What is there
to see?

The museum is located in Amsterdam’s Red Light District. From Dam Square, simply follow Damstraat and after about five minutes you’ll reach the Oudezijds Achterburgwal canal.

The museum is divided into two sections housed in separate buildings: at number 148 you’ll find the Hash Marihuana Museum, while the Hemp Gallery is just a few doors further along the same street.

Part 1
Hash Marihuana Museum

The tour begins with general information about the hemp plant, whose long, serrated leaves have long since achieved iconic status. What exactly is the difference between hemp, cannabis, marijuana and THC? As you continue through the exhibition, you’ll learn about the cultivation, harvesting, processing and uses of the cannabis plant. The exhibits quickly make it clear that hemp has been used in many cultures worldwide, and that the intoxicating effects of marijuana have played an important role in numerous rituals.

The consumption of hashish has spanned all social classes across different eras. This is documented in 17th-century paintings as well as in photographs, films, books and posters. There is hardly a medium that has not engaged with the subject of cannabis—and all of this has been collected by the museum’s founder, Ben Dronkers.

However, the dried flowers of the plant were not only consumed in spiritual contexts or for relaxation. It is hard to deny that many painters, musicians and writers throughout history seem to have had a particular connection to marijuana. While it may come as no surprise that Bob Marley enjoyed the occasional joint, even William Shakespeare appears to have had some experience with a hash pipe.

The Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum also places special emphasis on a critical examination of cannabis in the modern era, including its political, criminal and economic dimensions. Disturbing propaganda campaigns that demonise THC-containing products are contrasted with humorous, self-ironic and even sensual representations. Politics meets pop culture. Prohibition meets rebellion. The debate is more relevant today than ever—especially as the plant’s active compounds have become the subject of medical research.

Whether it is simply a harmless high or a dangerous gateway drug is something each visitor must ultimately decide for themselves.

While the focus of the Hash Marihuana Museum is on the use of the plant’s intoxicating products, the Hemp Gallery, which opened in 2009, is dedicated entirely to the surprisingly wide range of uses of the hemp plant.

Part 2
Hemp Gallery

In the past, its durable fibres were used to produce paper, ropes and fabrics such as canvas. An original loom on display bears witness to this history. The Hemp Gallery also dedicates a large part of the exhibition to the pioneers of our time, whose efforts to re-establish hemp as a cultivated crop are already bearing fruit. Even now, components of the hemp plant have found their way into our everyday lives—as building materials, as ingredients in cosmetics, and with the seeds used as dietary supplements. All, of course, completely free of THC.

The exhibition rounds off the topic of cannabis perfectly and may even change the rather critical view that some visitors might have had of this fascinating plant beforehand. If you’d like to take home a souvenir, the two museum shops offer a wide selection of hemp products, which can be taken across the border without any issues and entirely legally. 🙂