Welcome to the 2010 MardiGrass Program.
For Pot's sake, please buy an armband
to help us continue ...
Welcome to Mardigrass 2010. Australia, the oldest continent
on Earth is languishing behind in attitudes towards drug use.
Neither of our Prime Ministers this century have ever inhaled
nor do they appear to have any idea of what the massive cannabis
culture is about. Worse, they believe the reefer madness
propaganda.
The good news is we are about to find out the truth because
in America the laws against cannabis use are crumbling like
bricks in the Berlin wall. Firstly medicinal cannabis use has
now been legalised in 14 States and the benefits everywhere
are quickly apparent.
In September this year California will vote for new legislation
giving anyone over 21 years of age the right to carry an ounce
of pot and each house can grow a two metre square patch! Instead
of spending a fortune in trying to enforce impossible laws,
America is reversing its attitude quickly with a regulated and
taxable supply of cannabis similar to alcohol and tobacco looking
like the future.
We'll see soon enough whether California drowns in psychosis
as the Australian Government is convinced will happen! We actually
predict the opposite if the laws change; a flowering of creativity
and ingenuity plus the obvious huge savings in social disorder
and health costs.
Nimbin has been in the thick of the war on cannabis for several
decades now and many of our youth are scarred for life by it.
Imagine the change if it rubs off here. No more hiding away
paranoid smoking poor quality hydro with tobacco through an
orchy bottle and the neighbour's hose bong; a perfect recipe
for psychosis?
Real education and research on how to appreciate and use possibly
nature's most diverse and useful plant can truly begin when
the laws change. This is the vision that brings us all together
for Mardigrass in Nimbin on the first weekend in May every year
until the day we have a Government brave enough to put this
issue on the agenda and change the archaic laws.
Thank you for coming and everyone have a wonderful time and
know that eventually the truth must reveal itself. Look out
for each other, listen to the Jungle Patrol crew, and always
respect our Village and its environment.
Comedy is at the fore Mandy Nolan from Mullumbimby and Bob McHugh
from Sydney with Nimbins very own Nick the Hippy and Sean Choolburra
joining SSorrensen and Alan Glover who compere the Hemp Olympix.
At least 5 venues for music will be on all weekend starting
with the Pickers Ball on friday evening following the opening
ceremony, all in Peace Park.
Forums on all things cannabis are on over the weekend as well
as Pot Art, Pot Poetry and anything else pot you can think of.
Mardigrass shows people pot can be an ordinary part of everyday
life like it was for thousands of years before the recent lunacy
of prohibiting natures best pain relieving herbs.
This is a not for profit event sponsored by the Nimbin
HEMP (thats Help End Marijuana Prohibition) Embassy which is
itself run by volunteers and dedicated to ending the ridiculous
war on weed. We need you to buy an armband to support cannabis
law reform and we guarantee you a great and educational weekend
at Nimbins Yarndi University. An all weekend armband giving
entry to all events costs $40. Or $80 with a 3 night campsite
at the Showgrounds Camping (including hot showers this year!)
Two Backpackers, Nimbin Rox and Rainbow Retreat are doing camping
also, for $60 which includes an all day saturday entry (for
an extra $20 you can get a full weekend pass).
The Council and police are vowing to be tougher on roadside
camping this year and we recommend you go into one of the official
campsites. They love to watch at night for the flick of the
bic on the bong in the car and sneak up on you so be aware!!
If you are visiting for the day only the Nimbin Headers Sporting
Club have an off road carpark site for you seperate from camping
areas.
Mardigrass is run by volunteers and you can be one if you come
early and are prepared to work at least 4 hours and 20 minutes
each day. For that you
will get an armband and a campsite and maybe even a meal or
two! Last year we were flooded with volunteers and it became
unmanageable. So if you want to be part of the MOB volunteers
come as early as the Monday before. We need all sorts of skills
from cooks to builders, to artists and joint rollers. Here's
a
link to the forum if you want to register as a volunteer,
and maybe tell us your skills and time of arrival.
Alternative Free Transport to
Nimbin MardiGrass.
Take advantage of no traffic congestion and being dropped off
in the centre of Nimbin.
