Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival

The Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival is the longest running cannabis rights festival in the United States, held annually in Madison, Wisconsin since 1971.

The modern history of cannabis in Wisconsin is shaped by activism and resilience. In the 1970s, figures like Dana Beal, an outspoken advocate for marijuana reform, put Wisconsin on the map as a hub for cannabis activism.

The festival was initiated and organized by Yippie and cannabis activist Ben Masel until his death in 2011.

The festival, renamed as The Great Midwest Hemp Fest, is being run by R&R Productions Company, but during 2025 the festival fizzled out, will 2026 be the rebirth of the grassroots version of the Great Midwest Marijuana Festival or is hemp cannabis so mainstream that we do not need to gather like this anymore?

From the October 2, 1978 Wisconsin State Journal:The Wisconsin Student Association sponsors a rally for marijuana law reform on the Capitol Square. An estimated crowd of 4,000 people attended.Photo by Joseph W. Jackson III.