JOIN THE CLUB

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Deeply intertwined with LGBTQ+ rights during the AIDS crisis in 1990s San Francisco, JOIN THE CLUB chronicles Dennis Peron's pivotal role in the fight for marijuana legalization. A Vietnam War veteran, Peron turned to cannabis for solace and later became a key figure in the San Francisco gay community, opening The Big Top, a pot commune. His activism grew after befriending Harvey Milk, helping fund his historic election campaign, and intensified after the death of his partner, Jonathan, from AIDS, where marijuana provided relief from the disease’s symptoms. 

Peron’s Cannabis Buyers’ Club, the first public marijuana dispensary, became a hub for patients but soon drew police scrutiny, leading to an undercover investigation. Despite the raid and pressure from authorities, Peron’s work culminated in the passage of Prop 215, a landmark step toward national cannabis legalization. 

FILM KINDLY SPONSORED BY EYES ON BROADWAY, TOM BARRETO & BRIAN SINCLAIR, AND HOWIE BIERBAUM.

SUPPORTING SPONSOR WILLIAM JOHNSON.