A2 PREPARES FOR HASH BASH EVENTS

In the midst of a war abroad, some are attempting to put an end to a
different type of war here at home, a battle that has been going on since
Richard Nixon's presidency - the war on drugs.

Call them stoners, pot heads, marijuana aficionados, hippies, or liberal
political activists - in any case, they'll be turning out in full force
this weekend for the 32nd Ann Arbor Hash Bash.

"We do get a much larger crowd than any other event or rally on campus. We
get many more people than the anti-war rallies, we get many more people
than the affirmative action rallies," said long-time organizer Adam Brook.
"Why? Because people love weed. They show up for weed."

Like previous years, the main event takes place at noon tomorrow on the
Diag, following an 11 a.m. rally and march in front of the Federal Building
on Liberty Street. The event will be followed by a Hash Bash after party on
Monroe Street, near Dominick's Restaurant.

The Department of Public Safety and the Ann Arbor Police Department plan to
increase patrols tomorrow for the events. AAPD Sgt. Ed Stuck said there
will be 15 extra officers on duty, while DPS Sgt. Melissa Overton said DPS
will also be significantly increasing its force, which will patrolling the
Diag and surrounding sidewalks.

While only 4,000 to 6,000 people are expected for the noon celebration,
approximately 30,000 to 50,000 people are expected to visit Ann Arbor this
weekend to join the en masse smoke-in.

Those visiting the Diag and other University property - which includes the
sidewalks surrounding the Diag - will be subject to harsher penalties for
smoking marijuana than those visiting the rest of the city.

A person caught smoking marijuana on University property may be arrested
for a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine,
but a person caught on city property will be given a $25 ticket for a civil
infraction. At last year's Hash Bash, more than 50 people were arrested by
the departments - only one was a University student.

Several Hash Bash organizers are working to ensure that this year's event
not only attracts people to the city, but also carries a strong political
message.

"Many individuals last year dubbed it the 'Trash Bash,' arguing that the
event contained no political seriousness and was more about a bunch of
middle-aged stoners joking about getting high and whining that this
privilege was not legal," said LSA junior and Hash Bash organizer Dan
Sheill, a member of Michigan Students for a Sensible Drug Policy and
chairman of the College Libertarians.

"But drug prohibition affects all of society, not just the rough 10 percent
of the American population that smokes on a regular basis," he said, adding
that he believes the war on drugs creates an unnecessary financial burden
on American taxpayers.

"The drug war is expensive and requires thousands of dollars a year to
house each convicted non-violent possessor," he added.