The First Person in Michigan to Legally Buy Marijuana: 2019
With all the legal marijuana dispensaries throughout Michigan, it’s probably unfathomable for anyone under the age of 30 to understand how illegal pot was decades ago.
In 1969, if you were caught and charged with possession, the penalties included a penalty of anywhere between two years and ten years imprisonment. It was the following year when the Controlled Substances Act came into play which classified marijuana as illegal to possess, grow/manufacture, or distribute. Otherwise, you’d need a valid prescription or therapeutic license.
In 1969, 28-year-old activist, poet, and supporter of the Detroit rock band the MC5, John Sinclair was arrested after unknowingly buying two joints from an undercover policeman. He was arrested and charged with possession, receiving a prison sentence of ten years, but released after serving three.
Fifty years later and now at 78-years-old, Sinclair ironically became the first person in Michigan to legally purchase over-the-counter, recreational marijuana. According to ABC News, he said "It went swiftly. I got some weed over the counter. It's about time. I've been waiting for this for 50 years."
This famous incident took place on Sunday, December 1, 2019, at 9:49 in the morning at the Arbors Wellness dispensary in Ann Arbor.
That same day, hundreds of people – including many from other states - lined up at all six Michigan dispensaries to purchase weed legally for the first time.
The First Person to Legally Buy Marijuana in Michigan
John Sinclair (1941-2024) & The MC5 - From the Film "MC5 - A True Testimonial" (2002) - YouTube
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