About the museum
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit preserving over 12,000 objects.
The Cannabis Museum holds the most comprehensive material record of cannabis history in the world — spanning industrial, medicinal, and cultural contexts across centuries and continents.
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.
Major holdings.
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
Museum history.
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 Omeka digital archive.
Collection expansion
Ongoing acquisitions from private collectors continue to grow the archive.