A Cannabis Museum Focused On The Drug Wars Wants To Change Hearts And Minds

When April Arrasate got a license to open a recreational cannabis dispensary in Boston, it followed a successful stint of her being a producer of medical marijuana in Connecticut. There would be a difference with her new business: she wanted it to have a mission. Enter the Core Social Justice Cannabis Museum.

Rather than simply explore the history of the plant, the museum, which opened in March 2021 alongside Arrasate’s Seed dispensary, focuses on the inequities of American drug policy through a series of changing exhibits. A lawyer with a biotech background, Arrasate is hoping that in some way her museum, for which she serves as executive director, will be able to change marijuana policy toward the better, or at least change people’s perspectives about cannabis.

So far, the museum, a nonprofit, is making serious headway. Not only has it attracted a diverse pool of investors, some of whom had been incarcerated as a result of the drug wars, but a new location will be opening in Portland, Maine in May. Understandably, Arrasate and her team are excited about this milestone. Now their goal is to spread the word about the new location as well as score more sponsorships and donations.

Recently, Arrasate spoke about the genesis of the museum, the exhibits and what she would like every person to come away with after visiting either location.

This Q&A has been edited for conciseness and clarity.

Iris Dorbian: What made you choose the current exhibit in Boston?

April Arrasate: “American Warden” investigates incarceration in America against the backdrop of cannabis prohibition. For example, every male born after 2001 has a one in thirteenth chance of ending up in jail in America. That’s based on 2019 crime statistics released by the FBI. If we take cannabis off the table, everyone would be safer. The museum is there [to examine the effect] our laws have had on our people and our culture. “American Warden” is the first stab at it.

Dorbian: What exhibit will launch the Portland location?

Arrasate: [it’s called] “Seed to Soul.” I really want people to understand the impact our laws have had on the plant, all the way to the cultivation and production process to how it interacts with our body and gets to your soul, giving it a high. Everyone wants to know how this plant is grown. What I want to do is show is how our laws have impacted the chemical makeup of the plant.

Dorbian: Can you describe the layout of the two museums?

Arrasate: The Boston museum and dispensary are together. You show your ID at the door: you must be 21. Also, admission to the museum is free. You have to go downstairs. It’s 6,000 square feet: half is the dispensary and half is the museum.

[At the Boston location], there’s a jail cell in the center of it. Inside there’s a documentary of [the late Jamaican reggae musician] Peter Tosh’s son Jawara McIntosh. He lost his life to the war on drugs. His sister recounts his story in that mini documentary. We have some interactive exhibits. It’s a good way to spend an hour.

Portland, Maine is situated differently. [The museum and dispensary] are adjacent. You have a separate entrance to that museum and because of that you can invite all ages.

Dorbian: What have been the most challenging aspects of putting together and running the flagship museum?

Arrasate: At first it was convincing the federal government that I was not touching the plant so I can get that nonprofit status and now, it’s funding. People believe the cannabis industry is rolling in dollars, but the reality is that the federal government takes all the money. No cannabis companies can take regular deductions. You pay taxes on the gross profit lines and that robs all the money from the entity. We’re trying to change hearts and minds, but we need funding.

Dorbian: What are some other future goals you have for the museum?

Arrasate: The goal for “American Warden,” which has been up for two years, as of March, is to become a traveling exhibit. We’ve had interest from other universities such as Harvard and University of Puerto Rico. We’re trying to get it to be mobile.

The exhibit that we’re trying to replace it with is tentatively titled “Caribbean Impact.” My partners in Seed and a lot of our investors come from Caribbean Island nations. The mission here is to show the impact that U.S. drug laws have had on the Caribbean islands. We’re trying to get it done this year. It all depends on funding.

Dorbian: What are the takeaways you want every museumgoer to come away with?

Arrasate: I know people who believe in cannabis, but they won’t use it in front of their kids. It should be normalized like alcohol. I’m interested in changing the hearts and minds of future leaders.