Madison's Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival to mark 40 years
this October
July 7, 2010
Gary Storck
MADISON: What began as an anti-war protest 40 years ago that soon
morphed into a cannabis legalization rally will celebrate the
beginning of its fifth decade October 1-3, 2010. The Great Midwest
Marijuana Harvest Festival has long been a fall ritual in Madison as
much as University of Wisconsin Badger Football or Halloween on State St.
Sadly, this year will not be the anticipated celebration of the
passage of the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act but yet another
call to action as the fight for reefer sanity rages on both in
Wisconsin, and much more successfully in other states.
The 40th Annual Harvest Fest will follow the format used in recent
years, a Friday evening benefit to kick off the weekend, live music,
speakers, informational tabling and vending on Saturday afternoon at
the Library Mall at the end of State St., and Sunday's traditional
Parade to the Capitol for a concert and rally.
According to the brand new Harvest Fest website, the 2010 festival
will feature a not only some familiar faces but also some new ones.
Festival organizer Ben Masel, who has been the driving force behind
Harvest Fest for the last 38 years, will be speaking along with
Wisconsin colleagues Gary Storck and Jacki Rickert. Their fellow
"Medical Marijuana Commando Squad" member, Jim Miller from New
Jersey, is also returning.
NORML Founder Keith Stroup, who last spoke at Harvest Fest 35 in
2005, is also on the bill again this year. And a retired judge from
California, Judge Jim Gray, will be making his first Harvest Fest
appearance this year. Also returning is Mason Tvert, a Colorado
activist and the Founder of Safer Alternative For Enjoyable
Recreation (SAFER), who spoke at HF 39 last year.
The festival will also feature a great array of homegrown Wisconsin
music across a range of genres. Returning favorites include Nama
Rupa, Baghdad Scuba Review, Ifdakar and Groovulous Glove with more to
be announced. Bands appearing for the first time include Phish
tribute band Phun and Milwaukee reggae band, Recalcitrant.
The Friday night event, the 8th Annual IMMLY/Madison NORML Medical
Cannabis Benefit, happens at the Frequency at 121 W. Main, a block
from the Capitol. Music will be provided by Brok'n Arrow and the
Shanahan-Riddiough Band, and as with the prior seven events, will
feature the traditional sing along version of the Wisconsin medical
cannabis anthem, "Legal Medicine Blues".
The fact this is the 40th speaks to not only Madison's place as a
cannabis-friendly town as well as the fact that this is also a
protest against marijuana prohibition, a protest that will be
entering its FIFTH decade this October when number 40 convenes.
Thousands and thousands and thousands of people have attended Harvest
Fest over these years. Almost everyone who has lived in Madison has a
HF story, even if just from crossing paths with the parade or passing
through on the way to a Badger football game. The magic starts again Oct. 1.
For more info: Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival website.
While efforts to pass the Jacki Rickert MMJ Act (JRMMA) failed in the
2009-2010 legislative session, plans for advisory referendums this
fall and other efforts are underway. Learn more by signing up at
www.jrmma.org or on Facebook. Please add your name to their email
list and stay in touch as this movement continues to pick up
momentum. 6/24/10: Gary Storck OPED: Isthmus: Rejection of Wisconsin
medical marijuana bill was a profile in cowardice. Madison NORML
Examiner: Jacki Rickert MMJ Act 2010 runs out of time in Wisconsin
Legislature. For additional details on medical cannabis and Wisconsin
visit JRMMA.org, IMMLY.org, Wisconsin NORML or MadisonNORML.org.
Visit my Madison NORML Examiner articles archive. Photos courtesy of
Madison NORML/IMMLY except Judge Gray photo courtesy of Judge Gray.
All rights reserved. Madison NORML Examiner is dedicated to the
memory of our sister and hero Mary Powers (1949-2009).
.
1 comments:
Legalizing marijuana for medical purposes is the right thing to do. Why is there such a push back against this idea? It is time for citizens to be responsible on this issue. The people smoking glass pipes and rolling cigarettes are not the problem….it is the men with guns and prisons that chase them.
Sunflowerpipes.com
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