The 45th Annual Hash Bash in Ann Arbor and a smoke out in front of the White House gained national headlines as the marijuana rally season got off to a potent start on Apr. 2.
More than 8,000 people crowded the University of Michigan Diag for a one-hour protest that featured Tommy Chong, former Red Wing Darren McCartey, Michigan native John Sinclair, grow expert Kyle Kushman and longtime Hash Bash organizer Adam Brook. Three arrests were made during the rally.
McCartey, who won four Stanley Cups during his NHL career, suffers from alcoholism. He's been off the booze for the last six months and is using medical marijuana instead. "Through this plant, there is life," McCarty told the crowd. "Get educated. It'll save your life."
In DC, protestors carried a 50-foot inflatable joint down Pennsylvania Ave. en route to the White House, where they lit up in unison at 4:20 pm. The group called for marijuana to be descheduled by the federal government. Two citations were handed out during the protest.