Services: at this stage are
BALLINA - WARDELL - ALSTONVILLE - LISMORE - NIMBIN
CASINO - LISMORE - NIMBIN
Click
here for a complete free bus timetable
This initiative is financed by Lismore City Accord,
RTA & NSW Govt to promote responsible and safe driving to
and from a community event. MardiGrass Organising Body 02 6689
0326.
Bus and Train Timetables
We recommend you buy
a MardiGrass all weekend pass, including camping.
This costs $80. Without camping it's $40 but then you may have
a parking problem.
You can buy the usual weekend and one day passes there
too.
Market Stalls, Food : Contact Cat
Anderson
Musicians, Entertainers : Contact Neil
Pike or Sarah-Jane
Loxton
Right now, it's probably way too late though.
Parking and Traffic Changes for MardiGrass
Okay, this is what the DA says:
Restricted/no
parking will be in place in the village from 12 noon Friday
April 30th to 11pm Sunday May 2nd. Below are areas affected:
* Sibley St will be closed to traffic from Cullen
St intersection to Thorburn St. Residents in Sibley are asked
to limit any vehicle traffic over that weekend from 12 noon
Friday.
* The central section of the village will have no
car parking this year. Chill Central safety zone will have no
cars from the ‘blister’ outside the Museum to the
garden before the pedestrian crossing. On the eastern side there
will be no parking permitted from the Hotel all the way to Perceptios.
* There is also no parking on the southern side of Cecil Street
from the Showgrounds to the creek to allow pedestrian traffic
easy access to a new proposed pathway from 12 Cecil St to the
Town Hall parking area. This will have security and lighting
and ease the pedestrian traffic along the footpath around the
Hospital.
* No parking at the top of Cecil St at the Cullen St intersection
(Sunday only) on the southern side for 50 metres to allow for
the rally assembly.
* Thorburn Street from Silky Oak Drive will have a road closure
managed by the Backpackers to ensure clear access to and from
the campsites and their parking.
* Road Closure Sunday Cecil St. from Showgrounds and turning into Cecil St. from 2pm - 2.45pm - Rally Point for March.
* The western council carpark is to be free of any camping -
all camping is to be directed to the Showgounds or Backpackers
camping sites. Roadside camping is not permitted.
*
Vehicle parking paddoack areas this year are being run by The
Nimbin Headers Junior Soccer Club, all profits go to them. Please
respect the volunteers and listen to them.
PARKING; $10 a day per car - each occupant to buy either $20
day pass/$40 all weekend pass.
Under the terms of our D.A. there will be NO CAMPING at any
of the Day Parking areas. You may sleep in your car but in NO
WAY - Light fires - Set up tents - Disrupt Traffic flow - and
PLEASE only poo in the toilets provided, use Bins supplied and
Respect Our Unique Village.
ALTERNATIVE HERBS TO SMOKE AT MARDIGRASS
THAT ARE LEGAL (INCLUDING READY ROLLED "JOINTS" AT
NIMBIN MUSEUM AND THE HEMP EMBASSY AND HEMP BAR AND TOWN HALL
INFO)
1. Dreamy Time.. bliss out!
A tasty blend of prime smoking herbs intended
to promote a tranquil, dreamy space. Rich, well-rounded flavour.
Blends well with tobacco or other herbs. Mugwort, Californian
Poppy, Mullein, Calendula, Passion Flower and Calea. Relax and
enjoy!
2. Flower Power.. feels really mellow, man!
A base of Raspberry leaves gives this blend a
creamy base, topped with sweet, uplifting Rose and Red Clover
petals and succulently combined with three varieties of Lotus
Flowers. The result is a smooth, silky smoke that relaxes body
and mind, leaving you open to feel deeply into every blissful
moment. Smoke alone or with other herbs.
3. Pot Luck... cheep and cheerful!
Well cured herbal blend containing Catnip, Lionstail
and other herbs. Mixes well with Pot as a tobacco alternative.
4. Smoker's Delight! ..slightly weird, slightly trippy!
Magic plants with magical properties to help
us see what lies behind the veil. Open yourself to the subtle
realms and experience something new!
Polite Force Cookie Caution
If you take it orally (eating cookies, cakes, etc), you could
be in for quite a ride. The liver metabolises THC into 11-OH-*9-THC,
a compound three times more psychoactive. Foods made with high
THC "heads" or hashish can give a powerful, almost
psychedelic experience, which can be very uncomfortable if you're
not expecting it. The effects are slower to come on (1 to 2
hours) and last considerably longer (around 4 hours).
