page_title: Whakamana Cannabis Museum
section_title: Early formation
hierarchical_section_title: Whakamana Cannabis Museum / Early formation
caption_attribution_description: English: Whakamana Cannabis Museum in Dunedin, NZ
context_page_description: Whakamana, or The New Zealand Institute for Cannabis Education, Research and Development is New Zealand's first museum dedicated to the history of cannabis use and culture. It was first opened in October 2013 in Dunedin as part of a project spearheaded by Abe Gray, former deputy leader of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, and Julian Crawford, former ALCP regional spokesperson. In 2019 Whakamana relocated to Shand's Emporium in Christchurch as a new project directed by Abe Gray and Cookie Time founder Michael Mayell. Following revenue issues and a failure to find suitable investors, the Christchurch location was closed. As of April 2020, Gray is attempting 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 considers the location to be more effective in the lead-up to the referendum.
  Whakamana was designed to be a national information centre on aspects of the science, history, and legislation surrounding cannabis, with an aim to educate, particularly in the lead up to the 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum. It operates within New Zealand's laws and does not sell cannabis.
context_section_description: 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. In addition to acting as a museum and serving as a centre for drug law reform advocacy, the museum promoted open-source computer software. It also featured meeting rooms and a digital multimedia studio.
  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. It was reportedly a venture between the ALCP and Otago NORML. Dunedin has had a long history of advocacy for marijuana law reform largely through the latter organisation.
  Gray, who is originally from the United States of America, has a Masters in Botany. He has spoken out about the discrimination of cannabis users and has been described as a lobbyist and an activist for cannabis. 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. Gray hoped that support from former ALCP voters would help TOP to enter parliament without requiring an electorate seat. Gareth Morgan, then the party leader, praised Gray for supporting the party's Real Deal Cannabis reform. 
  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.  During this time, comedian Guy Williams documented the museum in a segment for the comedy programme Jono and Ben. 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. 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.
caption: The original museum was created in the Legalise Cannabis House, pictured in late 2016.
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