Hemp Embassy :: Forum

2012 Tug of Drug War [by webhead]

Sat, 05 May 2012 08:25:05 -0100

2012 May 5th and 6th:: 2012 Tug of Drug War

We lost this year, but not for want of trying. Wendalls on camera! Great fun!

Volunteers already arriving [by webhead]

Tue, 01 May 2012 22:10:36 -0100

2012 May 5th and 6th:: Volunteers already arriving

Well, we got off to an early start with volunteers this year with some keen folk arriving on Friday, Saturday and Sunday trying to ensure they became part of the volunteer team. You cant argue with that kind of enthusiasm. Good to see.

Probably means we'll have a full complement of volunteers before the big weekend even gets started, which is bad luck for those who come in late!

It was quite wet Saturday and Sunday, so we're crossing our fingers for a dry weekend. Don't miss out. You've got to see at least one MardiGrass!

May Day MardiGrass in Lismore. [by Lovechild]

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 02:56:27 -0100

2012 May 5th and 6th:: May Day MardiGrass in Lismore.

Nimbin’s Annual MardiGrass begins with a May Day Cannabis Law Reform Rally in Lismore – 1st May 2012.

This May-Day in Lismore ( next Tuesday 1st of May 2012) the HEMP Party of Australia will lead a march of concerned cannabis users and their friends from the Court House in Lismore to the Police Station – and then on to the offices of our public representatives in Lismore, Janelle Saffin and Thomas George.

The recent Australia21 Report has called for a re-examination of our attitudes and laws regarding drug use. This significant report, by a panel of esteemed professionals, was unequivocal in its verdict: in the war on drugs – everyone loses! It calls for widespread consultation towards fashioning a rational response to drug taking in our community. However our politicians are refusing to listen to the voice of the majority of Australians. This protest march has been fashioned to highlight this refusal by our politicians to engage in the drug law reform debate.

In a recent poll more than 70% of Australians agreed that our drug laws must change – yet our politicians remain silent. We must wake them up!

Some of the most respected voices in this debate have proposed that we must reformulate our drug policies, or young and vulnerable Australians will continue to suffer and die -yet our Prime Minister simply refuses to even talk about the issue? This is unacceptable.

This protest will be asking our representatives to engage with the recommendations of the Australia21 Report. The local Lismore politicians will be asked to participate in a night of dialogue with their constituents’ in the Lismore Town Hall at the earliest opportunity. They represent a lot of illicit drug users between them and both of their families have been personally touched by the drug war and should understand the importance of changing from a war on drugs to a plan on drugs.

It’s time our elected representatives faithfully represented the views of their constituents and stopped pandering to the drug lobby and other vested interests.

Other western world countries have tackled this issue. More than 70% of Americans currently have access to legally available medical cannabis and many countries around the world are abandoning prohibition. It’s time that Australia caught up with the rest of the world.

The HEMP Party President, Michael Balderstone, was enthusiastic about getting these politicians to engage in a public debate. “The Australia21 report really is a game-changer. Politicians simply have to sit up and take notice.”

May 1st will kick off our annual MardiGrass protestival weekend, May 5th and 6th , where we will be hosting a round table discussion ourselves which includes Dr Alex Wodak , one of the directors of the commissioned Report our PM dismissed before lunch on the day it was released.

The 20th MardiGrass cannabis law reform annual gathering the following weekend finally got consent yesterday for its development application. “Its all go from here on in,” said a MardiGrass Organising Body (MOB)spokesperson. “ The Australia21 Report has given a new optimism to the annual protest weekend.”

“ We managed to get our permits after changing the program. The threat of an injunction in the Land and Environment Court followed up with litigation for the costs in making sure nothing went ahead made us rethink and we are now having a wreath laying memorial service for the victims of prohibition instead of a mass surrender!”

“It’s no big deal and and we are now looking forward to a big weekend no matter the weather.”

There are 2 new Hemp Olympix Events for this year. The Rubbish Bong Race where contestants have to improvise and make a bong from whatever they can find and prove it works. And the “Inaugural Special Distance and Accuracy Alan Jones About Face Bong Throw.” Nimbin is looking more chaotic than ever with practise sessions littering the street daily now.

