The Cannabis Culture Award was previously known as the Cannabis Cultuur Prijs and was initiated in 2004 by philanthropist Ben Dronkers in order to honor and reward people who have made outstanding contributions to the world of hemp and cannabis.
During the ceremony the 2009 Cannabis Culture Award was awarded to Dries van Agt and Dr. Hans-Georg Behr.
As prime minister of the Netherlands from 1977 to 1982, Dries van Agt was responsible for the tolerance policy (gedoogbeleid) which in 1976 divided ‘soft’ from ‘hard’ drugs. This act paved the way for cannabis decriminalization and the Dutch coffeeshop system.
Dr. Hans-Georg Behr was a German psychiatrist, Green Party parliamentarian, history professor (University of Vienna) and owner of the world’s largest collection of antique cannabis smoking pipes. He wrote the book ‘Von Hanf ist die Rede: Kultur und Politik einer Droge’ (Hemp is the Question: the Culture and Politics of a Drug), a work praised as the German counterpart to ‘The Emperor Wears No Clothes’.
The Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum Amsterdam confers the Cannabis Culture Awards to those who have distinguished themselves in the struggle for acceptance of Cannabis in all of its forms, working to ensure that this extraordinary plant has a future where it is fully utilized and a history that is fully known.
A committed counter-movement has existed for decades and has steadily been gaining in strength and authority in recent years. These influential individuals and groups in the Netherlands and abroad argue that reason, justice and humanity must prevail over political objectives.
The Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum Amsterdam confers the Cannabis Culture Awards to those who have taken a place – whether high or low profile – at the frontline of this struggle, nobly working to ensure that this extraordinary plant has a future where it is fully utilized and a history that is fully known. A certificate and a token monetary award of €3000 are also presented at the Cannabis Culture Awards Ceremony, which will take place in Amsterdam and Barcelona.
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