Nimbin Hemp Embassy, Australia
Australia Nimbin is the place to be. It’s the home of the great MardiGrass and Nimbin Hemp Embassy. These folks are great supporters of Hemp-EaZe.
Visit thier site and learn about Australias activism plus CANNABIS HISTORY – LEGALISATION- Medical – Industrial – Legal – Spiritual – Links – Index-Cannabis Cafes – Hempen Images – Old Press Releases -Videos-Nimbin MardiGrass – Nimbin HEMP Bar – HEMP Party – Nimbin Museum and more.
When you are there, Tell Them Darcy says ‘Hi’
MardiGrass Weekend Passes and Camping – Nimbin HEMP Embassy
HEMP Party – Hemp Embassy Online Shop – Poetry for the Head Photos
E-mail [email protected]
WHY SHOULD I BUY THE GOLDEN BUD PASS?
Because MardiGrass can’t happen or continue if you don’t.
Because it gives you free access to all events in Peace Park (The Home of the Hemp Olympix), the Town Hall and the Bush Theatre. Because some events like the Comedy Cabaret and Joint Rolling will fill the Town Hall which has limited capacity and Golden Bud Passes get priority entry. Because you are supporting cannabis law reform which is what MardiGrass is all about.
Because the Council and Police have given us so many rules and regulations to comply with, the whole event is in danger of folding if you don’t.
Because you can’t get entry into the Hemp Bar, Mullaways Magic Medicine Tent or other venues without the Golden Bud wristband.
Because the showground camping team are all volunteer legends who will look after you with genuine old style Aussie country hospitality and you’ll have a terrific weekend.
Because you’ll feel really good about yourself contributing to a worthwhile cause.
Because in years to come you can tell your grandchildren you were in the war on drugs 2013 Program.
2013 Posters
2013 Kombi Konvoy
Hemp Olympix
Jungle Patrol
MardiGrass Cannabis Cup Volunteers
What’s New!
MardiGrass plans are up and running but it will be different this year! The MOB (MardiGrass Organising Body) was asked if the annual event was a protest or a festival by the Lismore Mayoress no less. We were in no doubt about the answer.
There will be changes but nothing is written in ink yet and we are still negotiating with Lismore Council over details. Sibley Street may not be closed and the glorious new skate park has halved the traditional HEMP Olympix Arena, but the real point of MardiGrass – Cannabis Law Reform – remains more real than ever. The helicopters have been buzzing the area recently and if we needed reminding that the drug war steams on unabated, the chopper crew did a good job. “War is over if you want it”, said John and Yoko, and we certainly want it to be over. The meetings have been unanimous in wanting to bring back the seriousness of how much cannabis prohibition stuffs up peoples lives so unnecessarily.
We begin our protest this year on Tuesday the first of May, with Occupy Lismore Court House, where so many lives are disrupted by the drug war, before we proceed to the Police Station (next door!), then to Federal MP Janelle Saffins Office, and finally local NSW MP Thomas Georges Office. Letters will be delivered to the politicians asking for change on the cannabis laws, asking them to have another look at these laws and what effect they have on the community. Do they really believe that we are criminals? NO. Yet these two are our government representatives in Parliament and they both support the war against us. They both support criminalising us for using a plant from nature! And they both have children in trouble from the drug war!
Why is Australia being left behind on drug law reform? The Greens seem spooked by the matter even though it is a social justice issue of paramount importance. Under our present antiquated political system, if the Prime Minister said, ‘let’s trial medical cannabis’, the opposition would hysterically scream, ‘she wants to give away heroin’. The madness emanating from government and media over this issue is no different from the attitudes of the 1950s!
We need leaders with vision to sit in a circle and examine the facts and make decisions that are good for society. Good for happiness levels! We are still competing with each other like animals, when to make things better, we need to co-operate…like smart animals! Tickets for MardiGrass are for sale on the website and we recommend you purchase now if you want a campsite. The 2012 draft program will keep changing.
This year we are looking for some special skills amongst our volunteers – particularly local volunteers – Traffic Controllers will be treated like gold, Jungle Patrol will again provide their exemplary service and needs local members in particular, as does CLOG the Civil Liberties Observer Group.