Different people have different experiences. While one person
might go to sleep, another might smile and laugh excessively,
while another might have a panic attack. These are classic responses
but they are by no means definitive. Experiences vary. If smoking
cannabis makes you nervous or agitated, then
consuming cookies (and indeed other temporarily mind altering
drugs) may be inadvisable.
Do not assume cookies from different sources are of the same
strength. Even different batches from the same source can vary.
Know thyself. Stay in your comfort zone. Try half a cookie
first, and wait an hour to assess the effect.
The Rain- by Thomas Kinkade
Weather
Nimbin sometimes has wild weather and floods. In the days leading
up to MardiGrass you can check the weather on the rain radar
from these links.
Check the weather on the Grafton NSW Rain Radar
Check the NSW weather on the Infra-red Australian Weather Satellite
Check
the Infra-red Australian Weather Satellite
Nimbin
- Global Marijuana March
Marijuana takes the edge off just enough to free us from the
stultifying minutiae of day-to-day life: You forget the mundane
and remember the sublime.
The very first attempt at Prohibition!
"Don't eat the Fruit of the Tree
of Knowledge of Good and Evil."
So what's the first thing they did?
Ate the forbidden fruit.
The failure of Prohibition has a long history.
MAY 1st & 2nd is not so far away,
so it's fortunate we have most of the jigsaw in place. If you
are one of the missing pieces, meetings are Fridays from 4.20pm
in the HEMP BAR or you can leave messages in the pink MardiGrass
book behind the counter in the HEMP Embassy shop.
To register for Jungle
Patrol or find out about volunteering at MardiGrass,
drop in or phone 66891842 or contact us at
nimbinmardigrass@hempembassy.net
or check the MardiGrass section of the Hemp
Embassy Forum
* Musicians and performers wanting
to play should enter the busking competition.
* Local residents or businesses with special needs or requests
please get in touch. The DA plan is on display at present in
the papers and seems to be on track.
* If you want to get involved as a volunteer please drop in
and write in the book when and what you want to do, what skills
you have, contact no etc etc.
* Speakers booked in include Professor of Criminology from Bond
University Paul Wilson to inform us of the latest in our hopes
for cannabis law reform. Dr Andrew Katelaris is also coming
again to do a workshop on the wonders of hemp seed. Paul Benhaim,
another speaker, is founder of Hemp Plastics, Zelfo and has
worked with hemp foods globally for 12 years now. Ask any questions
and see 100% hemp didgeridoo's www.hemp.co.uk
www.hempplastic.com
www.hempmusic.com
* Peace Park is to be the focus with 3 big gigs there on a new
stage.... Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
MardiGrass Entertainers confirmed so far.
PEACE PARK: Drunken Munk, 50 Bags,
Imandan, Anarchist Duck, Diana Anaid, A Little Province in China,
Manju, John D, Groove Foundation, Marshall & The Fro, Pagan
Love Cult, A French Butler Called Smith, Fyah Walk, The Louis
Burdette experience, Essie & Bo, Winning Busker, The Jiggi
Jam Hog, Alice Blue, Fertile Minds and Kaliba.
MINGLE PARK: Greg, Booze Hag, Quandamooka, Bart Willoughby,
Guriabu, Monkey and the Fish Band, Louis Burdette, Manju, Burri.
MARKET STAGE: Janaka, Jade Supernova, Kaptan Reefer and the
Konescrapers, Spencer.E.Rogans Sensory Explosion, Dr Baz and
Mr Slyde, Alice Blue, April Maze, Diana Anaid, Grasshopper,
Essie Thomas, Homeless Yellow, Mayana and Friends.
Safety First: Parents,
Teens and Drugs
Although we urge young people to abstain from alcohol,
tobacco, and other drugs, our national surveys show that many
do not heed our warnings. To prevent adolescents who do experiment
from falling into abusive patterns, we need to create fallback
strategies that focus on safety. Putting safety first requires
that we be careful to provide our young people with credible
information and resources. We also need to teach our teenagers
how to identify and handle problems with alcohol and other drugs—if
and when they occur—and how to get help and support.
Join us at the Safety First Project in advocating for
reality-based approaches to drug education at home and in school
that foster open and honest dialogue around the risks and consequences
of drug use. We also invite you to critically examine random
student drug testing, an invasive policy that can erode relationships
of trust between students and adults at school and unintentionally
direct students to more dangerous behaviors.
