How to get oodles of free weed at Hash Bash

Planning your annual pilgrimage to Hash Bash? The Great Lakes Expungement Network wants to send you on a treasure hunt—and score you all sorts of free weed goodies.

MICHIGAN—For many Michigan stoners, Hash Bash holds a special place in our hearts.

The annual celebration of cannabis typically begins at (high) noon on the first Saturday of April on the University of Michigan Diag, so this year’s Hash Bash is on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

As always, the festivities are set to feature a collection of live music and speeches centered on reforming cannabis laws, along with plenty of street vendors, and occasional acts of civil disobedience—like smoking weed in the middle of the state’s most prestigious public university.

For some, the event will mark a chance to celebrate the progress that Michigan has made in legalizing marijuana. For others, it’s simply a chance to get stoned and walk around Ann Arbor.

Either way, there’ll be plenty of good times to be had—including a fun treasure hunt where you can load up on free stuff from the best dispensaries (and a few restaurants) while you’re in town.

Here’s the deal:

The Great Lakes Expungement Network bills itself as Michigan’s only free expungement service. Through donations and support from the cannabis industry, the nonprofit organization is dedicated to providing Michiganders with criminal records an opportunity for a clean slate.

The main mission, according to Operations Manager Josey Scoggin, is to give Michiganders a second chance at life and help eliminate unnecessary barriers to housing and employment. The organization has helped expunge criminal records of more than 2,000 people to date.

To help raise some cash and celebrate Hash Bash this year, the Expungement Network is selling a limited run of 1,000 “treasure maps”—which are essentially well-marketed coupon books—that can be redeemed across Ann Arbor between April 1-8, including during Hash Bash. 

“The idea is that we give everybody a chance to experience Ann Arbor,” Scoggin said. “You get here, and you check out Hash Bash, and you’re wondering what to do next? Here’s your plan, as well as your opportunity to check out some new stores and some new cannabis products.”

Here’s how it works:

Buy a map. 

Anyone aged 21 and up (with a valid driver’s license) can buy a map online for $45—right here. 

They can be picked up in person at Winewood Organics anytime between April 1-8. 

Visit every location on the map.

This year’s treasure map features about a dozen different locations across the city of Ann Arbor—including a variety of dispensaries, restaurants, and smoke shops. Once you arrive at each destination, just show off your map to the staff, and you’ll be rewarded with free stuff.

Get lots of free weed. 

Some businesses will offer you a free bag of weed or a pre-rolled joint. Others will have concentrates and edibles available. And the restaurants on the list—like Jimmy Johns—will be well aware that you’re totally stoned, and have plenty of free munchies ready to pass out. 

All told the freebies are valued at more than $200 this year, Scoggins said.

Get even more free stuff. 

Those who visit every location on the treasure map will have a chance to win even more free stuff—like an all-expense paid trip to Ann Arbor or a gift bag loaded with cannabis goodies.

Details about how to enter the grand prize giveaway will be printed inside your map. 

The winners will be announced on April 12.

Get stoned—and relax.

Hash Bash is a living piece of Michigan history. And it’s always a good time. 

So, even if you don’t manage to make it to all the locations on the treasure map, you’ll likely get enough free weed to stay stoned throughout the entire day. You can also rest easy knowing that you contributed to a good cause. All of the free products given out this year have been donated, so every dollar raised from the map sales will go straight back to the Expungement Network.

“It turns out prison doesn’t rehabilitate anybody. It just causes more issues down the road,” Scoggin said. “We pay our attorneys, but all of our staffing and administrative work is volunteer. If you care about people without homes or people dealing with food insecurity, if you care about recovery or the opioid epidemic, then you should care about expungement. It’s all connected.”

READ MORE: 9 quick hits of cannabis news from across Michigan

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