Nimbin HEMP Embassy president Michael Balderstone is running for election as a pro-HEMP candidate – again.

It’s not the first time for him. He’s taken the pro-HEMP issue to a Senate election a few times, but now, he is in Canberra, campaigning for a lower house seat in tomorrow’s Eden-Monaro by-election.

Read more about Michael Balderstone and his journey from stock-broker to Nimbin hippie and HEMP activist: SUNDAY PROFILE: Michael Balderstone finds pot at the end of the rainbow

“It’s cold here today and I’ve been on the street mixing with political people,” Michael said.

“Tomorrow for election day, we’ll put our cannabis leaf corflutes at booths and hand out flyers.”

Michael and three other Nimbin locals are in Canberra, taking their Vote 1 HEMP ticket to the ACT.

“We are serious about law reform and frustrated at not being understood,” he said.

“Our Vote 1 HEMP ticket is a protest vote to show people that you care about the issue.

“We don’t expect to win, but we want to get the issue on the agenda. We are sick of people thinking we are a joke when we talk about legalising cannabis as medicine.

Graham Dunstan’s Vote 1 HEMP message was blaring from his van’s speakers around Canberra as he campaigns with Michael Balderstone in tomorrow’s Eden-Monaro by-election.

“Eden-Monaro surrounds Canberra and there, in the ACT, people can grow four plants per household.

“We want to keep hemp on the agenda and make it a household item.”

So why is a hippie from Nimbin in Canberra running for election?

“Well, we had a great local candidate here who has a hemp shop, but his mum’s Canadian and so he probably can’t run,” Michael said.

“So, we thought we’d come down from Nimbin and represent the leaf and get discussion happening about the saliva testing of drivers.

"It’s a nightmare - even if people have a legal prescription for cannabis, it’s still illegal to drive and it’s still expensive to buy.”

Michael said this week, he and his election crew have been campaigning by the side of the highway.

“We set up a Honk for HEMP sign and when people pull over, we give them information and try to get people to think about it," he said.

"Even the police honk – they want to separate cannabis from other drugs too.

“We explain to people why the driving thing is so bad.

“Not many people understand how cannabis is uniquely fat soluble and stays in the bloodstream. So even if it’s detected in your system, it doesn’t mean you are impaired.

“In NSW, it’s an automatic loss of your driver’s licence for three months - for country people that’s a big thing.”

Tomorrow's by-election will be a big day for Michael, Louise, Don and Graham Dunstan as they hope to make a difference by keeping the issue of the illegality of cannabis in the public eye.