To learn more and become involved visit the Safety
First website.
*
KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE... Nimbin Aquarius Foundation...
Come and meet us at the Nimbin
Aquarius networking space in the Nimbin Community Centre garden
area during MardiGrass and throughout the year. Locals and visitors
to Nimbin are always welcome to visit us and share their stories.
We will have tea,
coffee and cold drinks for sale, as well as some delicious food.
Music will be playing
in the garage with N.O.O. (Nimbin Organic Orchestra),
show-casing a wide variety of musical talent. They welcome donations
to help with future events.
* BUSKERS' 'Grass
Stand.
Fifteen designated busking zones for MardiGrass 2010. The winner
of the 'most popular' busking performance during the big weekend,
whoever collects the most "tokes", has the opportunity
to travel to Canberra to visit Obama in June with the BIG JOINT
and the Obama look alike winner. Keen buskers can register for
their preferred locations at the Town Hall info booth or at
the Embassy on the day.
* Pot Art in the Hemp Bar and Embassy, drop entries in from
April first .....
* John Jiggens talk in the Town Hall Sat arvo. "The 3 Ages of
Reefer Madness". A history of cannabis, its prohibition and
where it leaves us today. Evil sex drugs in the 1930's, gender
imbalance as men remembered they had long hair in the 1960's,
schizophrenia and psychosis in the 1990's.
* The Hemp Rope Tug-O-Peace is a ramped up event in the Hemp
Olympix this year so get your team of 5 (five) together. All
five team members have to have something in common!
* Thong Throw or Shoe Toss? Give who the Shoe or For Whom the
Moccasin Flies? Made popular by George Bush in Iraq, this is
a new HEMP OLYMPIX Event for 2010. Get ready to toss a thong
at your choice of targets at Nimbin MardiGrass on the first
weekend of May. When it comes to their opinion on cannabis law
reform, who do you give the boot, shoe or thong too? For $2
you can fling a thing at your choice of targets (all profits
towards victims of the drug war). Vent your fury on any of the
following; Hemp President Balderstone and over 2 million Australian
consumers who refuse to stop smoking, the local coppers who
are hunting them, Area Commander Lyons who gives the orders,
the NSW Premier who maintains the Policy, the Prime Minister
who refuses to deal with it, or the Opposition Leader who, had
he been busted, wouldn't have the job.
* Comedy moves to the Bowlo!
* MardiGrass POLITE PLOT!
The Nimbin POLITE SERVICE was created in response to the Police
Riot Squad raids on April Fools Day 2008 on the HEMP Bar and
Nimbin Museum. This years MardiGrass Polite recruitment drive
is looking for more overalls and bodies to fill them, and for
the first time our new division, the Polite Undercover Surveillance
Squad, is taking enrolments and there are unlimited vacancies
left. Bring a camera if you have one and a mobile phone for
Undercover Polite work.Since
last year, the POLITE Missions have taken the BIG JOINT to Byron
Bay, Lismore, Sydney twice and made their presence felt from
the HEMP BAR-POLITE BUREAU attached to the Embassy. As ambassadors
for cannabis law reform and advocates of medicinal cannabis,
the POLITE will champion the cause again at this years' Rally
on May 1st and 2nd, carrying the parade flagship BIG JOINT at
2.30pm on MardiGrass Sunday. During
the big weekend, Nimbin POLITE will coordinate with Jungle Patrol,
the Justice Action Group (JAG) and the Civil Liberties Observers.
They will document all civil liberty complaints and also witness
the behaviour of law enforcement. New 'Undercover Operatives'
will be trained to mingle with the crowd and detect suspicious
activities! Watch
out for a MardiGrass warm up at the now annual April Fools Day
Polite Raids.
*MardiGrass Arm Bands and Passes: MardiGrass
has always been about trust but it doesn’t happen all
by itself. Months of preparation and ground work go into the
weekend so the village as a whole benefits as well as the thousands
of visitors. We’d like it to happen in such a way that
everyone who attends it has an uplifting experience. Accordingly,
the MardiGrass organisers ask that everyone understands the
critical importance of buying armbands. Without you buying armbands
we are history, this year in particular. Some businesses even
give preferential service to armband wearers and we support
that. We need your support too. Please buy one.
