Bringing the mana back to Marijuana
Words and images by Liam Stretch
Poking out of the perpetuality of Christchurch City’s construction, the familiar structures of Shand’s Emporium and the Trinity Church sit together – the first time ever, as the green-boarded former watch shop was shifted from its pre-quake, Hereford Street site a few years back, to find itself snuggly situated beside the historic chapel at its new home on 217 Manchester Street. The original doors have been restored with ‘Shands’ boldly calligraphed in the shop-front window. A hand-painted sign guards the door – “Welcome to Whakamana. We’re open – just ring the doorbell” it proclaims.
Now, Whakamana might be an unusual name for a former church and Christchurch’s oldest commercial building – and some of you may recognise it from a centre in Dunedin that studies and advocates for a very specific plant… cannabis, Mary Jane, and the Devil’s Lettuce – but I promise you, the two heritage structures have been developed into a fantastic space, nothing short of state-of-the-art.
Having been handed over from the Christchurch Historic Trust, the buildings now lie in the more than capable hands of a pot power-pair; as the New Zealand Institute for Cannabis Education, Research and Development.
I’m welcomed inside by an unassuming coupling – Michael Mayell and Abe Gray. Michael in his suitably purple-hazed eyeglasses and Abe in his even more suitably lusciously-long beard. The two aim to legitimise cannabis, make Aotearoa the most cannabis literate nation on Earth, and advocate hemp food products – using the cannabis plant species (including hemp) to improve the hauora of all Kiwis.
All of this creates the definition of whakamana: to restore mana; empowerment. The mana in question being restored is that of cannabis, and there could not be a better pair to push home the potential and of cannabis than Abe and Michael.
Michael, the Founder of Cookie Time, has a fantastic vision for the business development and economic potential such an asset has to not only Ōtautahi but the rest of New Zealand. Abe is about as qualified as you can get; a botanist, educator, scientist, and an all-round cannabis advocate. Currently, the museum is in operation within the Shands building – albeit on a smaller scale than the eventual aim. When the project is completed, the former Trinity Church will host a museum by day, and education space or university come late afternoon, and when evening comes, the space will transform into a nightclub (alcohol-free) of sorts – taking advantage of the unique acoustics provided by the specially designed roof.
“The ultimate aim is to have this space operational 24/7,” Micheal says.
There will also be an on-site Hemp Eatery, that will nourish the patrons with its delicious hemp-based meals, snacks, and drinks (spray-free, organic and locally sourced wherever possible). Meals will be available on the premises but also available for delivery to those within the four main avenues of Christchurch via the Whakamana App. If the upcoming referendum in 2020 sees the New Zealand public choose to legalise cannabis for recreational use, then the Shands building will host a dispensary.
This potential tourist destination is not quite here yet, though. The team needs to raise another million dollars or so to make this a reality. If this is something that you feel passionately about, or merely want to discover more about – a Pledge Me fund will help see New Zealand become a country that is confident in its knowledge of cannabis, no matter its legality. You can also become a shareholder, with the minimum share costing 50 dollars.
Pop down to Whakamana, ring the door bell and learn a little bit more about the green stuff.