel comfortable and safe and valid for being there, then you’re doing something wrong. A lounge should contribute to the culture of the cannabis community where people are meeting one another. The one commonality they all have is their love for cannabis, that’s the key element.”

In terms of what’s next Olive wants to go back to the future.

“Remember what the lounge is for amidst all the spreadsheets and profit margins; to provide high quality weed for people who use it for a variety or reliefs, be it symptoms issues, or for just feeling better about their day,” he said.

This article was originally published in the June 2023 issue of High Times Magazine.

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Rodrigo Ventocilla Ventosilla, 32, a Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) graduate student from Peru, died on August 11 while under police custody at a hospital in Denpasar, Indonesia under what the family calls suspicious circumstances. Ventosilla, a trans man, was arrested for possession of cannabis while traveling to Bali to celebrate his honeymoon.

The HKS and trans communities are pleading for help in highlighting the injustice and human rights violations that allegedly took place last month in Bali, with allegations of police brutality and torture.

Police took Ventocilla to Bhayangkara Hospital after he suffered stomach pain and vomiting, according to Radar Bali. But his condition deteriorated, and he was transported to the Sanglah Central General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on August 11 at around 3:10 p.m.

HKS Dean Douglas Elmendorf and HKS Senior Associate Dean for Degree Programs and Student Affairs ​​Debra E. “Debbie” Isaacson announced Ventocilla’s death to school associates and friends on August 12. 

Witnesses allege that it was a case of police brutality, and say that the police’s official story is baloney. They are demanding an independent investigation of what happened in Bali. Stefanus Satake Bayu Setianto, head of public relations for the Bali Police, claims Ventocilla consumed more unseized drugs on August 8 in jail which led to his death.

A statement from the families of Ventocilla and his spouse, Sebastián Marallano, asked for the “Peruvian justice system to properly investigate the human rights violations of Rodrigo and Sebastian and to guarantee truth, justice, and reparation.”

Marallano flew to Bali on a separate flight but was detained by police without charge after attempting to help Ventocilla, according to the family’s statement. Marallano—who had nothing to do with the cannabis charges—was also “hospitalized” days after being detained by police.

“We received yesterday a statement from Rodrigo’s family with their description of extremely disturbing circumstances surrounding Rodrigo’s death—a statement that talks about his arrest and detention just before his death, and that highlights his rights as a transgender man,” Elmendorf wrote in an August 24 statement.

“The statement from Rodrigo’s family raises very serious questions that deserve clear and accurate answers. Harvard Kennedy School supports the family’s call for an immediate and thorough investigation and for public release of all relevant information, and the School stands with all of Rodrigo’s friends and colleagues and with the LGBTQ+ community.”

Ventocilla was a co-founder of the Peruvian trans rights advocacy organization Diversidades Trans Masculinas. At the Harvard Kennedy School, he was pursuing a master’s degree in Public Administration in International Development.

The family is asking the Peruvian Foreign Ministry to conduct an investigation into the actions of Julio Eduardo Tenorio Pereyra, the head of consular services for the Peruvian Embassy in Indonesia.

It’s just the latest cannabis-related crime in Bali in which the punishments don’t seem to fit the crime by Western standards. A Brazilian student faced 15 years after he was caught at the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali with 9.1 grams of cannabis.

Elmendorf and Isaacson said that HKS will hold a memorial gathering in memory of Ventocilla.

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A Democratic congressman said this week that he has been in touch with the State Department regarding Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who has been detained in Russia for nearly a month over drug charges.

Representative Colin Allred of Texas said Wednesday that he has been trying to get to the bottom of Griner’s detention, which has emerged as a strange subplot in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. 

“My office has been in touch with the State Department, and we’re working with them to see what is the best way forward,” said Allred, as quoted by ESPN. “I know the administration is working hard to try and get access to her and try to be helpful here. But obviously, it’s also happening in the context of really strained relations. I do think that it’s really unusual that we’ve not been granted access to her from our embassy and our consular services.”

Griner was detained at a Moscow airport on February 17 after officials there found cannabis vape cartridges in her possession. The charge carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.

In an announcement, the Russian Federal Customs Service did not identify Griner by name but said that it had detained a U.S. women’s basketball player who had won two Olympic gold medals. It also released a video of a woman who meets Griner’s description going through airport security. Russian authorities confirmed that the country detained Griner last weekend.

“We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams and the WNBA and NBA,” Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, said after the announcement last weekend. “As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern.”

“The Russian criminal justice system is very different than ours, very opaque. We don’t have a lot of insight into where she is in that process right now. But she’s been held for three weeks now, and that’s extremely concerning,” he added.