The full MardiGrass program and tickets are on www.nimbinmardigrass.com

More thoughts!!
Every day the news is full of drug busts, day after day. Sydney has nightly shootings and the cops are raiding bikies and frantically trying to curb their lifestyle. So why do the Police not support a review of our drug war?

These are questions Michael Balderstone as President of the HEMP Embassy would like the NSW Police Commissioner to answer and the letter he delivers to the Local Area Command nest Tuesday will be addressed to Mr Scipione.

“I was really disappointed by his response recently to the Australia21 Report stressing the urgency to change our attitude to drug use. Mr Scipione’s comment of “one pill can kill” was off the mark I thought. Does he believe the propaganda, or what? And anyway how come he is commenting on policy? I remember when Commissioner Ryan suggested decriminalising pot might help he was told to shut up very quickly and his job was to follow orders, not make policy.”

“I wonder if the police aren’t afraid of losing their power if drugs are treated as a health rather than criminal issue. Or perhaps they’re afraid of losing their jobs, which is nonsense.”

“Their relationship with the community would completely change if drug use is treated as a health issue. Respect could return and people would start helping them much more. In Nimbin very few people help police simply because cannabis is illegal and we all either use it or have friends who do.”

“Its a shocking thing to be labelled a criminal when you know you aren't. We urge everyone who feels strongly about the terrible drug war to join us next Tuesday, Mayday, at midday outside the Lismore Court House. We will march to deliver letters to the Police and our local Members of Parliament. Letters asking for a public forum to discuss how best to deal with drug use in the community, exactly what was recommended by the Australia21 Futures committee.”

For even more words!

Nimbin HEMP Embassy 0266890326 (Michael Balderstone) or 0266218419 (DA Jim Moylan)

Breaking news: Michka Seeliger-Chatelain to speak at MardiGrass 2012 [by Moose]

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:36:14 -0100

2012 May 5th and 6th:: Breaking news: Michka Seeliger-Chatelain to speak at MardiGrass 2012
I am delighted to let you know that Michka Seeliger-Chatelain from France will be joining us at MardiGrass 2012 and will be speaking at the Law Reform Rally and the Mind Candy panels..

300) this.width=300" />Michka is the founder of the Musee du Fumeur in Paris

An expert gardener and author of three books on various aspects of cannabis: Cannabis – Est-il Une Drogue? (‘Cannabis – Is it a Drug?’) , Le Chanvre, Renaissance du Cannabis (‘Hemp, the Renaissance of Cannabis’), and the bestselling biennial Pourquoi et Comment Cultiver Marijuana (‘How and Why to Grow Marijuana’).

Michka Seeliger-Chatelain is the co-founder of the famous Musée du Fumeur in Paris and Mama publishing house, which in the last nine years has published nine titles, including her own works, and sold over 90,000 books.

An ardent anti-prohibitionist who believes passionately in the potential of certain plants to teach us about the unity of the living world, she continues to write articles and give seminars on this subject.

MardiGrass 2012 and Police Make Peace. [by Lovechild]

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:01:24 -0100

2012 May 5th and 6th:: MardiGrass 2012 and Police Make Peace.

MardiGrass organisers met with local Police today to dispel concerns about the May 5th and 6th weekend. Area Commander Greg Martin was reassured to hear the Rally is following its traditional route and organisers do not expect or want any trouble.

“In fact there is real hope in the air this year,” said spokesperson Michael Balderstone. “The Australia21 report that came out last week has been really well received. And it might have been written by us! It says the war on drugs is plain stupid. It says this is an urgent issue, that has to be addressed right now - and that’s exactly what MardiGrass is about.

So this year we are full of hope. It seems that just about everyone agrees that it’s time to end the senseless war on drugs.”

“There was some confusion about an Occupy stamp on a MardiGrass poster but we have assured Police not to take it literally and that confrontation is the last thing we want.

There was talk of a “mass surrender” but that is not happening and instead we may have a wreath ceremony at the front of the station for the victims of prohibition.”

