Established | 2013 |
---|---|
Location | Auckland, New Zealand |
Type | Science, Social History |
Accreditation | Museums Aotearoa |
Director | Abe Gray |
Website | cannabis.kiwi.nz |
Whakamana Cannabis Museum is New Zealand's first museum dedicated to the history of cannabis use and culture. [1] It was first opened in October 2013 in Dunedin by Abe Gray, former deputy leader of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP), [2] and Julian Crawford, former ALCP regional spokesperson.
In 2019 Whakamana relocated to Shand's Emporium in Christchurch when Abe Gray and Cookie Time founder Michael Mayell formed a partnership to grow the concept. [3] [4]
Whakamana sought to establish itself as a social club, an authority for cannabis education and events (i.e. lectures by figures in the cannabis industry), and an alcohol-free music venue and eatery producing hemp-based foods [5] , and in late 2019, the museum attempted to raise funds via PledgeMe, a crowdfunding platform for New Zealand-based businesses, to help complete restoration of their new site. The campaign failed to raise its minimum target of $1 million NZD, therefore investors were refunded and the campaign was voided. [2]
Following revenue issues and a failure to find suitable investors, the Christchurch location was closed. In 2020, Gray attempted to establish a new site in central Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. As a political hub which houses New Zealand's parliamentary buildings, Gray considered the location to be more effective in the lead-up to the 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum. [6] This was ultimately put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2023 a fundraiser was held for reopening the Museum in the iconic Hopetoun Alpha heritage building in Central Auckland, with a view to reopening the museum permanently at that location. [7] In 2024 the Museum started weekly social club meet ups at an Auckland waterfront bar and announced that the Museum would re-open permanently in Hopetoun Alpha in mid-2024. On August 9th 2024 the Museum was officially re-opened by Auckland Central Member of Parliament and Green Party Co-Leader Chloe Swarbrick in a ribbon cutting ceremony [8] .
Whakamana was designed to be a national information centre on aspects of the science, history, and legislation surrounding cannabis, with an aim to educate the public and destigmatise adult use of cannabis. [9] It operates within New Zealand's laws and does not sell cannabis. [9] However, Whakamana previous stated they would set up a dispensary provided the law allows it to. [10] A prescribing doctor and dispensary is included in the new Auckland location.
Originally located in Dunedin, the museum was first operated in the Legalise Cannabis House on David Street. The museum served as an information service to educate the public about all aspects of cannabis, including books that are unavailable at other libraries. [9] In addition to acting as a museum and serving as a centre for drug law reform advocacy, the museum promoted open-source computer software. [11] It also featured meeting rooms and a digital multimedia studio. [1]
The museum was opened in 2013 by Abe Gray, known for his cannabis activism as the former deputy leader of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party and leader of cannabis lobby group Otago NORML, and Julian Crawford, the former ALCP regional spokesperson. [11] It was reportedly a venture between the ALCP and Otago NORML. [12] Dunedin has had a long history of advocacy for marijuana law reform largely through the latter organisation. [11]
Gray, who is originally from the United States of America, has a Masters in Botany. [13] He has spoken out about the discrimination of cannabis users and has been described as a lobbyist and an activist for cannabis. [14] Gray publicly left his role as the president of the ALCP to support The Opportunities Party (TOP) in 2017, believing the organisation to be the most viable political platform to help effect cannabis law change at the time. [15] Gray hoped that support from former ALCP voters would help TOP to enter parliament without requiring an electorate seat. [16] Gareth Morgan, then the party leader, praised Gray for supporting the party's Real Deal Cannabis reform. [17]
In 2018 the museum left its original home in South Dunedin to occupy a new central city premises in the Eldon Chambers Building in Princes Street. [18] During this time, comedian Guy Williams documented the museum in a segment for the comedy programme Jono and Ben . [19] Gray stated that the presence of the museum in Dunedin would put it in the ideal position to become a centre for cannabis tourism should the drug ever be legalised in New Zealand, referencing the city's history of support for law change relating to drug use and possession. [11] However, the museum moved again in 2019, this time to Christchurch; Gray had hoped to keep a branch of the museum running in Dunedin, but found the idea unsustainable due to a reliance on volunteers. [4]
In mid-2019 the museum left Dunedin and relocated to Christchurch. Gray teamed with Michael Mayell, a social entrepreneur and environmentalist known for founding the snack company Cookie Time. Mayell has an interest in the emerging hemp economy and argues that it could allow New Zealand to reduce its reliance on dairy farming. [20]
The museum was housed in Shand's Emporium building on Manchester Street in Christchurch, having been relocated from its original site in Hereford Street and adjoined to the neighbouring Trinity Church, with plans to restore the church as the central space for the museum. Both buildings are among the oldest in Christchurch and had required restoration following the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake. [21]
The organisation operated a Cannabis Social Club, which was New Zealand's only functioning club in 2019. [13]
Whakamana is an education centre to provide public access to science, literature, and experiences to promote cannabis education. [22] The museum has hosted past events featuring notable individuals and experts on cannabis including activists and green fairy [note 1] Rose Renton. [23]
In a press release, Gray and Mayell announced plans to raise $1 million NZD via the crowdfunding platform PledgeMe to complete the Trinity Church restoration and expand their services and resources, offering one share per dollar at a minimum of fifty shares. The campaign went live in late 2019.
