What Happened to John Sinclair? The Man Who Got 10 Years for 2 Joints & Inspired the John Lennon Song
What To Know
- John Sinclair received a 10-year prison sentence in 1969 for giving two joints to undercover officers, sparking widespread outrage.
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono performed at the 1971 John Sinclair Freedom Rally, using their influence and music to help.
- Sinclair remained an influential activist and cultural figure until his death in 2024 at age 82.
In 1969, John Sinclair was given a 10-year prison sentence for giving two marijuana cigarettes to undercover officers in Detroit, a punishment seen by many as unduly harsh and politically motivated.
In the documentary One to One: John and Yoko, it is revealed that activist Jerry Rubin asked John Lennon and Yoko Ono to use their popularity to help raise awareness about Sinclair’s situation by performing at a rally. In a recording of a conversation with Lennon’s manager, Allan Klein, Lennon is insistent on aiding Sinclair, despite his possible criminal past for narcotics. As the two debate the potential fallout, Lennon stands his ground.
“It’s still not 10 years,” Lennon tells his agent about the unfair punishment. “All we’ll do is go there, sing one number and leave, you know?”
As Lennon insists on going, he states, “And I’ve written a song.” The tune he is referring to is the ditty “John Sinclair,” the ballad he wrote in honor of the imprisoned activist detailing his trials and tribulations.
The two continue to debate Lennon’s potential set list, with the artist insisting on performing “Attica State” because Ono could join him on it. The two clash over Lennon’s song choice. “What’s the matter with ‘Attica State’?” Lennon asks in the documentary, clearly frustrated. Viewers can hear Klein’s exasperation as he repeats the question, pointing out that the politically charged protest song — written about the Attica prison riots — might cause more problems than it solves.
Sinclair’s imprisonment sparked the John Sinclair Freedom Rally in Ann Arbor on December 10–11, 1971, featuring performances by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and others. The rally galvanized public support and led to Sinclair’s release after serving about 29 months.
At the concert, Lennon told the crowd: “We came here to say to all of you that apathy isn’t it — we can do something. Okay, so Flower Power didn’t work. So what? We start again. This song we wrote for John Sinclair.”
Following the surge of publicity and political pressure, the Michigan Supreme Court ordered Sinclair’s release, ruling that the state’s marijuana laws were unconstitutional. He was freed from prison on December 13, 1971, just three days after the John Sinclair Freedom Rally in Ann Arbor
Sinclair continued his cultural and activist work, producing poetry, hosting radio shows, and remaining a voice for marijuana reform. In Michigan, he was among the first to purchase legal recreational cannabis in December 2019.
He died on April 2, 2024, in Detroit of congestive heart failure, aged 82.
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