On 9 May 2012, two weeks after the reopening of the Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum in Amsterdam, the Hash Marihuana Cáñamo & Hemp Museum was officially opened in Barcelona, Spain. This new stunning venue was opened by Josep Maria Faricgla and saw the evening culminate in the second part of the 2012 Cannabis Culture Awards which were conferred to Sir Richard Branson on behalf of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, Fernanda de la Figuera, spanish activist, and American author and photographer Todd MCCormick.
Uncovering the Past, Present and Future of the Cannabis Plant
The history of the cannabis plant is the history of human civilisation. This unique permanent exhibition shows visitors how a single amazingly versatile plant species enabled the development of clothing, medicine, sea travel, agriculture and more, and how cannabis and hemp – which are simply different strains of the same plant – have been part of everyday life for thousands of years.
A Worldwide Phenomenon
In 1985, the world’s first museum devoted to cannabis opened in the heart of Amsterdam. As Ben Dronkers, the founder, stated: “Through the Museum, we wanted to provide people with information about what hash, marijuana and hemp can do. Not simply the role of cannabis in Amsterdam’s coffeeshops, but its status as an essential, renewable resource and a global cultural and natural phenomenon.”Since then, the collection has grown to encompass over 6000 individual pieces, most of which were acquired by Ben on his journeys around the world. By 2008, the Museum had welcomed over two million visitors. The original premises were becoming too small to fully represent the enormous range of the information and exhibits related to the subject of cannabis, so an annex was created – the Museum Gallery, only a few metres along the canal from the original premises. Before long, even the extra location was insufficient to display the ever-increasing collection, which encouraged Ben to seek a new location in which he could establish a sister Museum – the Hash Marihuana Cáñamo & Hemp Museum. In 2003, after much research and careful consideration, the perfect location for the new Museum was found – a gorgeous building in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter: the Palau Mornau.
On 26 April 2012, Amsterdam’s Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum was officially reopened by Hedy d’Ancona, Dutch politician and member of the European Parlement. All cannabis enthusiasts are invited to visit us and experience our brand new venue!
The Museum Gallery
With the opening of the Museum Gallery, it has become possible for visitors to admire an even wider range of exhibits. With the space constraints of the original Museum, some of these items were simply too large to be displayed; for example the loom from 1903 (which is strung with hemp thread) and the various model sailing ships (which demonstrate just how much hemp rope was required for each vessel).
Paintings depicting everyday men and women enjoying a companionable pipe of cannabis in rookhuizen (smoke-houses), the coffeeshops of the 17th Century, can be admired while more modern works by Piet Mondriaan and others are also on display. These paintings are brought to life by the exhibits around them – pipes and smoking devices from around the world, antique weaving and spinning equipment which contains real hemp fibres which visitors can touch.
The Hash Marihuana Cáñamo & Hemp Museum, Barcelona
The Hash Marihuana Cáñamo & Hemp Museum is located in the centre of Barcelona in the Palau Mornau, a stunning edifice built in the 15th Century. Originally the property of the Sancliment family, it was remodelled by modernist architect Raspall in 1908 under the ownership of the Nadal family. Spotted by Ben Dronkers in 2003, he saw that the Palau Mornau was more than an excellent location for the Museum, it was an important national monument which deserved to be returned to its former glory. With the help of architect Jordi Romeu, Ben began the task of restoring the palace, a process which was closely monitored by Barcelona’s cultural heritage organisations.
The museum presents valuable paintings and prints depicting cannabis use throughout history and rare antiques, such as the various tools and implements used to make hemp into rope, paper and fabrics. Art lovers will be delighted by the original paintings by noted 17th Century artists artists David Teniers the Younger, Cornelis Decker and Herman Saftleven. This important collection of old masters is complemented by a wide array of botanical prints from the 18th and 19thCentury. A medicinal section representing one of the world’s largest collections of medicinal cannabis bottles dating back to the 19th Century testifies to the widespread use of medicinal cannabis in the past.
After more than a decade of restoration, the Hash Marihuana Cáñamo & Hemp Museum opened its doors to the public on May 11th 2012. Be sure to come and visit!
Ancient and Modern Medicinal Cannabis
Cannabis has been a remedy for ailments and afflictions since ancient times and, up until 1937, it was the second most common ingredient in medicines. Some of the Museums’ largest displays are devoted to medicinal marijuana. Highlights include an extensive collection of nineteenth-century medicine bottles (some of which still hold their original contents) and antique pharmacy kits featuring vials filled with grains of Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa extract as well as an extensive collection of vaporizers.
In addition to illustrating the rich history of medicinal cannabis, the Museum Gallery’s Interactive Vaporizing Exhibit demonstrates the possibilities for its use in the future. In previous years, this special feature of the Gallery was a favourite of visitors to the original Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum. This unique exhibit shows how the active ingredients of cannabis become vapour when heated to a precise temperature, a process which does not burn the plant matter or release smoke. Visitors over the age of 18 can experience one of the safest, healthiest and most effective methods of using cannabis medicinally.
From: ashmuseum.com
