Cannabis College Museum Culture

Red Light District, Amsterdam –

Dedicated to educating the world on the myriad wonders – as well as the possible dangers – of weed, The Cannabis College Foundation has been operating in the same little 17th-century canal house since the late 90s.

Located in the heart of the Red Light District, the CCF is staffed mostly by volunteers who, despite the occasional infantile kids that make up some of the clientele, take the goal of the organization very seriously.

Recreational smokers can learn the best ways to avoid smoking tainted or otherwise dangerous product, while medical patients can watch educational videos on the miraculous health benefits of weed. Displays include books about hemp uses and culture, hemp cosmetics, clothing, shoes, and even a hemp snowboard, as well detailed information on the drug policies of many countries around the word.

Not surprisingly, a good bit of attention is paid to studies that detail how the Netherlands' leniency on soft drugs has helped the country win the war on hard drugs.

For those who are still curious for more, a small fee pays for a tour of the downstairs garden, where a roomful of rather magnificent organically grown plants bask in the artificial sun.

It may not be an actual college, but The Cannabis College Foundation is an ideal place in Amsterdam to obtain an objective (mostly) education about this controversial plant.