After the Eden-Monaro by-election in the ACT, Nimbin HEMP Embassy president Michael Balderstone is defeated, but victorious.

He and his Vote 1 Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) party team have been on a whirlwind trip to Canberra and back in an attempt to get elected and get the cannabis issue on the agenda.

Read more news: Nimbin's Micheal Balderstone takes cannabis to Canberra

Today, he’s still political without being a politician – and he’s glad to be back home “with sanity” in Nimbin.

“We definitely made a mark,” Michael said. “It was a close election, like so many seats in Australia are -and winning a small percentage of the vote does make a difference.

“We had 3% of the vote in the early count, then the pre-poll votes came in and our votes dropped. Now, we are at 2.3%.”

Michael and his team finished 6^th out of 14 political parties who ran in the ACT Eden-Monaro by-election.

The election results saw Labor candidate Kristy McBain taking 50.38% of the vote and Liberal Fiona Kotvojs taking 49.62%.

“We pinched a few votes from them and people saying our preferences helped Labour win,” Michael said.

“People from all walks of life like cannabis – they find it’s the plant that works for them.

“We did only arrive in Canberra to campaign the week before the election, but being there was worth it.

“We had a few HEMP party members there who helped us who we stayed with.

Michael and the team van on campaign in Canberra.

“We were driving the van through Canberra with the sativa leaf on our corflutes – and everybody wanted them, but didn’t want them on their fences.

“They didn’t want to be seen as criminals and lose their jobs. But they were furious about not being able to take medical cannabis and still drive legally.

“Everyone is sick of being bullied.”

“We are just trying to get the cannabis issue on the agenda and get heard. We are sick of being treated like hippies.”

Michael said the election results encouraged them to get ready for the next Federal election, where he would run for a seat in the lower house, as well as the Senate.