ANN ARBOR, MI – It was easily the biggest, smokiest Ann Arbor Hash Bash anyone has ever seen.

A record crowd of well over 10,000 people flooded the University of Michigan Diag and surrounding downtown and campus areas for the 48th-annual political rally and smoke fest Saturday, April 6.

With recreational marijuana now legalized in Michigan, Hash Bash attendees felt freer than ever to light up joints, take hits from bongs and munch on cannabis edibles, even with police nearby.

What they were doing wasn’t really legal, but police seemed to let a lot of things slide on Saturday.

It was a victory party.

Dozens of enterprising hawkers on the Diag sold cannabis goods out of backpacks, briefcases, duffle bags and totes.

Some sold home-baked treats, while others sold branded packages of cookies and gummy candies for $5 apiece.

Grams of marijuana flower could be had for $10, and pre-rolled joints for $5 or less.

“Pre-rolls! Five-dollar pre-rolls! Three for ten!” one hawker called out to passersby for hours, drawing regular buyers.

“I’ll give you two of the sativa and one indica to stay awake,” he told one of his young buyers during a transaction.

Another hawker cut his way through the crowd, repeatedly announcing through a megaphone that he had cannabis edibles.

“Not selling, just taking donations,” he clarified when asked, as it’s not actually legal to be selling weed on campus.

Nor is it legal to smoke weed in public, but that didn’t stop thousands from lighting up as they enjoyed 65-degree, sunny weather, a puff here and there adding to the clouds in the blue sky.

People young and old, from teenagers to senior citizens, from all across Michigan and beyond, attended the rally and cheered on pro-pot speakers on the Diag and milled about the downtown, going in and out of marijuana dispensaries and bong shops.

At the start of the rally, attendees heard a recorded message from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, expressing pride that recreational marijuana is now legal in Michigan. She spoke at Hash Bash last year.

“We got it done,” the governor said.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, made an appearance, the first time a Congress member has spoken at the rally.

Calling herself the least-likely Hash Bash speaker ever, Dingell said she has never smoked marijuana.

She also said her father was a drug addict and her sister died of a drug overdose, so she has experiences that make her nervous.

But she also knows people across America are speaking up and legalizing marijuana state by state, and she said federal law needs to change to reflect that. A patchwork of laws doesn’t work, she said, calling for decriminalization at the federal level, releasing people who are in jail for marijuana and allowing more cannabis research.

“We’ve got to change the system,” Dingell said, suggesting it’s not worthwhile to have police going after people for marijuana.

Among those in attendance were Detroit goat man Erick Brown and his new goat, Cutie Pie, who turns 1 on Wednesday, and Ann Arbor’s own Violin Monster, who played his music next to a sign that read: “Wolf Needs Green.” He occasionally accepted donations of joints from passersby and tucked them into his pouch.

On the grassy lawn areas around the Diag, groups gathered in circles, some playing hacky sack and some passing joints. Some brought their dogs and lounged on blankets.

Ann Arbor resident Jeanne Mackey wore a spiky eyeball hat as she entertained revelers by dipping rope into a soapy bucket and creating dozens of large bubbles that floated through the spring air.

She’s been coming to Hash Bash since 1996 and said this was definitely the biggest and happiest one yet.

“People are pretty excited, I would say, and it’s about time, right? Like, come on,” said the 68-year-old, who said she had her first encounter with the plant in question in her 20s.

“If more people were stoned, I think the world would probably be a gentler place, a little more mellow. Maybe a little more spacey, but hey,” she said. “You know, these are some rough times in the world and a little bit of laughter and silliness is good for the soul.”

Ann Arbor musician Laith Al-Saadi played the national anthem on electric guitar and later told the crowd a personal story.

“The first time that I ever smoked weed was before coming down here when I was 13 years old for the Hash Bash,” he said. “Growing up in Ann Arbor, I’ve always been able to enjoy the more tolerant policy in the Midwest and the really awesome community here.”

Asked about UM’s approach to this year’s Hash Bash, Deputy Police Chief Melissa Overton referred to a FAQ page about marijuana on the UM Division of Public Safety and Security website, which states recreational or medical marijuana use is still prohibited on campus under both university policy and federal law.

The university must comply with federal laws regarding possession, distribution and consumption of marijuana, which is still a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, the website states, noting UM also is obligated to follow the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act amendments of 1989.

But doesn’t Proposal 1’s passage last November change violation punishments for marijuana possession?

“Yes. Several current violations under state law will change from misdemeanors to civil infractions,” the FAQ page states, listing a summary of the changes and possible fines.

But federal law prohibiting marijuana preempts state laws attempting to legalize the drug, the university maintains.

“The possession, use, and distribution of marijuana is still illegal and subject to prosecution under federal law, regardless of what state laws permits, and regardless of whether the federal government chooses to actively enforce federal law in those states that have legalized recreational marijuana use,” the FAQ page states.

“Importantly for U-M, receipt of federal funds in the form of student loans, grants and research support, among other things, is conditioned on compliance with federal drug law.”

UM police officers were on the Diag, but reported no Hash Bash-related arrests this year. Ann Arbor police also reported no arrests.

Multiple speakers at the rally made references to former Attorney General Bill Schuette’s strong stance against marijuana and how hard it was for medical marijuana dispensaries to become legal.

Former state Sen. David Knezek, legislative director for new Attorney General Dana Nessel, told those in the crowd they now have an attorney general who’s on their side and no one will be prosecuted for victimless crimes in Michigan anymore. Before he left the stage, he led the crowd in a chant: “Dana! Dana! Dana!”