* Several overseas visitors
confirmed including Dr Bob Melamede who will love Nimbin we
expect.
* The Medical CannaBus Big Joint mission
to Canberra is one of the biggest demonstration we have attempted.
We will require the cooperation of thousands of Australian Medical
Cannabis patients, who will travel from every part of Australia.
The exact date of the presidential visit is unknown as we gather
for MardiGrass 2010. President Obamas' arrival will be highly
publicized and we should get at least a week to organise our
jaunt.
The mission to Canberra is about exposing the Big Joint,
POLITE Unit and the "Yes we Can-nabis" ObamaBanner
in the middle of the Authorised Assembly Area. That's prime
spot for people and main stream media cameras. Big Joint missions
always try to display professionalism and the polite respect
required to be taken very seriously. This campaign is designed
for increased awareness of the cannabis laws and prohibition.
The media are obliged include our issue into the plethora, as
California braces itself for marijuana at the ballot box.
The Australian Federal election is due before the end of the
year and the Hemp Party has high expectations for inclusion.
Our aim is for publicity rather than sitting down and smoking
with the President. What Obama experiences in Australia, will
resonate in the US and around the rest of the world. !
www.BigJoint.org
but we do it BOLD and promote it.....
If you are thinking it's safe to smoke in your parked
car, don't. Last year police officers were homing in on the
flick of lighters and glowing joints in cars at night, checking
it out and busting people. So smoking bongs/billies in car parks
at night is not a good idea.
Hemp seed as a human food
Hemp is one of humanity's oldest cultivated plants, with evidence
of use reaching back into prehistory. In the older non-Christian
religions Hemp and its products were venerated as unique gifts
provided for human use.
The last century has witnessed an unprecedented interference
in the natural order by the avaricious activities of agricultural
and pharmaceutical corporations. Natural products everywhere
have been replaced by petrochemical derived synthetics including
fibre for fabric, building materials and food. The fragmentation
and de-vitalisation of the human diet has produced, as a consequence,
epidemics of somatic and mental illness, including depression,
diabetes and heart disease, asthma and allergy, to name a few.
The Hemp seed is one of the most nutritionally complete foods
available. Next to flax it has the highest concentration of
the essential fatty acid omega 3 and unlike flax it contains
a perfect ratio of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. These essential
nutrients are contained in a balanced protein matrix and protected
from oxidation by generous quantities of vitamin E. In addition,
the seed contains high levels of magnesium and other essential
minerals and high levels of the B group vitamins.
The Hemp seed offers those concerned about their own and their
family's nutrition a convenient and delicious way to ensure
the delivery of those nutrients essential to achieving and maintaining
optimal health. Australia remains the only country on Earth
which has yet to recognise Hemp seed as a human food. However,
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) has accepted
our application to have Hemp seed re-scheduled and we reasonably
expect a positive outcome presently.
Dr Andrew Katelaris
CLOG
¤ 2010
The Civil
Liberties Observer Group for the MardiGrass of 2010 is a joint
community action being hosted by the LEXUS Union of Students
of Southern Cross University on behalf of and in partnership
with the Nimbin Justice Action Group, the MardiGrass Organising
Body, and the Hemp Embassy of Nimbin: towards assisting in the
non-violent realisation of peace and harmony via organised and
informed prudential observation
all violence is counter-productive
informed observers make better
coppers
better coppers make fewer arrests
Special
Guest, Bob Melamede is President
and CEO of Cannabis Science Inc. (OTCBB:CBIS),
a company that works with World Authorities on phytocannabinoid
science targeting critical illnesses - adhering to scientific
methodologies to develop, produce, and commercialize phytocannabinoid
based pharmaceutical products.
Cannabis Science is in negotiations with several companies in
the US and internationally to contract or license its cannabis
based formulations for development, certain rights to manufacturing
processes, and sales in each prospective jurisdiction and or
country.
Dr. Melamede also serves on the Advisory Board of The Journal
of the International Association for Cannabis as Medicine, the
Scientific Advisory Board Medical of the Marijuana Policy Advocacy
Project, the Scientific Advisory Board of Americans for Safe
Access, a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the
City University of New York. He retired as Chairman of the Biology
Department at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in 2005,
where he continues to teach.