A member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Allred played football at Baylor University, the same school where the six-foot-nine Griner starred as a member of the women’s basketball team.

“Of course for me, there is a Baylor connection,” Allred said, as quoted by ESPN. “And also being on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and having recently visited Ukraine and being intimately involved with our response to the Russian aggression there. But also the fact that Brittney is a high-profile LGBTQ advocate and icon in many ways.”

Allred noted that it isn’t the first time an American has been imprisoned by Russian authorities. But Griner, one of the best women’s basketball players to ever play the game, is easily one of the most high-profile individuals to find herself in such a situation. She has played all nine seasons in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury, making seven all-star teams and winning a title in 2014. 

Since 2014, Griner, like many American women’s basketball players, has played in Russia during the WNBA’s offseason.

The timing is also striking, with Russia-U.S. relations deteriorating amid the former’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

“So this is not the first time in recent years that an American has been detained and then held either without reason or without a sufficient kind of explanation,” Allred said, as quoted by ESPN. “What’s obviously different here is that Brittney is an extremely high-profile athlete, and it’s happening during the course of a Russian-begun war in Ukraine, in which we are deeply opposed to what they’re doing.”

“This would normally be run through our embassy or consular services in the country,” he added. “It’s also true that we’re drawing down some of our embassy personnel in Moscow and the State Department has asked all Americans in Russian to leave. But I don’t think that’s going to impact the ability for them to advocate on her behalf.”

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A New York lawmaker has proposed legislation that would extend the benefits of the state’s cannabis social equity program to members of the transgender and nonbinary communities. 

The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) passed by New York lawmakers in March includes social and economic equity provisions designed to give licensing priority for the state’s upcoming adult-use cannabis market to members of communities disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses and other marginalized and under-represented groups. 

The legislation does not specifically mention transgender or nonbinary individuals, guidelines that unintentionally force such individuals to choose “between their gender identity and receiving priority for a license,” according to a bill introduced recently by Democratic New York state Senator Jeremy Cooney. For example, a nonbinary or transgender person assigned the female sex at birth would have to misgender themselves to qualify for social and economic equity benefits.

“The MRTA was crafted with a focus on equity at all stages of implementation in the new recreational adult-use cannabis market. I am proud to sponsor legislation that will build upon that foundation to include members of the transgender and nonbinary communities,” Cooney said in a press release. “No New Yorker should have to choose between their identity and economic opportunity. I look forward to creating a more inclusive new cannabis market for members of the LGTBQ+ community.”

Under Cooney’s proposal, Senate Bill 7157, the MRTA would be amended to explicitly include transgender and nonbinary persons in the provisions extending licensing priority. The legislation defines a transgender or binary person as “any person who has a gender identity or expression different from the sex assigned to that individual at birth.”

“This legislation would help to prevent New Yorkers who are transgender or nonbinary from being denied this economic opportunity because they live as their authentic selves. In addition, it recognizes that these New Yorkers suffer financially due to social and systemic bias, and that steps must be taken to mitigate that harm,” Kevin Barry, president of the Greater Rochester LGBTQ+ Political Caucus, said of Cooney’s bill. “While there is a long way to go, this bill is a well thought step toward equity for persons who are transgender or nonbinary. It is critical that lawmakers consider this part of their constituency whenever they create or vote on legislation.”

Advocates Support Proposal

Rachel Leavy, the owner of Infused Events Rochester, applauded the bill from Cooney, who has been a vocal supporter of legalizing recreational marijuana and protecting the other-than-heterosexual community.

“As an activist in both the cannabis and LGBTQIA+ worlds, I’m thrilled to see legislation intersecting both,” Leavy said. “If this bill passes, I will have the chance to participate in the cannabis industry and carve out a space for the queer community, providing safe access to cannabis, career opportunities, and continued outreach. This bill is just the start of something much larger to address the long-overdue representation of trans and nonbinary folks like myself.”

Amanda Babine, executive director of the social and political advocacy group Equality New York, said that the organization “was proud to support the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act.” 

“Since the passage, we have focused on ways we can ensure the rollout of this legislation is truly equitable,” Babine added. “We commend Senator Cooney for introducing legislation that will ensure the Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, & Non-Binary (TGNCNB) community be included in the social and economic equity plan. EQNY was proud to endorse such a strong ally like Senator Cooney.”

S. 7517 was introduced in the New York Senate by Cooney on November 12 and has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee for consideration. Senator Alessandra Biaggi, also a Democrat, has signed on as a co-sponsor of the legislation. The measure will take effect immediately if it is passed by the legislature and signed into law by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

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