Boston Freedom Rally 2008 crowd from stage

The Boston Freedom Rally (often confused with Seattle's Hempfest) is an annual event in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. Held on the third Saturday in September, it is traditionally the second largest annual gathering demanding marijuana law reform in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, after the

Seattle Hempfest Seattle Hempfest is an annual event in the city of Seattle, Washington (and the world's largest annual gathering) advocating the legalization of cannabis. Vivian McPeak serves as the organization's executive director. Founded in 1991 as the W ...

. After achieving the original goal of legalising marijuana recreational ("adult-use" pursuant to the Massachusetts regulatory scheme) use in the state of Massachusetts in 2016, the rally is seen as a celebration of the change to the state's legal policy toward cannabis, a chance to educate the community, and an opportunity to keep marijuana-related issues in the public forum as the state continues to mold its marijuana regulatory and legislative framework. Some attendees also view it as a rally to lessen the restriction on public consumption of marijuana, with public consumption still banned, and violations leading to a US$100 civil fine. It is organized by the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, Inc. (MassCann / www.masscann.org), the state's longest-standing marijuana advocacy group.

History

4 20pm at NORML 2009 Boston Freedom Rally

The first Freedom Rally was held in 1989 in North Adams. The second was on the dock beside the USS ''Constitution''. The third was held in front of the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Street and the fourth, in 1992, was held on

Boston Common The Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street (139 Tremont St.), Park Street, Beac ...

at the

Parkman Bandstand The Parkman Bandstand is a landmark bandstand located on the eastern side of the Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was built in 1912 from a design by Derby, Robinson & Shephard at a cost of $1 million on the site of the C ...

. In 1995, the Freedom Rally moved to its current location across the Common on the Carty Parade Field. The annual membership fee is $18 for single and $30 for couples.

References

External links

Official Mass Cann/NORML Website

NORML
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
City of Boston's Boston Common Web page

The Boston Freedom Rally
1989 establishments in Massachusetts 1989 in cannabis Annual events in Boston Cannabis culture Cannabis events in the United States Cannabis in Massachusetts Recurring events established in 1989 {{cannabis-stub