A living archive of cannabis history
The Cannabis Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit preserving over 12,000 objects — the most comprehensive material record of cannabis history in the world.
Its holdings span industrial, medicinal, and cultural contexts across centuries and continents, and are open to researchers, students, and the public.
What the museum preserves
Industrial record
Hemp processing tools, rope, textiles, paper, and building materials that document cannabis as infrastructure.
Medicinal history
Bottles, prescriptions, journals, and pharmacy equipment tracing therapeutic use across eras and regions.
Cultural ephemera
Print, packaging, posters, and rare documents that preserve public memory and shifting social attitudes.
The collections inside the collection
The museum is home to the Don Wirtshafter Collection alongside these archival holdings.
The Herb Museum Collection
Horowitz Collection
Stanley Krippner Collection
Richard's Drug Store
USA Hemp Museum
How the archive was built
Museum founded
Established in Athens, Ohio by Don Wirtshafter as a repository for cannabis material history.
First major acquisition
The Herb Museum Collection and early pharmacy artifacts form the permanent holdings.
Institutional recognition
Accepted into AAM and Ohio Museums Association, establishing credentialed status.
Grant funding secured
Ohio Arts Council awards capacity building grants for preservation and programming.
Digital archive launched
Over 12,000 objects cataloged and accessible through the digital archive.
Collection expansion
Ongoing acquisitions from private collectors continue to grow the archive.
A living archive of cannabis history
Athens, Ohio. Founded 2014 by Don Wirtshafter as a repository for the material record of cannabis.
Admissions, memberships, donations, and institutional grants keep the collection preserved and public.