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Dr. Donald Abrams was a young gay doctor on the front lines of San Francisco’s AIDS crisis in the 1980s. He watched as his partner and many of his close friends died from a disease no one understood. Yet instead of giving up, he fought to bring relief to patients through medical cannabis.
In part two of our Webby Award nominated three-part series, host Ellen Scanlon introduces you to Dr. Abrams, who shares his experience with loss, injustice, and resilience that led him to challenge the federal government, support legendary activists like Brownie Mary, and secure the first U.S. government grant to study cannabis for medical use.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How the AIDS crisis helped ignite the medical cannabis movement
Why San Francisco became ground zero for radical, compassionate care
What it took to convince the U.S. government to approve a cannabis study
This is one of the most powerful stories we’ve ever told. Don’t miss it.
Hosted by Ellen Scanlon
Sign up for Ellen’s newsletter on Substack at https://dothepot.substack.com/ or at dothepot.com
Follow on IG: @dothepot / FB: @dothepot / X: @dothepot
Thanks to our sponsor, 1906.
Looking for an easy swap for that second glass of wine? Off Duty is a new fast-acting cannabis shot from 1906. It’s unflavored, low-dose, and mixes right into a mocktail or sparkling water. Try Off Duty at 1906.shop and use the code DOTHEPOT for 15% off your order.
By Ellen Scanlon4.9
151151 ratings
Dr. Donald Abrams was a young gay doctor on the front lines of San Francisco’s AIDS crisis in the 1980s. He watched as his partner and many of his close friends died from a disease no one understood. Yet instead of giving up, he fought to bring relief to patients through medical cannabis.
In part two of our Webby Award nominated three-part series, host Ellen Scanlon introduces you to Dr. Abrams, who shares his experience with loss, injustice, and resilience that led him to challenge the federal government, support legendary activists like Brownie Mary, and secure the first U.S. government grant to study cannabis for medical use.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How the AIDS crisis helped ignite the medical cannabis movement
Why San Francisco became ground zero for radical, compassionate care
What it took to convince the U.S. government to approve a cannabis study
This is one of the most powerful stories we’ve ever told. Don’t miss it.
Hosted by Ellen Scanlon
Sign up for Ellen’s newsletter on Substack at https://dothepot.substack.com/ or at dothepot.com
Follow on IG: @dothepot / FB: @dothepot / X: @dothepot
Thanks to our sponsor, 1906.
Looking for an easy swap for that second glass of wine? Off Duty is a new fast-acting cannabis shot from 1906. It’s unflavored, low-dose, and mixes right into a mocktail or sparkling water. Try Off Duty at 1906.shop and use the code DOTHEPOT for 15% off your order.

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