Hash Bash
| Hash Bash | |
|---|---|
 Hash Bash on April 7, 2007 | |
| Status | active |
| Genre | Protest |
| Frequency | First Saturday in April |
| Venue | University of MichiganDiag |
| Location(s) | Ann Arbor, Michigan |
| Country | United States |
| Years active | 52 |
| Inaugurated | April 1, 1972 |
| Most recent | April 1, 2023 |
| Next event | April 6, 2024 |
| Attendance | 8,000-15,000 (2015)[1] |
| Website | www www |
Hash Bashis an annual event held inAnn Arbor, Michigan,originally held every April 1, but now on the first Saturday of April at noon on theUniversity of MichiganDiag.A collection of speeches, live music, and occasionalcivil disobedienceare centered on the goal of reforming federal, state, and localmarijuanalaws. The first Hash Bash was held on Saturday, April 1, 1972, in response to the March 9th 1972 decision by Michigan Supreme Court declaring unconstitutional the law used to convict cultural activistJohn Sinclairfor possession of two marijuanajoints.This action left the State of Michigan without a law prohibiting the use of marijuana until after the weekend of April 1, 1972.[2]Chef Rawas a fixture of the Hash Bash for 19 consecutive years before his death in late 2006.[3]
Before cannabis legalization inMichigan,the penalty for cannabis law violations in the City of Ann Arbor was a $30 fine and $25 court costs for a total of $55, and was acivil infractionticket.[4]The campus falls under state, not city jurisdiction but "for decades, police had in the past exercised discretion and a general tolerance for public marijuana use at the annual Hash Bash. Marijuana is openly consumed annually on the campus and at past events, few, if any, arrests occur. There is a general understanding that during this time, peaceful protesters can engage in the civil disobedience of cannabis consumption and police generally will not enforce state law."[5]
History
[edit]
The second annual Hash Bash, in 1973, attracted approximately 3,000 participants. That year, state representativePerry Bullard,a proponent of marijuana legalization, attended and smoked marijuana,[6]an act which later earned him criticism from political opponents.[7]
Hash Bash participants did not encounter significant police interference until the seventh annual event, in 1978, when local police booked, cited, photographed, and released those participants alleged to be using illegal substances.[8]By 1985 the Hash Bash had a 0 attendance rate but quickly arose to become a major protest in Ann Arbor.[9]
The 2009 Hash Bash on April 4 celebrated medical marijuana's victory in Michigan and was the largest gathering that the event had seen in years, with an estimated 1,600 participants – an increased turnout which theMichigan Dailyattributed to the "wider acceptance of recreational drug use both on campus and across the country".[10]
The 2010 Hash Bash on April 3 had an estimated 5,000 attendees.[11]
The 2015 Hash Bash had a record 8,000–15,000 attendees largely owing to the appearance of comedianTommy Chongand was 2 hours long instead of the usual hour.[1]
In 2019, Michigan GovernorGretchen Whitmerrecorded a video for Hash Bash attendees that celebrated thestate's legalization of recreational cannabis.Said Whitmer, "We worked hard, we got it done, we made recreational marijuana legal in the state of Michigan." Whitmer also attended the event the previous year while she was running for governor.[12]
Recent and upcoming Hash Bash dates
[edit]- 2024: 53rd annual - April 6
- 2023: 52nd annual - April 1
- 2022: 51st annual - April 2
- 2021: 50th annual - April 3 (virtual event due to coronavirus)
- 2020: 49th annual - April 4 (canceled due to coronavirus)
- 2019: 48th annual - April 6
- 2018: 47th annual - April 7
- 2017: 46th annual - April 1[13]
- 2016: 45th annual - April 2
- 2015: 44th annual - April 4
- 2014: 43rd annual - April 5
- 2013: 42nd annual - April 6
- 2012: 41st annual - April 7
- 2011: 40th annual - April 2
- 2010: 39th annual - April 3
- 2009: 38th annual - April 4[14]
- 2008: 37th annual - April 5
- 2007: 36th annual - April 7
- 2006: 35th annual - April 1
- 2005: 34th annual - April 2
- 2004: 33rd annual - April 3
- 2003: 32nd annual - April 5
References
[edit]- ^abThompson, Rick (18 April 2015)."Younger, Stronger, Longer: The New Hash Bash".The Weed Blog.
- ^Allison Pincus,"The First 'High Noon' March,"Michigan Daily,3 Apr. 2007.
- ^"36th Annual Ann Arbor Hash Bash"(Press release). MichiganNORML.2007.Retrieved2007-04-09.
- ^Rachel Peck (November 9, 2011),"College Traditions: Top 8 Most Infamous School Events",Huffington Post
- ^Jeffrey A. Hank (August 2016),"Michigan Marijuana Laws Affect a Broader Jurisprudence"(PDF),Michigan Law Journal
- ^"3,000 Hold 'Hashbash' at Michigan,"Chicago Tribune,2 Apr. 1973, p. 14.
- ^Associated Press, "Former Ann Arbor Rep. dies at age 56Archived2008-04-04 at theWayback Machine,"Michigan Daily,19 Oct. 1998.
- ^"Around the Nation: Police Arrest Drug Users at Michigan 'Hash Bash,'"New York Times,3 Apr. 1978, p. A14.
- ^"Ann Arbor Hash Bash Archive Project".hash-bash.
- ^Valiant Lowitz, "Hash Bash returns for another hit,"Michigan Daily,5 Apr. 2009.
- ^"Ann Arbor Hash Bash Archive Project".
- ^Jaeger, Kyle (April 5, 2019)."Michigan Governor Celebrates Marijuana Legalization In Video For Hash Bash Event".Marijuana Moment.RetrievedApril 12,2019.
- ^"April, 2017 Calendar of events (online)",Ann Arbor Observer
- ^"Michigan".Marijuana Policy Project.
External links
[edit]- Annual Hash Bash - Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Freedom Activist Network's Guide To Ann Arbor Hash Bash
- Monroe Street Fairofficial site
- "Pro-pot event gets touch of Hollywood"Archived2007-09-30 at theWayback Machine- Geoff Larcom for theAnn Arbor News,April 8, 2007.