Ann Arbor’s first Hash Bash took place in April 1972 in response to the arrest of activist John Sinclair, who was sentenced to 10 years for possessing two joints. The event occurred shortly after the Michigan Supreme Court struck down the state’s marijuana laws and Sinclair was freed from prison.
Hash Bash has since become an annual protest against cannabis criminalization, drawing tens of thousands of people to the University of Michigan’s Diag each year, even after Michigan legalized adult-use marijuana in 2018.
In 2021, the city started Entheofest to honor September’s Entheogenic Plants and Fungi Awareness Month and as a way to discuss the legalization of psychedelic plants.
From 1:11-4:20 p.m. on Sept. 22, the fourth annual Entheofest will be held at The Diag at 913 S. University Ave. offering live performances, educational booths, and psychedelic-inspired art activities. Speakers at the event include State Senator Jeff Irwin, Washtenaw County Commissioner Yousef Rabbi, and other local advocates.
The event’s goal is to raise awareness and build equity in the growing industry of entheogenic plant use. The free-speech gathering provides an opportunity for education on the medical and therapeutic benefits of these natural substances, offering tools like harm reduction kits and information on cannabis expungement services.
Nationwide, Oregon and Colorado remain the only two states that have fully legalized recreational psychedelics. However, over a dozen U.S. cities have moved to decriminalize the use of certain entheogenic plants and fungi, including psilocybin.
In 2020, Ann Arbor became the first city in Michigan to pass a resolution deprioritizing law enforcement’s focus on these plants, leading to Washtenaw County adopting a similar policy.
Since then, other Michigan cities like Detroit, Ferndale, and Hazel Park have followed suit.
