MADISON, Wis. -- Hundreds gathered on Madison's Library Mall on Saturday to celebrate the Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival.

This year's festival, however, had a broader goal in mind: legalizing all marijuana.

Some attendees, such as Jacki Rickert, a medicinal marijuana user, said their involvement had less to do with legalizing pot and more about legalizing their choice of medication. Rickert said that he credits medicinal marijuana with easing the pain of her connective tissue disorder as well as helping her maintain a healthy weight.

For Rickert, the benefits of medicinal marijuana are clear.

"You have a much better chance at living life instead of just existing using cannabis," she said.

Rickert is putting her beliefs into action as she is putting forward a bill to the state Legislature. Her Medical Memorial Act has the goal of legalizing medicinal marijuana in Wisconsin and will be introduced to the Legislature this week. The introduction of a separate bill, which would authorize a study about the economic benefits of hemp cultivation, will follow.

"The marijuana issue is sort of the tip of the iceberg," she said.

Patient activist Gary Storck is also working to legalize marijuana as he said that he believes legalizing marijuana would reduce crime as well as create safer places for users to smoke.

Storck claims one of the biggest hurdles to legalization is the belief that marijuana use leads to the use of harder drugs, a belief that Storck said that he doesn't share.

The festival ended on Sunday. The traditional parade will begin at 3 p.m. on State Street and will conclude on the steps of the state Capitol with closing remarks and live music, WISC-TV reported.