Paul Benhaim, managing director of Hemp Foods Australia and inventor of a hemp seed food bar now sold widely throughout Europe will be speaking and on site all weekend. Paul is a new local resident now living near Mullumbimby and loves Australia.

Dr Keith Bolton will be presenting his results on his recent effluent reuse mop crop project which used hemp to uptake nutrients from sewerage effluent.

Dr Andrew Katelaris will also be giving us updates from his latest Hemp Medicinal and Industrials trials. Dr Katelaris has been at the forefront of Australian hemp research for some years now and is a well-regarded campaigner.

The Industrial Hemp Panel will formally hold court in Peace Park at 10.30am Saturday morning but experts will be at the Hemp Expo all weekend.

And then there is Dr Paul Recher the infamous and ever entertaining guest speaker who will share some snippets from his wealth of plant knowledge.

Others coming to Mardi Grass to share their knowledge include the Cannabis Culture Crew from Canada, who are so impressed by the event they come every year now.

John Jiggins is a journalist and historian, currently writing a PH.D on the history of cannabis in Australia. He is the author of Marijuana Australiana and will talk on Police Corruption and Drug Prohibition.

Carol De Launey will present her thesis titled What drug problem? Cannabis And Heroin In An Alternative Community.

There is also the Psychedelic Circus, on Saturday, an afternoon of discussions, seminars and generalised weirdness examining some alternative models for drug use.

All we need now is for NSW Premier Bob Carr and Prime Minister John Howard to come along!