Ann Arbor, Michigan has declared this upcoming September Psychedelics Awareness Month. For this reason the city is hosting a psychedelic entertainment and free speech festival outside of the library at the University of Michigan. Called Entheofest, the free event looks to promote the benefits of psychedelics as well as offer education and a fun event for the community to participate in.
“The Entheofest’s aim is to bring the community together to mobilize for the decriminalization and celebration of plant medicines and fungi in the state of Michigan,” said Jim Salame. Presently Salame serves as the deputy director of Decriminalize Nature Michigan.
Entheofest
Currently, several events are planned for the inaugural Entheofest. The event takes place on September 19 from 11:11 a.m. to 2:22 p.m. on the University of Michigan’s Diag. The Master of Ceremonies is Fox 2 News anchor Anqunette Sarfoh. Speakers include:
- Author and researcher William Leonard Pickard. He spent the last 20 years in prison for manufacturing LSD
- Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit. This county in Michigan and his office will not prosecute psychedelic possession charges
- State Representative Yousef Rabhi, D
- State Senator Jeff Irwin, D
- Former City Council member Ann Bannister
- Civil Rights leader and surrealist painter Darryl Brown. He’s known as Barking Dog and serves as St. Ignace representative on the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs
In addition to the speakers, music will take place at the event now. Ann Arbor’s Brennan Andes and Friends will be performing along with a drumming feature by Lamine Soumah and Sundance Robert DiDomenico.
Ann Arbor Law
In September 2020, the Ann Arbor City Council voted to decriminalize the possession of a wide range of psychedelic plants and fungi. Examples include ayahuasca, ibogaine, mescaline, peyote, psilocybin mushrooms, and other natural compounds. Notably, the law doesn’t decriminalize synthetic hallucinogens such as LSD. Embracing the change, the city now looks to celebrate the decriminalization.
However, those who hope to attend the Entheofest must follow the state’s rules since the event takes place on a state university campus. To clarify, Michigan has not decriminalized the possession of psychedelics, so anyone attending the event possessing psychedelic plants is subject to arrest.
Event organizer Julie Barron spoke about possession and consumption of psychedelics at Entheofest. “Entheofest celebrates how far we’ve come in Ann Arbor, but we have much more work to do. We want to encourage further activism and share the message about the powerful healing and spiritual properties of these plants.”
Entheofest is looking to be a fun and educational event sharing the benefits of psychedelics and the potential future of them in both the state and the country. Hopefully, Entheofest becomes an annual event according to city officials.
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