Police and protesters also discussed the planned May 1st protest march for cannabis law reform in Lismore. This march will proceed from the Court House to the Police Station next door, and then on to the offices of Janelle Saffin and Thomas George, the local Federal and State representatives.

“We’ll be presenting our representatives with a letter asking for them to publicly voice their support for ending the war on their constituents in the Northern Rivers. We’d like them to join us and the community in talking about all of these issues in the Town Hall in Lismore at a public forum.

The Australia21 Report suggests that we need to foster a broad public ‘conversation’ about cannabis law reform, and the Northern Rivers is an obvious place to start.”

http://www.australia21.org.au/our_research/illicit_drugs.html

For more info call MOB (MardiGrass Organising Body) on 0266890326.

Tickets and the latest program for the Protestival are on www.nimbinmardigrass.com

MardiGrass Magazine - Impact Edition [by webhead]

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 05:50:41 -0100

2012 May 5th and 6th:: MardiGrass Magazine - Impact Edition

MardiGrass Magazine_ImpactEdition

Prepared by Amy Luscombe.

MOB Lodges DA [by Lovechild]

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:20:21 -0100

2012 May 5th and 6th:: MOB Lodges DA

So the 20^th Anniversary MardiGrass is all go now and our idea of simplifying and not needing a DA is out the window.

We submitted it yesterday, bigger and better than ever, and now we wait to see what the police and council approve, or don't approve.

They don't seem happy about our re-enactment of marching to the police station in the traditional Sunday rally on May 6th but they do understand our protest march on Tuesday May 1st to the local politicians offices.

We hope many north coast people who well know the shocking consequences of prohibition, and who don't want to visit Nimbin on MardiGrass, will come on midday May 1st to the Lismore Court House for a cannabis law reform rally and walk to Janelle Saffin and Thomas Georges offices. These are the people representing us and these are the lawmakers and law changers, as the Police keep reminding us.

And I hope protestors wear their suits and not tie dye shirts like when they visit Nimbin. For the people who are understandably worried about losing their jobs we will provide masks and disguises on the day.

Michael Balderstone...spokesperson for MardiGrass Organising Body.

www.nimbinmardigrass.com phone 0266890326

www.nimbinmardigrass.com

MardiGrass 2012 Development Application [by webhead]

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:18:06 -0100

2012 May 5th and 6th:: MardiGrass 2012 inspired by the Occupy movement.

MOB HANDBOOK MOTTO>>>>"Don't panic."

The MardiGrass Organising Body (MOB) has struggled to have clear
decision making discussions with Lismore Council about this years
protest. The weekend has run at a substantial loss the last two years
and we tried to simplify the program for this year. Also because we
have a terrific new skatepark in the middle of the HEMP Olympix Arena
now and it is so wet we well may not be able to use Peace Park again
like last year.

We suggested the protest does not need a Development Application(DA)
and in fact police perhaps are supposed to manage traffic in a
protest. We offered to not fence Peace Park or close Sibley Street to
avoid the DA.
A DA is needed for camping at the showgrounds and that has been submitted.

We now have until this Friday to submit a DA for other activities and
traffic management plans, parking, toilets, rubbish, and a million
other things like emergency plans and signs everywhere etc. We have an
appointment to meet with Council on Thursday morning and we will
submit our DA then, with CLOG to the rescue with technical know how!

Council has had 2 meetings with Police about MardiGrass without us
which we think is very uncool. Police have objected to several of our
ideas without us even being there to discuss the issues involved. Of
course the Police are as keen on MardiGrass as the Pope is on condoms.
Insurance companies have the Council by the nuts good and tight it
seems, with the police helping them to twist!

What we want to know is who is putting in the Easter DA for Nimbin,
because there will be huge crowds, traffic jams, music on the streets
and parking dramas. But we'll have a great time and very few troubles
no doubt.

Michael Balderstone

Picture the Plot. [by Lovechild]

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:32:43 -0100

2012 May 5th and 6th:: Picture the Plot.

May 5 and 6, 2012 is MardiGrass’ 20th anniversary, far too long really for a large section of the community to achieve justice.

