Did you know that there’s a cannabis museum right outside of Athens? The Cannabis Museum, located just outside of the city in Canaanville, is an educational and research nonprofit dedicated to educating others on how global cultures have used the cannabis plant, along with the prohibition and politics surrounding it.
The museum’s director and staff have worked around the clock for nearly five years to get things open, only recently opening their doors in April 2023. Their first exhibition, “Hemp and Hackles,” is currently on display until August of 2024 and shows museum guests the vast expanse of hemp’s history.
What Can You Expect at Hemp and Hackles?
As the name of the exhibition suggests, you’ll find tons of relics and information pertaining to the hemp crop and its many uses across history. You can expect to find agricultural tools used to harvest hemp, vintage pharmaceutical jars used to store hemp byproducts, and a wide array of items fashioned from hemp fibers, such as toys, clothing, self-care products, and even roofing and insulation.
A Brief History of Hemp
Hemp has been around for thousands of years, being used by early civilizations to make and manufacture various textile items. Some historians suggest that the plant was first cultivated by Asian civilizations around 5000 BC and was used for creating textiles like clothing and other items. From there, hemp spread across the globe via trade and was introduced into many economies and civilizations as a major crop—in fact, it was so popular at one point, that the first American flag was actually made from hemp and not cotton.
Hemp—believe it or not—is actually a much better crop than cotton when it comes to fashioning textiles and is also way more sustainable and better for the environment than the alternative. Hemp is prized for its durability and its ability to stand the test of time compared to other materials used to create clothing items. Hemp is up to three times stronger than cotton fabric and softens with each wash, leaving the consumer with a lightweight, breathable piece of clothing. Beyond clothing, hemp has also been used in the manufacturing of apothecary-type goods, such as lotions and creams, due to the oil being intensely hydrating and nourishing for the skin.
The Cannabis Museum
Despite opening recently in 2023, the Cannabis Museum has a lot in store for visitors and residents of the area. Through outreach at several local events, like the Pawpaw Festival and the Arts and Music Festival, the membership-based museum hopes to spread the word about their recently-opened building in hopes of attracting visitors. Beyond their outreach, the museum hosts events and is already working on coming up with their next exhibition once “Hemp and Hackles” concludes.
The Cannabis Museum can be found at 16050 Canaanville Rd and is open Wednesday through Saturday from 12-5pm for anyone looking to learn more about the extensive history of the widely-cultivated plant.