The "No on 200" team in Pueblo County has proposed that Colorado become home to the National Marijuana Museum, and what better county to host it than the one that fought against repealing Amendment 64 at the ballot box this election. The organizers hope to have the museum open by the summer of 2018. In the meantime, here are ten suggestions for what they should include in the collection:
1. A General Timeline Outlining Cannabis Use and Other Need-to-Know Info
Some people visiting the museum will be weed connoisseurs, but many will know little to nothing about the history of marijuana – or even the plant itself. The first exhibit in the museum should definitely serve as a quick refresher course on all things weed. It would include explanations similar to the ones given out in many marijuana dispensaries about the differences between indica and sativa, CBD vs. THC, etc.
2. Interesting Facts and Artifacts
Did you know that the earliest record of medical marijuana comes from China in 2737 B.C.? Emperor Shennong wrote a book about medicinal remedies and included cannabis as a treatment. In addition to history, this room would include such ancient artifacts as the earliest pipes and bongs.
3. Rundown of Marijuana’s Influence on Pop Culture
Pop culture and marijuana have always been connected. From the early days of jazz to the Beatles to Bob Marley to Snoop Dogg, marijuana has been a source of inspiration for many artists. Even today, many celebrities and musicians have created their own marijuana companies, six of which already operate in Colorado.
4. Media Room
The media and marijuana have always had a complicated relationship. From early warning posters reading "Marihuana: Weed With Roots in Hell" to unquestioning coverage of the War on Drugs, there’s a plethora of media material that can be included in the museum.
5. Interactive Exhibit
Never been high and want to know what it feels like? Don’t know how to use a bong or a dab rig? The interactive exhibit would allow people to try everything, without the high.
6. Glass-Blowing Demonstrations
Many tokers are proud and protective of their glass. Whether they display a collection of pieces on the mantle or cherish the one bong they smoke out of every day, glass artisans and stoners have always provided for each other. In addition to a room showing off some of the most incredible bong creations, the museum should invite local glass artists to demonstrate their skills.
7. Par-toking room
Now that Denver has narrowly legalized social use, the rest of Colorado may follow. Assuming social use is legal in Pueblo County come 2018, we suggest a 21+ room where adults can enjoy a hit or two before exploring the museum.
8. Exhibit on the Government’s Suppression of Cannabis
There’s the well-known stereotype of the paranoid stoner. But once you learn about all that the government has done over the years to stifle marijuana, from President Gerald Ford eliminating all public cannabis research in 1976 to using the War on Drugs to incarcerate minority populations, you’ll understand where some of that paranoia might be coming from.
9. A Marijuana Bookstore
Every good museum needs a good bookstore. This one would sell books on how to grow, a catalogue of different strains, history textbooks, commentary and analysis, scientific journals…. The categories are endless.
10. Marijuana Use by the Founding Fathers and Early America
Little-known fact: Hemp was a popular cash crop around the time our country was founded, and many of the Founding Fathers were proud tokers. While the plant was usually used to make rope and had only a small amount of THC, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew it, and John Adams left accounts discussing his consumption of the plant. "We shall by and by want a world of Hemp more for our own consumshon," he wrote.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Ten Things We’d Like To See In The National Marijuana Museum
Author: Kate McKee Simmons
Contact: Westword
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Website: Westword
