2023 SPEAKERS
BIO: Caine Barlow is a Fungi Educator and Mycologist based in Melbourne, Australia. He gives regular talks on mycology, fungi conservation, and teaches gourmet mushroom cultivation. He works closely with the Australian organisations Entheogenesis Australis, the Australian Psychedelic Society, and is a co-founder of US-based organisation The Entheome Foundation. Caine started foraging mushrooms in the early 1990’s, started cultivating gourmet fungi in the mid 2000’s, and has been teaching mushroom cultivation in person since 2017. He did his Master of Science at the University of Melbourne where his research project was based around Conservation Mycology. Caine is currently working on a book project, expected to be released mid-2023! In addition to fungi, he has had a long-term interest in ethnobotany, ethnobotanical literature, and growing medicinal plants. Caine posts regularly on his Instagram, @guerrillamycology.
Caine Barlow
WORKSHOP: Introduction to mushroom cultivation
1 pm Saturday 6 May Hall Garden Tent
ABOUT: Caine will introduce the lifecycle of fungi before discussing methods for obtaining small samples of mycelium for growing mushrooms. The skills taught in this workshop can be used to grow cultures on agar, to make liquid culture, and create spawn to grow your own edible or medicinal mushrooms. He will then discuss the sustainable cultivation of fungi through low-tech methods that can be done in an ordinary kitchen. These same techniques can be applied to citizen science mycology.
Australia has a diverse range of endemic fungi, some of which are considered traditional medicines – endermic species of Ganoderma, Turkey Tail, and Lionโs Mane. With the awareness of how fundamental fungi are to ecosystems around us, how can we better observe and interact with these species? There are concerns about the ethics of wild harvesting, and questions about what fungi are being harvested given there is uncertainty about what species may be present in our forests. How can we be more ethical in our use of these species, and minimise our dependence on endemic populations? Many fungi can be collected, cultured, cultivated, and grown at home.
TALK: Psilocybin-Containing Fungi in Australia
7 pm Saturday 6 May Hall Garden Tent
ABOUT: There has been a marked increase in interest around the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, especially given the recent change in the scheduling of psilocybin and MDMA. With this interest, there has been an increased curiosity around foraging for psilocybin-containing mushrooms. This talk will discuss the species of psilocybin-containing fungi in Australia, cultural history, new species that are emerging, and some of the new science occurring in this space.
BIO: Paul created his (and the UKโs) first hemp food product in 1996 (27 years ago!) and has been working with hemp ever since. He has created hemp ice creams, breads, milks, factories and farms globally. He has founded companies in Australia, UK, Netherlands, USA, Japan and has written 9 books on hemp. He created an Australian hemp company valued at over $600m employing over 150 people which started with the first and still largest hemp foods company in the southern hemisphere, Hemp Foods Australia. In the 90s, in Europe, he created the first hemp plastic product since Henry Ford. He believes this business will eventually be worth over $1bn โ supporting farmers, carbon sequestration and hemp everywhere.
Paul Benhaim
Co-Founder and Chairman, The Hemp Plastic Company
TALK: Making Hemp Plastics from Plants
12.15 pm Saturday 6 May Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: Paul will outline the current state and ideal future of hemp plastics and how to get there. With fossil-fuel-based traditional plastics causing serious impacts on environmental and human health, the necessity to transition to greener alternatives needs to be brought to the mainstream.
PANEL: International Cannabis Experiences
3 pm Saturday 6 May, Indica Arena Tent
ABOUT: Our panelists will share their personal experiences with Cannabis law reform, culture and the entrepreneurial highs and lows of navigating Cannabis industries in other countries.
BIO: James Bennett-Levy is a clinical psychologist who is Professor of Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing at the Sydney Universityโs University Centre for Rural Health (North Coast). He has co-written 5 psychotherapy books and around 100 journal articles. He convenes the Australian Psychological Societyโs Psychedelic-assisted Therapy Interest Group; is a therapist on a clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for prolonged grief, and a therapy trainer on several trials.
