The 29^th annual Nimbin MardiGrass cannabis law reform protest and gathering may have had smaller numbers than usual this year, but according to Nimbin HEMP Embassy president Michael Balderstone, it was “terrific”.

With an estimated two thousand visitors on the Saturday, Michael said even more people came on Sunday to participate in the cannabis law reform protest rally and march.

Michael Balderstone.



Max Pike greets one of the kombi vans arriving in the kombi convoy on Saturday.

Highlights

“The MardiGrass talks in the town hall were the best ever and we were at Covid-maximum capacity throughout,” Michael said.

“The pharmaceutical path of cannabis was big subject and there was debate about the difference between whole plant extracts and isolates.

“Julian Assange’s father was a touching speaker – he began his speaking tour in Nimbin – it’s where Julian went to school years ago.

“The highlight was the rally and the comedy was a huge too. there was also lots of music, theatre and performance.”

Aggressive drug testing

Michael said the police were “chilled” in town and there were no big dramas, except for two people being arrested for possession of one gram each, without being given a caution.

But the police roadside testing was more aggressive than he had ever seen before.

It’s one of the reasons numbers at MardiGrass have fallen, as people are anxious about being drug tested - and so not driving to Nimbin.

The kombi convoy arrives from Byron.

Road blocks

While the police traditionally camp out on Nimbin Road at Goolmangar and pull drivers over for the drug swab test (testing for cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine), this year, they were also stationed on all the small roads leading into the village of Nimbin.

“They even had a road block at the bush factory at the edge of town,” Michael said. “I heard stories of people being aggressively chased. A builder friend with a Kombi was chased by police on his way to Byron, so they could drug test him.

“He doesn’t smoke but he has dreadlocks - they are hunting people and there’s nothing random about it.

War

“Their motivation is money. It’s a war with military tactics, where they lock down the town and cruise around.

“Their testing regime has nothing to do with impairment – it’s just for the presence of THC, which is uniquely fat soluble.

“If people don’t think there’s a war on drugs, come see for yourself.”

Anxiety

Michael said many volunteers who were medical cannabis users even stopped taking their medication a few days before MardiGrass, because they were afraid of losing their licences

“If you test positive, then it’s an automatic loss of your drivers’ licence,” he said. “That happened because so many people were going through the courts because of the tests. It’s a big case of injustice.

“Anxiety is huge because of it,” he said. “It’s not fair. The police pick on the hippies and pot smokers, but now they are picking on medical cannabis users,” he said.

While there’s a theory that eating Fisherman’s Friends can change the test results, Michael said “it’s random” when it comes to knowing if it works.

“The police can also do a second and third drug test on you,” he said. “In the past, 98% of people who had the third test came had positive results. Even if it’s only five parts THC per billion – there’s no guarantees.”

Speaker and ex-magistrate David Heilpern.

The following photos of speakers, talks and performances were contributed by Marie Cameron: