Long-time Ann Arbor cannabis activist Rich Birkett has accumulated a vast archive of materials from the Hash Bash dating back to its inception decades ago on the University of Michigan campus. He was one of the early organizers and participants in what began as a protest to advocate for the legalization of cannabis.
His collection features promotional and event flyers, photographs, newspaper clippings, and organizational information, as well as several court documents relating to permit bans and other legal issues related to Hash Bash events. You can find it online at Ann Arbor Hash Bash Archive Project.
“I decided I needed some place to deposit all the materials,” he said. “The UM Graduate school has my files. They scanned them and put them into an archive project.” The UM Repository is at the Special Collections Research Center, the Joseph A. Labadie Collection.
Birkett said he photographed some of the materials and scanned some others. Some photos in the archive came from the UM Bentley Library where John Sinclair’s photos are stored. Birkett said he’s continuously adding more materials to the archive and plans to include photos and videos taken on April 1 at the 2023 Hash Bash, the 51st to be held.