Riding the Flamer High
FLAMER’s mission is to use cannabis to bring together artists, creatives, and innovators, providing a space to meet one another to foster friendships and professional relationships. The party became a physical embodiment of this mission, bringing together people from all different backgrounds. New York is one of the few places in the world in which one can be openly queer and consume cannabis without social repercussions, making FLAMER’s party that much more groundbreaking.
In collaboration with Cecilia Centili, founder of Transgender Equity Consulting, and Ty Sunderland, the renowned DJ who has spent his career producing queer music events, the FLAMER team was able to capture the essence of the queer experience in one unique party. Of course, throwing a cannabis party while the industry is still in its infancy, comes with some challenges. Laws around the industry move very slowly, which means getting legal permission and approval can take some time. After having the original idea in August of 2021, the team was able to make the party come to fruition for a night filled with music, dancing, and munchies.
The queer community and cannabis culture are more socially and politically intertwined than we realize. With parallel roots in the countercultural movements of the 20th century, both cultures were advocating for civil and social rights. Matías tells me even the recipe for weed brownies was popularized by Brownie Mary (Mary Jane Rathbun) as she distributed the edibles to AIDS patients to alleviate their pain. To this day, statistics show that queer people are 2.5x more likely to consume cannabis than non-queer counterparts.
Check out the images from the party below.