Check out more! http://nimbinmardigrass.com/2013/
We always need and love artists and painters, experienced camera operators, cooks and kitchen hands, Bud Babes [both men and women] and Ganja Faeries, people we can trust to collect donations. Volunteer coordinators are needed and anyone with Woodford experience could be handy. There is a message book in the Embassy where you can write down your contact details etc, or phone 66891842 or email [email protected] MOB (MardiGrass Organising Body) meetings are on the back verandah of the HEMP Embassy every Friday now from 5 pm, and everyone is welcome. If you have an event or something you want to see happen, let us know sooner rather than later. Hemp in Northern NSW
Northern NSW is an epicentre of the establishing Australian hemp industry, and has the highest density of hemp licenses in the state. This is due in part to the supportive social environment of the area, the excellent soil and climatic conditions, and the presence of innovative farmers with machinery which is readily adaptable for hemp cultivation and processing. Northern Rivers Inc. was established in 2009 to support the local hemp industry by providing workshops, lobbying for the local industry and hosting a website (www.northernrivershemp.org). Three of the emerging hemp enterprises in the Northern Rivers of NSW are described below: Hemp Masonry
Hemp masonry is a mixture of hemp fibre, lime and binding agents, and it has been used by humans for millennia in a similar way that modern humans use cement. The Egyptians sealed their tombs with hemp masonry, and the remains of a thousand-year old bridge still stand in France. Klara Marosszeky from Australian Hemp Masonry Company has spent 13 years researching and developing all aspects of the hemp masonry industry, from cultivating and harvesting techniques to processing and manufacturing technologies. AHMC now provides hemp masonry products and expert advice to the local building industry and has a focus on developing low-cost and appropriate housing for Aboriginal Communities. Klara has been amongst the most active pioneers of the Australian hemp industry. She works closely with farmers to develop agronomic skills and biological farming methods, runs hemp building workshops, and she is being instrumental in integrating education about hemp production into the mainstream vocational education sector. Klara is an executive of Northern Rivers Hemp Inc. and is currently working with Northern Rivers Regional Development Australia on the Green Industries Report regarding hemp and regional hemp industry development, and assisting NSW Aboriginal Business Development to make training in hemp building and hemp housing available for communities. Hemp seed products
Hemp seeds and hemp seed oil have been used by many cultures around the world as a staple food, a fuel, and a component of health-care products. Most countries in the world now allow hemp seed food products to be sold for human consumption, however Australia is a notable exception. In 2002 Food Standards of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) supported an application for hemp seed as a novel food but it was rejected on political grounds by the Howard Government, who claimed that it would send the “wrong message” about cannabis. A new application, instigated by Dr Andrew Katelaris, is currently under review. Although FSANZ continues to support hemp as an acceptable and valuable food source, the process continues to be delayed for political reasons. Despite the current ban on hemp seed foods, they are increasingly available in Australia in organic and health shops, and via the internet. In anticipation of a change in legislation, Andrew Kavasilas who is President of Northern Rivers Hemp Inc., is currently growing hemp under license to develop seedstock for food and oil production in collaboration with local organic farmers. Hemp biotechnology
The first stirrings of the local hemp industry started at Southern Cross University (SCU) when Dr Keith Bolton began using hemp as a means of cleaning sewage effluent, demonstrating that hemp can successfully clean effluent passing through the soil/root zone while producing high yields of quality fibre in short crop cycles. This early research brought other players into the region including EcoFibre who conducted much of their early research and maintenance of their germplasm collection. Southern Cross University has also hosted researchers investigating medicinal properties of cannabis, and the Centre for Phytochemistry at SCU provides analytical services to the local hemp industry including analysing THC concentrations in crops. Lise Bolton, director of local company Ecotechnology Australia, has recently commenced research into the use of hemp to remove pollutants from land which previously supported tobacco production.
Dr Keith Bolton
The Beginning of the End?
Coming to a head?
There is a tide in the affairs of men Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures. Brutus, “Julius Caesar” , Act IV, scene iii. ”End the criminalisation, marginalisation and stigmatisation of people who use drugs but who do no harm to others…Encourage experimentation by governments with models of legal regulation of drugs to undermine the power of organised crime and safeguard the health and security of their citizens.” Ganja Faeries are the light spirit of the herb, the essential humour of indulging in it, the cheeky and naughty side, if you like. They’re the ones who tickle your funnybone and make you laugh, and dance with you awhile along your way, then appear again in your dreams. They share a collective wisdom of living with cannabis. They help you to remember that the herb is healing in many wonderful ways and that the drug laws are very stupid. If you like, YOU can be a Ganja Faerie too. To be a dancing Ganja Faerie tho’ you need to come to rehearsals…
Ganja Faerie rehearsals in April at the Community Centre Market Stage 5:30pm each Friday until MardiGrass The MOB wishes to extend a welcome and many thanks for those who donate their time and finances during this event, without you it could not happen. All volunteers should register with the Hemp Embassy leaving a contact phone or email in the shop. MOB meetings have sort of started and you will find key organizers in the Hemp Bar from 4.20pm on Fridays.
