Thousands of activists and observers convened Saturday to promote awareness and gather support for the legalization of marijuana at Boston Common for the annual Boston Freedom Rally.

“The rally is actually supposed to be a fundraiser,” said Bill Downing, the main organizer of the event and president of the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition. “But for the most part, we just want to promote awareness about our organization and about the many benefits to legalizing hemp.”

Mass Cann campaigns for the legalization of hemp agriculture, expanding medical marijuana programs, and the recreational uses of hemp.

Widely known as “Hempfest,” the Freedom Rally began at 12 p.m. or “high noon,” lasted through the day and featured musical entertainment, guest speakers, food, vendors, and even a hemp fashion show to entertain the crowds.

“I thought it was interesting — I haven’t seen such a large assembly of such unique and outspoken people in a while,” said Boston University College of Communication sophomore Nick Ogiony, who said he attended the event for fun.

Among the speakers were Libertarian and Green Party gubernatorial candidates Carla Howell and Jill Stein, as well as Libertarian candidate for the U.S. Senate Michael Cloud, and Keith Stroup, the founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Mass Cann is a state affiliate of NORML.

The crowd, according to Downing, was “a mixture of high school and college students, ’60’s generation stoners, and all types of people who support our cause.”

“Hemp is an ecologically sustainable resource that has infinite uses,” said Mass Cann volunteer Peter Wetherbee. “Fuel, clothing fiber, paper and plastic are just a few of the major ways hemp can be used to save resources.”

Current laws in the United States allow for the hemp products to be imported, but not for the cultivation of cannabis plants on American soil.

“We [Americans] have been screwing ourselves out of the benefits of the cannabis industry for years,” Downing said. “We waste a tremendous amount of resources because of it.”

Marcy Duda, a Massachusetts home health aid, came to the rally to support the use of medicinal marijuana. In 1998, Duda had brain surgery to remove five aneurysms – a procedure she would have less than a 2-percent chance of surviving. Since she survived the surgery, medicinal use of marijuana is the only way she has been able to sustain the pain, she said.

“I honestly believe that it was from smoking pot that the aneurysms didn’t explode sooner,” Duda said. “Both my sisters died from brain aneurysms and never smoked pot a day in their lives. It saved my life, and now it sustains my life.”

Keith Stroup, Executive Director of NORML, said he believes that Hempfest is an important event because it legitimizes marijuana smoking. This is a crucial part of the struggle, he said.

“We can’t win this if we continue to hide in the closet,” he said. “The smokers are the ones who need to stand up and say ‘Yeah, I smoke,’ and not be ashamed to admit it.”

While pro-legalization flyers, bumper stickers, and other paraphernalia scattered the park, the visible police presence at the rally prevented the smell of pot from permeating the air.

Boston Police Captain Edward McNelley, who oversaw police security, said that more than 30 people had been arrested for drugs at the halfway point of the event.

“We’re just here to keep the peace,” McNelley said.

Downing, however, disagreed. He said he believed the large police presence at the event was entirely unnecessary, considering that Mass Cann had hired its own security.

“We’ve never had any trouble with violence here, it’s a peaceful crowd,” he said. “The only real security problems are the illegal drug searches done by police.”

Still, crowd members were not too worried about the police.

“I just came to have fun and support the cause,” said 18-year-old Mitch Zinelli. Marijuana, he said, “is good for the mind, body, and soul.”