20 years since Bob Hopkins, dressed as a court jester knocked on the doors of the Nimbin Police station and demanded he be arrested for breaking a bad law.

There have been some half measures taken in the past decade or so, cannabis cautioning systems, the introduction of industrial hemp legislation around the country and medical cannabis now being viewed as an alternate medicine. We believe that discussions should be initiated in relations to these half measures and how in many ways they have made a bad situation worse.

Australia's unique ‘fibre only’ industrial hemp legislation is akin to allowing wheat to be grown only for the chaff. Australia and New Zealand remain the only countries in the western world in which hemp seed foods are not permitted. Agriculturally, hemp seed farming provides the impetus for hemp fibre production.

Medical cannabis products are now available to most in the western world. The Canadian Govt supplies and permits cannabis to be grown for medical purposes. In the USA the majority of citizens now live under legal regimes which allow access, cultivation and supply of cannabis for medical use.

Why is no western country currently trying to make cannabis more illegal? The answer is simply that harsher laws are not only innefective they are also counterproductive. In countries that have modernised their cannabis laws, use is falling as the ‘forbidden fruit syndrome’ disappears. Just as alcohol prohibition failed dismally, cannabis prohibition mimics the most undesirable aspects experienced by American law and order during the alcohol ban.

MardiGrass will be more clearly a protest this year with a rally for law reform in Lismore on Tuesday May 1st as well as the Sunday 6th MardiGrass Rally marching to the Nimbin Police Station rather than away from it as in previous years.

Now that Peace Park has the skate park we have brought more events back to the Town Hall for this year, which makes it actually similar to last year when it was too wet to use the Park.

Can you imagine a MardiGrass beyond prohibition?

The MARDIGRASS MIND CANDY forums featuring an array of national and international thinkers and speakers to discuss the past, present and future of cannabis law reform from many different angles, will do its best to see it happens.

On Saturday afternoon of the protestival, we’ll be exploring issues from cannabis and spirituality through to cannabis and sex; the tough love of prohibition; imagining and creating regulated cannabis markets; advances in cannabis science; and cannabis as both medicine and food.

We’ll also hold a special 2-hour forum on Sunday to give voice to various drug law reform groups and individuals to share visions and ideas for future change.

Leading these discussions will be Lisa Kirkman from Canada [Activist, Journalist and Author], Dr Alex Wodak [President of Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation], Prof Paul Wilson [Criminologist, Bond University], Paul Cubitt [Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) Australia], Ann Symonds [Founder of the Australian Parliamentary Group on Drug Law Reform] and Annie Madden [Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League].

They will be joined by a wonderful array of local activists, media provocateurs and other movers and shakers who would like to see an end to prohibition.

There will also be discussions/workshops on the value of hempseed as food and medicine, hash making, vapourizer use, pot and politics, legal advice, industrial hemp farming and building with hemp, growing low and high thc pot, and more.....anyone who wants to be involved or has a subject they wish to talk about please contact the Embassy soon.

Same for musicians and performers and anyone with a spare room for hire or lend, and anyone who wants to volunteer for Jungle Patrol, the Polite Service, Polite Undercover, CLOG, or help in any other way. Do get in touch in the Embassy or on the phone 66891842.

There is a first class music line up gathering including Rapskallion, Fyah Walk, Anarchist Duck, Andrea Soler, DUBLO, The Flumes, Electrik Lemonade, The Floating Bridges, Diana Anaid, Pagan Love Cult, Healing Earth, Essie Thomas, Emma Turnicliff, Manu & Express and Kaliba.

Check www.nimbinmardigrass.com for the latest program.

HEMP Olympix contestants practising for the Inaugural Bear Grylls Bong Survival Race can stop hiding orchy bottles and pieces of hose all over town. Materials will be provided on the day!

2012 Program

http://www.nimbinmardigrass.com/2012/program12.html

Program details may be subject to late changes.

2012 MardiGrass Poster [by webhead]

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 05:01:25 -0100

2012 May 5th and 6th:: 2012 MardiGrass Poster