Ann Arbor Celebrates The First Ever Entheofest

In fact, the police stood by watching the shroom loving revellers, celebrating one year since Ann Arbor decriminalized entheogens — or psychedelic plants. 

The First Ever Entheofest

Yes, it was the first ever Entheofest in Ann Arbor, a joyous event slated to become a yearly occurrence. Though only 3 hours long, the festival, hosted at the University of Michigan Diag, made quite the impression. Crowds gathered in their thousands to listen to speeches and live music dedicated to entheogens. Some wore t-shirts with sassy psychedelic slogans like ‘The Future Is Dope’  and ‘Make America Giggle Again’, others danced and grooved to the drumming that came from the stage. It was a light-hearted and jubilant event, but at its centre was a serious message. That, despite this triumphant 1st anniversary, there is still a long way to go for the psychedelic plant cause. 

Part of the event’s purpose was to inspire the crowds to support the Senate Bill 631. This bill would decriminalise psychedelic plants throughout the state of Michagen. State Senator Jeff Irwin, one of several elected officials in attendance explained;

“I introduced this legislation because it makes no sense that we continue to arrest people and prosecute them, and turn their lives upside down, and spend our tax dollars doing it when it does no good for the people of Michigan. It does no good to criminalize these plants.”

Irwin is a firm advocate for the medicinal benefits of these plants, further stating:

“By decriminalizing them and legalizing them, and providing safe and legal access, we could do a tremendous amount of good for the people of Michigan,”

A ‘Tremendously Easy’ Decision

Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit and Chief Assistant Prosecutor Victoria Burton-Harris were also in attendance, explaining their role in the decriminalization. They denounced the convictions for possession and use of entheogens that persists in other cities and states across the country. Savit outlined how the devastating consequences of a criminal conviction can ruin lives, with job loss and losing your home among the possibilities. This is what made the decision to decriminalise ‘tremendously easy’. He also noted that people of colour always bear the brunt far more when it comes to unfair convictions, citing the ‘weighted roulette wheel’ of the war on drugs. 

Burton-Harris galvanised the cheering crowd, asking:

“You want a county prosecutor’s office that prioritizes dangerous crime and uses our resources to go after the crime that matters, right? Continue the fight. This should not be limited to Ann Arbor.”

Real Life Experiences

It was not just state officials who had stories to share. Many of the crowd had their own personal experiences with the benefits and importance of decriminalization. One person who shared theirs was Kat Ebert of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. She used psychedelics to heal the trauma she experienced due to being abused by disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar when she was 15. This had become a cycle of substance abuse, depression and anxiety that no prescribed medications seemed to help. However in 2016 she had a psychedelic experience that left a profound effect on her. Wearing a mushroom patterned dress and shroom earrings Ebert told the audience “… I was like, if this helped me when I thought everything else was hopeless, they have to help other people.”

Recently graduating from Michigan State University, she plans to follow up her degree in neuroscience and pharmacology by attending graduate school. Here she hopes to carry out clinical research to treat various mental health conditions using psychedelics. 

Mother Earth Provides For Us

The festival ended on a hopeful note, with speeches from many people and organisations including Decriminalise Nature. There was a strong acknowledgement that the balance of the medical industry needs to be readdressed. That with the new possibilities psychedelics bring, things need to change soon, for everyone (except maybe Big Pharma’s) benefit!

To the applauding crowd, State Rep. Yousef Rabhi, stated that the laws that historically criminalised natural psychedelics were largely put in place to benefit ruthless and greedy pharmaceutical companies. Companies that have made it so ‘you have to buy our pills, our products — you can’t go and harvest your medicine in nature.” These same companies, while denouncing natural remedies, distribute addictive and harmful opioids to the population. Rabhi said;

“It turns out the best pharmaceutical company is all around us. The best pharmaceutical company grows in the ground. There is nothing smarter and more intelligent than Mother Earth. She provides for us. So, let us today take a stand against greed, let us today take a stand for nature, and in so doing, take a stand for ourselves.”

These strong words surely struck a chord with the audience, and can only continue to make waves. This festival, on the eve of the new(ish) International Magic Mushroom Day (9/20), is hopefully the first of many that will be organised, to both spread the word about, and celebrate the magic that is psychedelic plants.

For our 9/20 celebration blog, check out our Day In The Life Of A Magic Mushroom blog. You can also sign up to our newsletter for exciting discount codes! Happy 9/20!

Ann Arbor, we salute you!