Cannabis Museum moves north

DUNEDIN’S Cannabis Museum has been closed and relocated to Christchurch, but its founder has not discounted a return to Dunedin in the future.

Whakamana New Zealand Institute for Cannabis Education, Research and Development curator Abe Gray said he had hoped to continue running the Dunedin facility while establishing another one in Christchurch.

‘‘We had hoped to run it in the two locations, but the Dunedin one relied on volunteers and it just wasn’t sustainable as a volunteer operation.

‘‘It didn’t make enough money to pay people.’’

He said it was hoped a revenue stream could be created by subletting a space in the museum to someone wanting to run a cafe, but it never eventuated.

‘‘We’ve learned a lot of lessons about doing it at a scale that it has to be done to succeed.

‘‘It was always a chickenandegg kind of thing. It requires investment to actually make it into a business that can pay people and be sustainable.’’

He said a business plan had been developed that he hoped would make the Christchurch operation more successful.

‘‘The Christchurch effort is taking it to the next level.

‘‘And our hope is to eventually have museums in every city in New Zealand, so we’ll come back to Dunedin as soon as we can.’’

Mr Gray has teamed up with Cookie Time founder and hemp environmentalist Michael Mayell to open Whakamana in the 159yearold Shand’s Emporium building, in Manchester St, Christchurch.

He said Whakamana would lease Shand’s for the next five months while conducting a crowdfunding campaign to raise $1 million to transform the adjoining Trinity Church into a permanent space.

The focus of the museum was on education — being informed and understanding the issues related to cannabis.

Mr Mayell said the ultimate plan was to develop Whakamana to include a hemp food eatery, an alcoholfree nightclub and a cannabis dispensary, should the 2020 referendum on marijuana allow for it.