Prof James Bennett-Levy
The University of Sydney Centre for Rural Health (North Coast)
PANEL: TGA Decision to Reschedule MDMA & Psilocybin – The Good, Bad & the Ugly
6 pm Saturday 6 May, Nimbin Town Hall
FACILITATOR: Rebecca Houghton
SPEAKERS: Prof James Bennett-Levy, Dr Karen Hitchcock, Micha Lerner, Dr Martin Williams, Dr Will Tregoning
ABOUT: Recently, in a surprise move that made headlines around the globe, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australiaโs national regulator of drugs, poisons and pharmaceuticals made the decision to re-schedule MDMA and Psilocybin to schedule 8, under very specific and strict conditions. This panel brings together researchers, psychologists, doctors, legal experts and advocates to discuss this decision. What it means for the future of psychological health care? Who meets the access criteria? What will this likely cost? What therapeutic training will be required for practitioners? Panelists consider whether patients are treatment-resistant or if theyโve been treatment-deprived? And examine what the cultural and societal cost of prohibition has been.
BIO: Steve has been a practising solicitor since 1991. He worked for several years at Redfern Legal Centre. From 1996 to early 2004, he was the principal solicitor at the Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre. Steve is the author of Rough Deal, a plain English book about the NSW drug laws. He is also the author of a number of other publications on drug laws and drug policy.
Steve Bolt
Solicitor & Author
Q&A: Legal Advice
10 am Saturday 6 May Nimbin Town Hall
SPEAKER: Steve Bolt
ABOUT: Legal advice including Roadside Drug Testing and Medicinal Cannabis.
Q&A: Cannabis Laws in Australia & State by State Reform
10 am Sunday 7 May Nimbin Town Hall
SPEAKERS: Steve Bolt, David Heilpern & David Shoebridge
ABOUT: This session will discuss Cannabis laws in Australia, and present a round up of state-by-state drug law reform in 2023 incorporating Mr Heilpern’s intriguing Radical Flank and Overton Window theories. From strip searches at festivals and your friendly sniffers dogs, to medical cannabis being the only prescribed medicine which makes it illegal to drive, please come on a journey into many cruel and unusual laws running rampant in contemporary Oz.
Tony Bower [Mullaways]
Tony has smoked and grown cannabis from the early seventies . He has worked on improving his cannabis strains over many decades. In the early nineties his interest in the medical benefits of cannabis began. He started making cannabis tinctures and oils, and in 2008 he registered Mullaways Medical Cannabis Pty Ltd and has continued to make tinctures and help people to the present.
BIO: Jeremy Buckingham led the Upper House ticket for the Legalise Cannabis Party in the March 2023 NSW State election. He was a Greens MP in the NSW Legislative Council from 2011-2019 and has a record of successful activism and advocacy on environmental and social issues.
Jeremy Buckingham
TALK: Dawning of the Age of Cannabis
1 pm Saturday 6 May Indica Arena Tent
ABOUT: Legalise Cannabis is the hot, new political party catching a lot of attention and a lot of votes. The LC Party now has five Members of State Parliaments in Australia with three representatives elected in the last six months! The dawning of the age of Cannabis means great changes on the political horizon in Australia, with steps towards the final nail in the coffin of tired old prohibition.
PANEL: Legalise Cannabis Plots & Plans
2 pm Saturday 6 May, Indica Arena Tent
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Jeremy Buckingham, Craig Ellis, David Ettershank, Sophia Moermond, Rachel Payne
ABOUT: What regulations do we want to pursue at the State level, and how to get there? What are the different strategies and approaches required per State?
MEETING: Legalise Cannabis Party
5.30 pm Sunday 7 May, Hall Garden Tent
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Michael Balderstone, Jeremy Buckingham, Craig Ellis, David Ettershank, Sophia Moermond, Rachel Payne
All Welcome! Meet our elected State representatives from NSW, Western Australia and Victoria.
Mirembe Campbell
PANEL: Cannabis for Healing, Health and Wellbeing
11 am Sunday 7 May, Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: This panel will explore how Cannabis affects our health and wellbeing, and how it assists with a diverse range of ailments including serious illness. Speakers will cover our endocannabinoid system, how Cannabis treats various medical conditions, the role of terpenes, drug interactions, and how to access legal medical Cannabis. Hear from both doctors and patient experience.
