Sonoma County exhibit showcases evolution of cannabis

Nowadays you can eat it, burn it, or smoke it as easily as you can vote or drink a beer in 11 states, and readily gain access to it for medical reasons in many more.

In the not-to-distant-past, however, cannabis was outlawed and kept in the shadows - a taboo that became a defining element of cataclysmic cultural shifts that began in the 1960s.

A new exhibit at the Museum of Sonoma County aims to provide perspective on the evolution of cannabis and the multibillion-dollar industry that was born when medicinal use was legalized a few decades ago. The exhibit, open since mid-June, is titled “Grass Roots: Cannabis from Prohibition to Prescription.”

Co-curator Eric Stanley said it was important to debut the exhibit in Sonoma County because of the unique role Sonoma has played in this history. In particular, Stanley cited the region’s legacy of agriculture and its position between Humboldt County and San Francisco as reasons why Sonoma has been so important.

“The issue of cannabis is so dichotomous, but we are just trying to tell a story that is worth telling and that is relevant now,” said Stanley, the museum’s associate director and curator of history. “Really what we are saying is that this is an important issue, one that we need to understand and discuss.”

The origins of the “Grass Roots” exhibit stretch back to the beginning of the decade, when Stanley and guest co-curator Brian Applegarth, founder of the Cannabis Trail, a nonprofit that preserves and celebrates NorCal’s cannabis heritage, conceived of it together at an event in Occidental. Over the years, they sharpened the concept, adding certain aspects and eliminating others. Eventually, the men hatched the backbone of an exhibit. “Grass Roots” represents the best of that plan.

The exhibit itself walks visitors through both distant and recent histories of cannabis here in Sonoma County, California at large, and (in some cases) elsewhere around the world.

It comprises early 20th-century pharmacy items, headshop posters, drug paraphernalia, advertisements, video interviews, infographics and an interactive touchscreen timeline. There also are two cannabis plants under lamps in a case.

One colorful part of the exhibit deals with the issue of legalization, about how a grassroots effort really catapulted legalization from pipe dream into reality. (In case you’re wondering, yes, that is precisely how the exhibit got its name.)

Another key component is the section about how cannabis became illegal in the first place; signage weaves in pro-cannabis quotes from Sonoma County icons Luther Burbank and Jack London.

Ultimately, however, the exhibit leaves visitors with more questions than answers about the future of cannabis. Applegarth said this uncertainty is intentional, and noted that recognizing what has driven these changes is the only way to evaluate where the industry sits today and where it’s headed from here.

“Cannabis reveals hard truths about how we co-exist as a greater society,” said Applegarth, who also serves as founder and CEO of Emerald Country Tours, a travel outfitter serving San Francisco, Sonoma County and others. “Respect for the movement, its roots and the activist pioneers who made it all happen is important, and through storytelling we will export not just a plant, but a culture.”

Stanley said the museum isn’t leveraging the exhibit to promote any viewpoint related to the legality of cannabis use. Instead, the exhibit aims to be balanced, unbiased, and fair - a retelling of the history of cannabis in a factual way, a narrative that provides visitors with perspectives on both sides of the issue to inform the public better.

Erin Gore, founder of Garden Society, a Healdsburg company that markets edibles and pre-rolled cigarettes, said she was downright excited to educate the public about weed.

“We are in a position in the cannabis industry where education of the mainstream public is paramount, especially in Sonoma County,” she said.

“I hope the museum brings light to the people in our history who paved the way for de-stigmatization and shows the true story of how we came to land where we are today.”

The “Grass Roots” exhibit was underwritten by two dispensaries - Mercy Wellness and the Sonoma Patient Group - as well as Lagunitas Brewing Co., Rogoway Law Group and two cannabis manufacturing companies, Cannacraft and Fiddler’s Greens. It closes Sept. 15.

For more information, visit museumsc.org/grass-roots or call 707-579-1500.