By the end of the fundraising period the campaign had raised $214,616 (NZD) from 299 people. [24] However, the campaign had failed to raise its minimum target of $1 million NZD, therefore the total amount was returned to investors in accordance with the terms of PledgeMe. Gray initially attributed the failure of the campaign to a lack of awareness about the project among the local cannabis community, but argued in a later interview that prevailing cannabis stigma had played a role. [25] [26]
Following the failure of the campaign, Gray and Mayell said they were approaching investors and seeking alternative means of funding, and would seek overseas investors if suitable New Zealand investors could not be found. [2]
In May 2020, Mayell revealed that revenue issues had forced the museum to close its Christchurch location. Whakamana planned to move to Wellington in the form of a new project, [6] but ultimately went into storage due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In January 2020, Whakamana Museum posted on their Facebook page that they were seeking volunteers to set up a temporary pop-up museum in Wellington, intending to keep it running until the 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum was resolved. [27] Gray moved to Wellington to facilitate the project. Whakamana had planned to have a location set up in time for April, however this was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. [25]
After deciding it was untenable to continuing leasing the Manchester Street premises, Whakamana announced they would close their Christchurch premises permanently to focus resources on the Wellington project, but ultimately went into storage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [6]
In 2023 a fundraiser was held for reopening the Museum in the iconic Hopetoun Alpha heritage building in Central Auckland, with a view to reopening the museum permanently at that location. [28] In 2024 the Museum started weekly social club meet ups at an Auckland waterfront bar and announced that the Museum would re-open permanently in Hopetoun Alpha in mid-2024. On August 9th 2024 the Museum was officially re-opened by Auckland Central Member of Parliament and Green Party Co-Leader Chloe Swarbrick in a ribbon cutting ceremony [29] .
The University of Otago is a public research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in Oceania.
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP), also known as the Cannabis Party, is a political party in New Zealand. It is dedicated to the legalisation of cannabis for medical, recreational and industrial use. It was founded in 1996 and has stood in every general election since, but has never won representation in Parliament. Several of its members have gone on to political success after leaving the party.
Hillside Engineering Group is a trading division of the rail operator KiwiRail in Dunedin, New Zealand. Most of its work is related to KiwiRail, but it also does work for the marine industry in Dunedin. On 19 April 2012 KiwiRail announced it was putting Hillside on the market for sale. In November 2012 KiwiRail announced it had sold part of the business to Australian firm Bradken, and the rest would be closed. The workshops continued to be used for some maintenance work by Kiwirail with a skeleton staff. In October 2019, the New Zealand Government announced that it would be investing NZ$20 million into revitalising Hillside Engineering as a major mechanical hub and engineering facility to service Kiwi Rail's locomotives and rollingstock.
The following lists events that happened during 1904 in New Zealand.
The Meridian Mall is a large shopping complex in Dunedin, New Zealand designed by ASA Crone Architects, an Australian development company. At 16,000 m2 (172,222.6 sq ft) it is the largest retail mall in the southern South Island, and one of the largest in the South Island as a whole.
Architecture of New Zealand is the built environment of regions, cities and towns of New Zealand.
Cookie Time Ltd is a New Zealand company based in Christchurch, New Zealand which has been manufacturing snack foods since 1983.
Otago University NORML is a pro-cannabis law reform student club at the University of Otago, affiliated to the Otago University Students Association. It is not affiliated to the national New Zealand cannabis law reform organisation NORML New Zealand, an affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
The use of cannabis in New Zealand is regulated by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, which makes unauthorised possession of any amount of cannabis a crime. Cannabis is the fourth-most widely used recreational drug in New Zealand, after caffeine, alcohol and tobacco, and the most widely used illicit drug. In 2001 a household survey revealed that 13.4% of New Zealanders aged 15–64 used cannabis. This ranked as the ninth-highest cannabis consumption level in the world.
NORML New Zealand is a cannabis law reform organisation in New Zealand. It is a National Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
Occupy Movement protests took place in New Zealand, beginning on 15 October 2011 with the Occupation of Auckland. Occupy protests took place in Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington, Lower Hutt, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill.
The Prime Minister's Science Prizes are awarded yearly by the Prime Minister of New Zealand. They were first awarded in 2009 in order to raise the profile and prestige of science among New Zealanders. The 2019 awards were presented in early 2020.
The 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum was a non-binding referendum held on 17 October 2020 in conjunction with the 2020 general election and a euthanasia referendum, on the question of whether to legalise the sale, use, possession and production of recreational cannabis. It was rejected by New Zealand voters. The form of the referendum was a vote for or against the proposed "Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill". Official results were released by the Electoral Commission on 6 November 2020 with 50.7% of voters opposing the legalisation and 48.4% in support.
Shortly after protests seeking justice for George Floyd, an African-American who was murdered during a police arrest, began in the United States, people in New Zealand protested to show support for similar protests in the United States and to demonstrate against perceived issues with police brutality and structural discrimination in New Zealand. Vigils and protests of thousands of participants took place in June 2020 throughout the nation.
The St Helens Hospitals were maternity hospitals located in seven New Zealand cities. They were the first state-run maternity hospitals in the world offering both midwifery services and midwifery training. The first hospital opened in 1905 in Wellington and the last one in Wanganui in 1921. The services of the St Helens Hospitals were gradually incorporated into other hospitals and the last hospital to close was in Auckland in 1990.
There have been several COVID-19 protests in New Zealand held since 2020, where people protested the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, in particular the lockdown measures in place in March–May 2020, August 2020, and August–November 2021 and the later vaccine mandates. The protests have been largely condemned by members of parliament, as well as local city and regional councils. Fears were also raised about the protests increasing the spread of the virus.
Abraham Gabriel Gray is an American-born New Zealand cannabis activist, politician and founder of the Whakamana Cannabis Museum, New Zealand's first and only cannabis museum. Gray was a University of Otago lecturer and tutor for over a decade before founding the museum.
This page lists candidates contesting electorates in the 2023 New Zealand general election.