He is an expert on the biology of the cannabis plant, how it
relates to the human endocannabinoid system, and why the cannabis
plant has the potential to affect so many diseases and illnesses.
"It is clear that many veterans are already using herbal
cannabis to self-medicate to relieve the symptoms of PTSD. Consequently,
there is a clear need for standardized, FDA approved, oral cannabis
products which can, and should be, provided to veterans and
others who can benefit from its use. Medical cannabis has far
fewer and milder side effects than most currently prescribed
pharmaceutical products do. We are working hard to have one
or more products ready for FDA clinical trials as soon as possible."
"We at Cannabis Science (CBIS) are trying to make cannabis
extracts available in every state in the USA, and to have the
government health care programs pay for them."
"Because of the anti-aging and anti-cancer properties
inherent in turning up our endocannabinoid-activity thermostat,
the first nation to embrace the mutually supporting historical
and modern science of cannabis will reap the benefits of a healthier
population while dramatically reducing healthcare costs.
"In modern societies, age-related illnesses that are
all inhibited by cannabis, are killing us. We can minimize this
problem by consuming more of what has become an essential nutrient
for humanity-cannabis."
"Australia has it's roots in the struggle for freedom,
a perfect place to seed the cannabis revolution," said
Dr Bob.
http://www.cannabisscience.com/
The
Timbery Family have been visiting Schools, Pre Schools and Universities
for many years. LADDIE TIMBERY makes and sells boomerangs, and
will demonstrate how to throw them. Laddie Timbery will be in
Peace Park throughout the weekend with his 'original returning
boomerangs' doing demos in between the Hemp Olympix events.
DIANA ANAID: " After coming back from successful showcases
in America to release my new single What's
Up in March, I am stoked to be home for Mardigrass kicking
off my tour of the country for the release of my new self-titled
CD out in April. Described as my 'best CD to date'-by industry
heavyweight CHRISTIE ELIEZER -POLLSTAR MAGAZINE, I am going
to be rocking the crowd with new tunes like Cynical On Waking,
Riot, What's Up and Peace plus playing favourites like I Go
Off, Perfect Family and Last Thing. I can't wait to play in
front of such an appreciate audience rallying for a cause that's
close to my heart."
SEAN
CHOOLBURRA: After winning the NSW Raw Comedy final
in 2002, Sean has gone on to prove himself as a dynamic and
versatile comedian, rap singer, dancer, storyteller, actor &
hip-hop didge player.
Hailing from Townsville, Sean has an
established career as a dancer and created the NGARU Dance Company
and performed all over the world with the Bangarra Dance Company,
including by invitation for the Dalai Lama, Hale & Pace
and Prince Charles. He is charming, captivating, cheeky, clever
and charismatic. Perhaps his ability is to share the naivety
of a small town aboriginal boy still coming to grips with the
big city lights that make him all that much more inviting and
engaging as a performer.
Klara
Marosszeky has a vision for the future that involves revamping
of the local farming industry to produce industrial hemp crops.
Working with farmers, she has just harvested her first commercial
crop of industrial hemp and is looking for innovators who want
to utilise the product.
Industrial hemp has a low-THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)
content and produces the longest, strongest plant fibres in
the world. It is used in many countries in the manufacture of
plastics, fiberglass, fabrics, food and building materials.
“In the UK, a major car manufacturer, Lotus,
is making whole cars out of hemp,” Klara said. “Everything
but the engine is hemp. Henry Ford would be grinning in his
grave.”
Klara currently teaches sustainability courses at TAFE
and envisions hemp as the solution to many of the sustainability
issues that are affecting Australia today. Not only is she trying
to create a hemp industry in NSW and open the way to using hemp
seed as a food product, but she is out to make housing materials
affordable. After looking around for alternative products to
replace our current dependence on timber, Klara spent years
experimenting with hemp masonry as a building material, with
very successful results. Two years ago, she was a finalist for
the Northern Rivers Regional Development Board’s innovation
award for her hemp masonry.
Dr
Keith Bolton, Vice-President, Northern Rivers Hemp Inc.