BIO: Mirembe Campbell has a Masters of Counselling and Applied Psychology from University of Queensland. Alongside her academic career she has a love for the arts, theatre and music. A resident of Northern Rivers her journey with Medicinal cannabis began in 2020 when she decided to transition from pharmaceutical medication to plant based medicines. As a sufferer of long term chronic pain (Ehlers Danos Syndrome) and trauma induced mental health disorders (CPTSD/Bi-Polar) Mirembe shares her unique insights negotiating the medical framework while embracing a more holistic approach which includes medicinal cannabis for treatment and stability of previously unmanageable conditions.
BIO: Jonathan (Ronny) Carmichael is President and Co-founder of Entheogenesis Australis (EGA), an educational charity focused on the historical use and societal impacts of medicinal plants and chemicals.
Jonathan (Ronny) Carmichael
President & Co-founder Entheogenesis Australis (EGA)
PANEL: The Emerging Ecosystem in the Australian Psychedelic Community
12 pm Sunday 7 May, Hall Garden Tent
FACILITATOR: Jonathan Carmichael, Entheogenesis Australis
SPEAKERS: Caine Barlow, Liam Engel, Pixie Miller, Dr Martin Williams
ABOUT: In 2023 psychedelics are not contained within an underground bubble anymore, as they are integrated into the respectable worlds of therapy and corporate control. This panel will explore the changing landscape of the Australian psychedelic community as mainstream medicalisation and commercialism starts to emerge.
Radic Al Conscious
TALK: Medical Cannabis Therapy – What your GP doesn’t Know
12 pm Saturday 6 May, Hall Garden Tent
ABOUT: Most doctors are not willing to prescribe, or even talk about Cannabis if they are not familiar with the pharmacology, formulation and recommended dose rates of Cannabis Therapeutics. Yet up until 1946 cannabis therapeutics was often prescribed by doctors, pharmacists and herbalists around the country. Radic will explore how the pharmacology of cannabis therapeutics is all about Homeostasis Total healing. Cell by cell. He’ll also demo some applications and dose rates. He will then discuss formulation: how to target areas of the body, how to enhance bio availability, and how to formulate a medicine for your body type to treat your ailments.
BIO: In 1995 I read a book called Hemp for Health and started my journey into the world of medicinal cannabis therapy. The first extract I tried was a pain cream from the roots to treat my chronic back pain. Since then I have dug up many old traditional medicinal recipes to make lots of different medicines which have successfully treated so many different ailments. From the garden to the medicine chest, it is all so easy.
Craig Ellis
Chairman, Legalise Cannabis NSW
PANEL: Legalise Cannabis Plots & Plans
2 pm Saturday 6 May, Indica Arena Tent
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Jeremy Buckingham, Craig Ellis, David Ettershank, Sophia Moermond, Rachel Payne
ABOUT: What regulations do we want to pursue at the State level, and how to get there? What are the different strategies and approaches required per State?
MEETING: Legalise Cannabis Party
5.30 pm Sunday 7 May, Hall Garden Tent
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Michael Balderstone, Jeremy Buckingham, Craig Ellis, David Ettershank, Sophia Moermond, Rachel Payne
All Welcome! Meet our elected State representatives from NSW, Western Australia and Victoria.
Martin Ernegg
Hemp Engineer, Hemp Fibre Fusion
TALK: Creating High Value Products from Hemp
1.30 pm Saturday 6 May, Nth Rivers Hemp, Cullen Street
BIO: Martin’s work and development is an evolving currency. Inventor of the fundamental process used by Zeoform and inspiration to Zelpho-Technology, his core competence in structural materials made from micro-fibrillated plant fibre, product development, engineering, production, feasibility and viability projects for structural materials from renewable resources. Martin has more than 20 years experience across multiple disciplines in nano fibre fusion technology and is committed to supporting visions becoming reality for a more sustainable future.
BIO: David has been a resident of the west for over 30 years. An experienced campaigner for his local community, David has spearheaded many campaigns to enhance and protect local amenities and services. Before his election as a Member of the Legislation Council in the 2022 Victorian election, David was working in the consulting practice he co-founded, supporting not-for-profit aged care providers with strong links to specialist, CALD and regional services. David has qualifications in Asian Studies and Industrial Relations along with an additional 20 years of experience working in the labour movement as a training and industrial officer. Diagnosed with a chronic auto-immune condition, David is a long-term recreational and therapeutic cannabis consumer and knows first-hand how out-of-date and out-of-touch Victoriaโs cannabis laws are. He is determined to see cannabis legalised, de-stigmatised, and its many benefits recognised for all adult Victorian consumers.
