2006 Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival

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I was minding my own business here in Madison, and I'd just left a Mexican restaurant downtown when I stumbled headfirst into a protest march going right down the street and clouds of marijuana smoke in the air. So I wrote...

http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/10/08/2006-great-midwest-marijuana-harvest-festival/

At the state capitol in Madison, Wis., the smell of marijuana is in the air, alternative rock music is playing, and the police are nowhere to be found.

Nearly 300 people showed up Sunday afternoon and marched one mile up State Street to the steps of the capitol to support the legalization of marijuana.

Some held signs saying "I am not a criminal" and "Legalize freedom" and "Give weed a chance" while others shouted and chanted.

"Your mother wants you to smoke weed!"

As part of the 36th annual Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival, marijuana legalization supporters gathered here to listen to live music and celebrate the fall harvest -- of weed.

Sponsored by Madison NORML, Wisconsin NORML, Is My Medicine Legal Yet, University of Wisconsin-Madison Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the Drug Policy Forum of Wisconsin and Weedstock.com, the Harvest Fest, as it's commonly known, has been an annual event since 1970.

I admit I had no idea this was happening until I stumbled upon the march earlier this afternoon, and being curious, followed along to see what was going on. I was also glad to see -- or rather smell -- civil disobedience being used to protest bad laws.

Supporters continued to arrive after the festivities started, in groups of three or five or twenty, while passersby stopped to listen to the music and wonder what was going on.

I've seen only sporadic signs of a police presence at the rally, even with the occasional cloud of marijuana smoke drifting across the air. Capitol police stood at a distance and listened to the pro-medical marijuana speeches, but made no move to arrest anyone, even those openly smoking pot.

"We must work to make sure," said SSDP's Dan Goldman, "that Prohibition ends."

"Drug prohibition hurts the children. Drug prohibition sends the wrong message."

At 4:20, the speeches wrapped up, local band Little Marsh Overflow played, and while the police looked on from a respectable distance, the people smoked up.

[FSPinNY]

An event like that in NH sounds like fun...

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I think you could probably pull off an event like that in NH. I'd certainly make a point to show up.

[d_goddard]

I attended every Harvest Festival while I was a student at UW-Madison, from 1988-1993 (yeah, 5 years)
Great memories. One of these days, I will return to my alma mater for the Harvestfest... and will distribute FTL flyers 

[Tom Sawyer]

I attended every Harvest Festival while I was a student at UW-Madison, from 1988-1993 (yeah, 5 years)
Great memories. One of these days, I will return to my alma mater for the Harvestfest... and will distribute FTL flyers 

Hey I was there in 88. Big crowds back in the day.

[d_goddard]

Hey I was there in 88.

No ... way!
That's just too wierd.
Plus you have a Rush quote in your sig.