Event tickets including a campsite are already for sale for the weekend of May 5th and May 6th, 2012………. Not so far away now. BUY A 2013 MardiGrass WEEKEND PASS with CAMPING Online There are lawyers everywhere these days, not just in Parliament but in the MardiGrass crowd looking out for you. Here’s some sage words from two of them. MARDIGRASS AND THE POLICE
The Police understand that we are engaged in peaceable and law abiding protest and many of them secretly agree with our cause. But they are coppers. They can’t talk for themselves while they are at work. If they see cannabis they will confiscate it and issue you with a caution notice or a summons to appear. They will bust you if they see you bonging on. So don’t be an idiot! We gather together to protest the laws not get ourselves arrested! The police may try to make it difficult for you to get to MardiGrass. This is a deliberate tactic they have used for a number of years. Inthe past they have set up roadblocks south of Nimbin at Goolmangar and north near the village and on the Uki road (they may be on any of the approach roads in the days immediately before and after the festival).
In the past the Police have even told people the event had been cancelled, or have warned them that the town is full of ‘undesirable’ elements. Of course all of this is bunkum: the Nimbin MardiGrass is a peaceful family friendly festival that is renowned the world around for being just that. But the Police do have a job to do – in this case their job is to try and persuade you to turn around and abandon your sinful pursuit of your democratic right to protest. (Just say “yes sir” and drive on.)
The Police may breathalyse you for alcohol or swab you for cannabis. If you haven’t had a smoke that day you should be alright (so wait till you get to Nimbin). If you must bring cannabis to Nimbin (sorta like coals to Newcastle) then come a few days early. If you must carry it in a car then put it on the floor under a mat or a seat and don’t ever say “that’s mine” if it happens to get found. Check www.nimbinmardigrass.com for current road conditions and information. We hope to have the Polite drones operating with the latest on the roads. There are several different routes into Nimbin available. The scenery and country is beautiful. The town is welcoming. The event is unforgettable. And if the issue is your issue don’t be put off no matter what. See you here on the 5th and 6th of May?
MARDIGRASS AND THE POLICE
Most of the police officers who come to Nimbin for Mardi Grass treat it as the spectacle it is and merely observe the proceedings because there are seldom any disturbances and they are not needed to keep the peace. Increasingly many police realise this counterproductive legislation has by all accounts, reached its “use by date”.
Presently some Nimbin community members are locked in a court battle to stop the roadblocks and raids on Nimbin each year but they do not expect that the action will be decided by MardiGras. In the meantime if you are thinking about bringing illegal drugs with you, be careful of roadblocks. They have three favourite spots – at Goolmangar, on the Nimbin Lismore Road to the south; Blue Knob Road near the cemetery on the road north; east from Nimbin near the corner of Tuntable Creek Road and the road to Mount Nardi.
But they could be anywhere!
In New South Wales, when searching people or vehicles police have the authority to ask for your name and address, (but not your mobile or other telephone) and you have the right to ask them for their name, badge, (or, if they are not in uniform, their identification), the station from which they work and the reason for the search.
While police have the right to search your vehicle and all the people in it for drugs, sometimes using a dog to assist, they do not usually have the right to “strip search” you. Generally, if police try to engage you in conversation or to question you, unless you have a good knowledge of the way the laws operate, you should say as little as you have to. Anyway let us hope for good behaviour from us all in this, the 20th MardiGrass. MardiGrass music enquiries: [email protected]
Hemp-EaZe Healing At The ROOT of the Problem.
Hemp Root Therapy Cream with a 9 herb formula is made to relieve muscles and aching bones, reduce swelling and ease pain Hemp-EaZe rejuvenates circulation, promotes cellular growth, and encourages deep tissue healing. Our therapuetic cream is used for the treatment of Arthritis, sprains, joint pain, as well as, breaking down bruising, mending wounds, and relieving the discomfort of skin ailments.
Darcy Stoddard has assisted her local holistic health clinic in the treatment of their neuropic patients with Hemp-EaZe. The Therapists have been encouraged with the results achieved when applying our cannabis root based cream. Hemp-EaZe also rejuvenates circulation, promotes cellular growth, and encourages deep tissue healing. Cannabis root extract has relieved pain and swelling, working deep to help with Arthritis, joint pain and stiffness and as remedy for skin problems and infections. The local holistic health clinic has included the preparation in their clinical study and is currently treating 24 patients with excellent results. The healing properties of Hemp-EaZe have provided a solution.
Support the restoration movement and buy a hemp product today. Darcy Stoddard. www.hemp-eaze.com MARDIGRASS – MARDIGRASS 2013 – ORIGINS – PAST YEARS – PROGRAM ’13 NSW Cannabis Laws – Nimbin Accommodation & Transport – Ganja Faeries MardiGrass Weekend Passes and Camping – Nimbin HEMP Embassy HEMP Party – Hemp Embassy Online Shop – Poetry for the Head 51 Cullen Street, Nimbin, NSW 2480.
http://www.nimbinmardigrass.com/
Copyright © 2013 Nimbin MardiGrass Organising Body Polite Squad Media Unit.