David Ettershank
Legalise Cannabis MP, Victoria
PANEL: Legalise Cannabis Plots & Plans
2 pm Saturday 6 May, Indica Arena Tent
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Jeremy Buckingham, Craig Ellis, David Ettershank, Sophia Moermond, Rachel Payne
ABOUT: What regulations do we want to pursue at the State level, and how to get there? What are the different strategies and approaches required per State?
TALK: Overhaul of Drug Driving Laws in Victoria
11 am Sunday 7 May Hall Garden Tent
SPEAKERS: David Ettershank & Rachel Payne
ABOUT: David and Rachel will discuss the Victorian Road Safety Amendment (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill 2023 that stipulates legal prescription cannabis is not captured by drug driving laws. Both the Victorian government and opposition are backing Legalise Cannabis’s effort to change โunfairโ road safety laws.
PANEL: Weed Legalisation – What’s Next?
12.45 pm Sunday 7 May, Nimbin Town Hall
FACILITATOR: David Heilpern
SPEAKERS: Cate Faehrmann, David Ettershank, Sue Higginson, Fiona Patten, Rachel Payne, David Shoebridge
ABOUT: This panel will explore a range of legalisation hot spots including – roadside drug testing and treating cannabis the same as other prescription medicine, adult use, removing past cannabis convictions, fixing the medicinal cannabis scheme, cannabis in the work place, and decriminalising psychedelics.
MEETING: Legalise Cannabis Party
5.30 pm Sunday 7 May, Hall Garden Tent
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Michael Balderstone, Jeremy Buckingham, Craig Ellis, David Ettershank, Sophia Moermond, Rachel Payne
All Welcome! Meet our elected State representatives from NSW, Western Australia and Victoria.
Cate Faehrmann
PANEL: Weed Legalisation – What’s Next?
12.45 pm Sunday 7 May, Nimbin Town Hall
FACILITATOR: David Heilpern
SPEAKERS: Cate Faehrmann, David Ettershank, Sue Higginson, Fiona Patten, Rachel Payne, David Shoebridge
ABOUT: This panel will explore a range of legalisation hot spots including – roadside drug testing and treating cannabis the same as other prescription medicine, adult use, removing past cannabis convictions, fixing the medicinal cannabis scheme, cannabis in the work place, and decriminalising psychedelics.
BIO: Cate is a Greens Member of the NSW Legislative Council. Her areas of policy interest include urgently needed drug law reform. In 2021, Cate introduced An Act to amend the [NSW] Road Transport Act 2013 to exclude users of medicinal cannabis from the offence relating to driving with the presence of certain drugs in a personโs oral fluid. Cate has admitted to the personal use of recreational drugs, including cannabis and medicinal CBD products and has been leading a campaign to Rethink Reform drug laws as the Greens Drug Law Reform spokesperson.
Anna Fox
Wholistic Therapist
TALK: Can’t take cannabis? Mother nature’s got you covered
12.30 pm Sunday 7 May, Northern Rivers Hemp,
Cullen Street [Opposite Post Office]
ABOUT: We’ve all heard about the benefits of CBD oil, but did you know that cannabis is not the only plant that can affect your cannabinoid receptors? The oil from this tree works directly on your CB2 receptors and is anti-inflammatory, relieves pain, promotes wound healing, treats a wide variety of infections, prevents liver damage, and can even be used as an aphrodisiac! Best of all it can safely be taken by people with a cannabis intolerance.
BIO: After being bed ridden for 2 years with back issues, with no hope from the medical industry, Anna discovered bioresonance and the power of plants that not only allowed her to walk again, but to dance, climb and travel the world. Now 20 years later, she’s just as passionate about natural healing and loves learning, implementing and teaching a wide range of holistic therapies to as many people as possible so they too can get their health back naturally.
