[420 Girl]

Thousands of marijuana proponents, many of them openly smoking, crowded the University of Michigan’s Diag plaza today for the 39th Annual Hash Bash, which was scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. today.

Organizers said that a decade ago a record 10,000 people attended the event, and they had hoped for at least that much this year. Police said 5,000 showed up for today’s gathering. However, this is a resurgence from the more than 250 or so who attended a few years ago, when it started snowing just as the event began at noon, U of M Department of Public Safety Spokeswoman Diane Brown said.

Seeming to be a catalyst for this year’s event was Michigan’s 15 month old medical marijuana law, along with sunny weather with temperatures in the 60s.

Hundreds of those in the crowd held aloft their State of Michigan approval cards when Hash Bash M.C. Adam Brook, 42, of Royal Oak, called out, “How many of you are patients? Hold up your cards.”

One patient present and openly smoking a joint, was Dennis Stoffer, 45, of Port Huron, seated in a motorized wheelchair. Standing next to him was his wife Becky Stoffer, 53. It was the first Hash Bash for both of them, they said.

“Time to come out and support the cause,” she said.

Dennis Stoffer had his medical marijuana patient card with him, he said. Becky Stoffer said she and her husband much preferred having him use marijuana instead of the powerful pain pills he used to take that had awful side effects.

“Instead of seeing blood come out of his ears, the only side effect [of Dennis using marijuana] is him getting the munchies,” she said.

University of Michigan campus police said they made nine arrests at the event for marijuana possession, arrested one person for possession of marijuana, ****** and *******, and issued four citations for illegal sale of the drug. Because the Michigan Medical Marijuana statute forbids use of the drug in public places, even having the medical marijuana card doesn’t mean people can smoke at the Hash Bash, said Diane Brown.

At least nine police officers ringed the perimeter of the crowd, but none walked through it at today’s circus like event.


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