2009 and 2010 have been the two most exciting years
in the NSW Hemp industry since Cannabis Prohibition with the
release of commercial licenses in 2009 by NSW Department of
Primary Industries, and the harvesting of the first commercial
hemp crops in 2010. Not surprisingly, The Northern Rivers Region
has the highest density of hemp licensees and growers in the
state, and is set to become a major centre for hemp production
and industry during the next five years. The high level of local
interest in the hemp industry has prompted the formation of
Northern Rivers Hemp Inc., a not-for-profit organization aimed
at nurturing the establishment of the Northern Rivers Hemp Industry
by maintaining a seed-bank, providing information, networking
industry participants, and lobbying for changes in the legislation
to allow hemp food production.
The rapid changes in legislation allowing commercial
hemp production could not have occurred without the input of
highly committed hemp campaigners, politicians, industry pioneers,
and the faith of the general public. Further commitment and
support is now required by innovators, manufacturers and business
leaders to establish hemp-based products, manufacturing processes,
and sustainable business. In particular, additional energy is
required to change existing legislation which still prohibits
the sale of hemp food products for human consumption. As a long-term
industry participant, I take off my hat to the leaders who have
worked together to legitimize the Australian hemp industry,
and I look forward with optimism to the future of the local
hemp industry - we have a unique opportunity to establish
a profitable, sustainable and local industry! Visit www.northernrivershemp.org
for additional information or to register for membership.
SBS
will be screening Bob McHugh's show "Comedy School"
soon. Here's the rave: Comedy School is an observational documentary
series that follows a genuine beginners class in stand-up comedy
taught by veteran comedian Rob McHugh. He has been teaching
stand-up comedy for six years. Rob's students embark on a uniquely
transformative quest: the nerve wracking, cringe-worthy and
hilarious journey of 10 students from curious novices to debutante
comedians. Their journey ends sweating under the spotlight at
a real comedy club, in front of an expectant paying audience.
Bob will be doing comedy with S and Glover at the Bowlo. Don't
miss it!
Mandy
Nolan has performed as a stand-up comedian for 18 years.
During that time, she has worked alongside celebrities such
as Whoopi Goldberg, Eartha Kitt, and Bob Downe.
Mandy's stand-up is known and
loved for its rapid fire philosophical philandering and for
the obtuse observations and esoteric back scratches that emerge
from the musings of what she describes as "a modern madam
whose dilemma is to navigate the new frontiers in the suburban
badlands of human relationships."
Mandy will be doing comedy with
S and Glover at the Bowlo. Don't miss it!
Check out the 2NimFM radio
podcast site at http://nimbinradiomedia.libsyn.com/
This site includes podcasts of many of the 2NimFM radio programs
broadcast during last MardiGrass. They will be recording events
over this MardiGrass and posting new material as it comes in.
While
at MardiGrass, Tune your FM radio to
Nimbin's own NIM
FM 102.3, broadcasting and interviewing
live from venues around the village.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Harvest Ball - 6:00pm 
5:00
pm * Dr John Jiggens will
be talking on “The three ages of Reefer Madness”
at the Nimbin Mardi Grass on Saturday at 5pm in the Nimbin Town
Hall.
7:00pm
* Dinner with Dr Bob. 
4:20
pm * The Global Marijuana March
Where well over 1 million cannabis law reform activists in nearly
300 cities around the globe will be protesting. In Nimbin we
will aim to break the world record for the most joints ever
lit at once in the same place at the same time.
Saturday
May 1st
Birth
& Beyond * * The Nimbin
Environment Centre is running MardiGrass Movies and a Chill
Space in Birth and Beyond all weekend. The Hemp Solution (If
you miss the World Premiere), past MardiGrass Movies, Cheech
and Chong, Environmental Films and more. Soup and Chai available.
Armband entry or Donation
SUNDAY
12:00
pm and 5:00 pm * MULLAWAY MEDICAL CANNABIS MEETING where Tony
Bower is compiling a register for his soon to be authorised
medical cannabis clinic, the first in the country. MS, HIV,
cancer and chronic pain sufferers are invited to be part of
Australias first legal medical cannabis dispensary trial.
Peace
Park: 
3:30pm
CANNABIS LAW REFORM RALLY
Mingle
Park * DRY CAMP * Behind
the Museum..armband
entry or $5 
HEMP
Party Bar - - Fair Dinkum stand up voters
can register here to join the HEMP Party!
NIMBIN’S
favourite Scotsman, George John Forsyth, 61, known locally as
George Scott, was laid to rest in true hippie style on 29th December,
2009.