BIO: Jason Gann is an award-winning actor, writer, producer, cannabis activist and entrepreneur. Heโs best known for co-creating and starring as the title โbong smoking dogโ character in the hit โstonerโ comedy seriesโ, Wilfred (both Australian and US versions.) In 2019, Jason sold his home and quit Hollywood to go “all in” and launch the celebrity cannabis brand, Wilfred Cannabis in California. In 2020 he launched Wilfred Hemp & CBD. Jason has long described his relationship with cannabis as โspiritualโ and is launching a dramatic documentary podcast series called The Cannabis Code.
Jason Gann [Wilfred]
TALK: My Brilliant Cannabis Career
1 pm Saturday 6 May Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: From comedy to Cannabis, follow Jason’s career from a stoner TV series creator/actor transitioning to cannabis entrepreneur. Jason will also speak extensively about his spiritual relationship with Cannabis, and the 10 years of research he’s done developing his dramatic documentary podcast series called โThe Cannabis Codeโ โ an unflinching quest to unveil the mysteries, hidden histories, and possible โdivineโ nature of the cannabis plant.
PANEL: International Cannabis Experiences
3 pm Saturday 6 May, Indica Arena Tent
ABOUT: Our panelists will share their personal experiences with Cannabis law reform, culture and the entrepreneurial highs and lows of navigating Cannabis industries in other countries.
Gerald
aka Flash, Brick Eagle, JingJo, Goddess
Q&A: Hon Members & Senators Learning Circle
11 am Saturday 6 May,
Northern Rivers Hemp, Cullen Street [Opp Post Office]
FACILITATOR: Gerald, The Hempire
SPEAKERS: The Hempire
ABOUT: A chance for our parliamentarians representing Cannabis to hear from the farmers and producers of the Hempire and discuss strategy and tactics as the revolution progresses.
PANEL: Master Gardenerโs Forum
2.30 pm Saturday 6 May, Hall Garden Tent
FACILITATOR: Gerald, The Hemp Club
SPEAKERS: Hanna & Leon, Malcolm, Richie, Skywalker
ABOUT: Northern Rivers hemp farmers share their wide-ranging experience. Come learn from the experts, and please bring your tips & ideas to the circle.
BIO: My interest in cannabis spans 50+ years, in which time I have dedicated my selves to the plant. I have propagated cannabis on every continent except Antartica plus a few non continental islands. For the last six years I have propagated it under licence. The three main strands of my interest now lay in plant fibre as a building material, cosmetic use of the whole plant for health and rejuvenation, carbon sequestration by means of cannabis hemp bio-char.
Glass Blowing Artists
DEMOS: Glass Blowing Demonstrations
All Weekend @ Markets
STALLS: Global Gardens & Craze Co
Ace Glass Australia is an out of the box thinker and philosopher doing away with the typical emphasis on practice and technique, realising the immeasurable nature of working glass and the unknown amount of time in which to do so, rather choosing to be guided by instinct and intuition in the present moment.
Craze Collective are an Australian based misfit crew of makers, movers and shakers known for their advocacy for law reform by means of avant-garde art installations, publicity stunts and protests. Come and meet the team. @thecrazeco // crazeco.com.au
Empirical Glass, established in 2018 in Perth, Western Australia. Born from a passion for Glass and the culture. Through observation and experience as well as using the highest quality materials possible, we aim to bring high quality Australian made glass to those who seek it.
Jim Lindner aka @jimmysglassart is a Glassblowing Artist from Tasmania, Australia. In the beginning Jimmy operated in his family garage space with a dream to make glass art to hide all over Hobart town for people to scavenger hunt. The word got around quickly and soon Jimmy was hiding his artworks Australia wide. Working with molten glass has been a lifelong passion for Jimmy since his very first gift of playing marbles at 5. At 18 he was involved in a workplace accident that resulted in 3rd degree burns, Not long after deciding to follow his childhood fascination with glass as a form of art therapy, sharing the story of healing and creating with fire in front of live audiences. Jimmy is now 26 and lives in Hobart, creating glass artworks full time.
BIO: We are Hemp Threads, an industrial hemp company formed in 2019 which aims to bring local hemp production and processing to the northern rivers. We have experimented with fibres, building materials, foods and forms of regenerative farming. We are currently specialising in hemp seed oil and flour production with the help of our cold pressed oil machine. We envision small-scale hemp farms with centralised processing facilities to empower people to live on the land and contribute to a plant-based economy.
