Located a few steps from Barceloneta, the Hemp museum presents a complete point of view on this plant, offering a 360 ° overview of its historical use, its therapeutic use, and its importance from a cultural point of view. To complete the picture, the building that houses the museum, Palau Mornau, is part of the circuit of modernist buildings in Barcelona, and is certainly worth a visit.
What is the Hemp Museum
The official name of the Hemp Museum is Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum, and it is a sister facility to its namesake in Amsterdam. His collection counts more than 12.000 objects, able to cover a great variety of themes, and to retrace a history of humanity related to this plant. The recreational use of cannabis is only one of the issues addressed, the aspects concerning the industrial production of hemp are also very interesting, recalling that Italy up to the 50s was one of the largest world producers of industrial hemp.
Another point of view is the influence that both cannabis and prohibition have left in modern culture: one can compare the prohibition cartels of the 20s and 30s with hippie objects from the 60s and 70s, only as far as it's about Western culture.
The cannabis part is obviously very well curated, hosting both a historical section, with late 800th century cannabis-based ointments and medicines, as well as a broad perspective on hash production methods in various parts of the world, and the their medical or ritual use for various cultures.
The shop of the museum does not sell marijuana, however, it is possible to buy hemp artifacts, objects of various kinds related to the world of cannabis, or collectible seeds. Given that the consumption of cannabis and the production of hemp for industrial and medical purposes are hotly debated topics, a visit to the Hemp Museum is ideal for more informed information.
Palau Mornau
Useful Information
As the museum is housed in a historic building, the property does not have ramps or easy access. Generally the museum is not very crowded, so there are no preferable times to go there. It is possible to take pictures, provided that the flash is not used.
How to get to the hemp museum
The hemp museum is located inside the Barrio Gótico, at Carrer Ample 35, very close to the seafront and Barceloneta. About 400 meters away you can reach the church of Santa María del Mar, in the La Ribera district. The nearest metro stop is Barceloneta (yellow line 4), or alternatively those of Liceu or Drassanes (both on line 3, green). With the tourist bus the closest stop is Museu d'Historia de Catalunya, on the red line.
Working Time
The museum opens from Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 22:00. On Sundays and other public holidays the hours are from 14:00 to 22:00. On 24 and 31 December from 14pm to 00pm.
tickets
Buy tickets from the official website
The cost of the ticket at the entrance to the museum is € 9, and it is free for children under 13, provided they are accompanied by an adult. Holders of the Bus Turístic discount booklet are entitled to a 20% discount. If you buy tickets online, you can enjoy a 5% discount.