Hanna and Leon
TALK: Hemp and Regenerative Farming
11.30 am Saturday 6 May, Nth Rivers Hemp, Cullen Street
ABOUT: Hanna & Leon are passionate about regenerative agriculture and organic cannabis cultivation to help heal damaged agricultural land.
PANEL: Master Gardenerโs Forum
2.30 pm Saturday 6 May, Hall Garden Tent
FACILITATOR: Gerald, The Hemp Club
SPEAKERS: Hanna & Leon, Malcolm, Richie, Skywalker
ABOUT: Northern Rivers hemp farmers share their wide-ranging experience. Come learn from the experts, and please bring your tips & ideas to the circle.
BIO: David Heilpern was appointed as a Magistrate in 1998, and was at the time the youngest magistrate in Australia. In August 2022 he took up the position of Dean and Chair of Discipline (Law) at Southern Cross University. David has a commitment to ensuring that drug laws change to reflect the principles of harm reduction. In particular, he believes that harm is only increased by applying a law and order model to victimless crimes.
In August 2022 was appointed as a Dean and Chair of Discipline (Law) at SCU.
David Heilpern
Ex-Magistrate
Q&A: Cannabis Laws in Australia & State by State Reform
10 am Sunday 7 May Nimbin Town Hall
SPEAKERS: Steve Bolt, David Heilpern & David Shoebridge
ABOUT: This session will discuss Cannabis laws in Australia, and present a round up of state-by-state drug law reform in 2023 incorporating Mr Heilpern’s intriguing Radical Flank and Overton Window theories. From strip searches at festivals and your friendly sniffers dogs, to medical cannabis being the only prescribed medicine which makes it illegal to drive, please come on a journey into many cruel and unusual laws running rampant in contemporary Oz.
PANEL: Weed Legalisation – What’s Next?
12.45 pm Sunday 7 May, Nimbin Town Hall
FACILITATOR: David Heilpern
SPEAKERS: Cate Faehrmann, David Ettershank, Sue Higginson, Fiona Patten, Rachel Payne, David Shoebridge
ABOUT: This panel will explore a range of legalisation hot spots including – roadside drug testing and treating cannabis the same as other prescription medicine, adult use, removing past cannabis convictions, fixing the medicinal cannabis scheme, cannabis in the work place, and decriminalising psychedelics.
Sue Higginson
PANEL: Weed Legalisation – What’s Next?
12.45 pm Sunday 7 May, Nimbin Town Hall
FACILITATOR: David Heilpern
SPEAKERS: Cate Faehrmann, David Ettershank, Sue Higginson, Fiona Patten, Rachel Payne, David Shoebridge
ABOUT: This panel will explore a range of legalisation hot spots including – roadside drug testing and treating cannabis the same as other prescription medicine, adult use, removing past cannabis convictions, fixing the medicinal cannabis scheme, cannabis in the work place, and decriminalising psychedelics.
BIO: Sue is one of your Greens representatives in the NSW Parliament. Her journey started in the old-growth forests of the North Coast as a frontline activist and her passion for protecting our precious native forests is just as strong today. Sue is driven by justice, social and environmental. She is in the NSW Parliament to bring in laws that protect First Nations people and their culture, to end logging in our public native forests and the destruction of nature, and to challenge the corporate interests that want coal and gas mining extended and expanded in communities across our state.
BIO: Dr Karen Hitchcock is a specialist physician and fellow of the Royal Australian College Physicians. She worked in major metropolitan hospitals for fifteen years before moving into private practice. Dr Hitchcock was one of Australiaโs first authorised prescribers of medicinal cannabis. She is currently a trial therapist in the St. Vincent’s hospital end of life psilocybin trial. Dr Hitchcock holds a PhD in English Literature and is an award-winning writer of fiction and non-fiction focussing on medicine and society. She has written three books and has been a columnist and essayist for the Monthly magazine since 2012.
Dr Karen Hitchcock
Physician and Authorised Medicinal Cannabis Prescriber
TALK: Medicinal Cannabis – The Word on the Street
2.30 pm Saturday 6 May, Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: The current state of Medical Cannabis in Australia
PANEL: TGA Decision to Reschedule MDMA & Psilocybin – The Good, Bad & the Ugly
6 pm Saturday 6 May, Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: This panel brings together researchers, psychologists, doctors, legal experts and advocates to discuss the TGA decision. What it means for the future of psychological health care? Who meets the access criteria? What will this likely cost? What therapeutic training will be required for practitioners? Panelists consider whether patients are treatment-resistant or if theyโve been treatment-deprived? And examine what the cultural and societal cost of prohibition has been.
PANEL: Cannabis for Healing, Health and Wellbeing
11 am Sunday 7 May, Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: This panel will explore how Cannabis affects our health and wellbeing, and how it assists with a diverse range of ailments including serious illness. Speakers will cover our endocannabinoid system, how Cannabis treats various medical conditions, the role of terpenes, drug interactions, and how to access legal medical Cannabis. Hear from both doctors and patient experience.
BIO: Rebecca is an International speaker, Mental Health & Drug Reform Advocate and Health & Wellness Coach. She has worked with clients from a wide variety of backgrounds, including veterans, entrepreneurs, high net worth CEOโs, medical professionals, and celebrity A-Listers. She shares her real life experience of treating and managing both complex and combat post traumatic stress and subscribes to a unique heuristic and holistic model for mental health care, over a pharmaceutical prescription. While living in the United States, she worked in the legal Cannabis Industry, trained as a MDMA practitioner and co-facilitated over 50 sessions. As Co-founder and former Director of the ex-service organisation, Weeded Warrior, she advocated politically for Medicinal Cannabis and MDMA therapy legalisation in Australia and successfully championed the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover Medicinal Cannabis for Veterans.
Rebecca Houghton
Health & Wellness Coach
PANEL: TGA Decision to Reschedule MDMA & Psilocybin – The Good, Bad & the Ugly
6 pm Saturday 6 May, Nimbin Town Hall
FACILITATOR: Rebecca Houghton
SPEAKERS: Prof James Bennett-Levy, Dr Karen Hitchcock, Micha Lerner, Dr Martin Williams, Dr Will Tregoning
ABOUT: The half century old War on Drugs has meant people with a mental health diagnosis have been deprived of safe and effective treatments, all in the name of pharmaceutical profits. Recently, in a surprise move that made headlines around the globe, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australiaโs national regulator of drugs, poisons and pharmaceuticals made the decision to re-schedule MDMA and Psilocybin to schedule 8, under very specific and strict conditions.
This panel brings together researchers, psychologists, doctors, legal experts and advocates to discuss this decision. What it means for the future of psychological health care? Who meets the access criteria? What will this likely cost? What therapeutic training will be required for practitioners? Panelists consider whether patients are treatment-resistant or if theyโve been treatment-deprived? And examine what the cultural and societal cost of prohibition has been.
Hang Qobun Al Ganjari (HQ)
Founder, Bani Tenang Horticulture Centre and Cannabis Advocate
PANEL: International Cannabis Experiences
3 pm Saturday 6 May, Indica Arena Tent
ABOUT: Our panelists will share their personal experiences with Cannabis law reform, culture and the entrepreneurial highs and lows of navigating Cannabis industries in other countries.
BIO: HQ comes from a country with one of the the most strictest law surrounding cannabis. He started using cannabis as a medicine after fracturing his lower vertebrae in an accident 15 years ago. He was incarcerated and spent his time in Malaysia’s prison for a simple cannabis possession. During his time there, he encountered prisoners who were awaiting death sentences and flogging for cannabis convictions alone. His experiences in prison inspired him to start a movement of pro-cannabis activists all around Malaysia. They have organised rallies and street protests against the current drug laws in Malaysia. Since 2017, he has helped facilitate and educate users/patients with chronic illnesses on the benefits of cannabis for wide range of diseases. BTHC (Bani Tenang Horticulture Centre) is the first and only educational platform in Malaysia focusing mainly on cannabis cultivation.
Dr John Jiggens
Historian & Journalist
TALK: The media-law enforcement nexus and the war on Cannabis in Australia
6 pm Saturday 6 May, Hall Garden Tent
ABOUT: From the Reefer Madness campaign of 1938 to Brisbaneโs Marihuana weirdos to the Drug Joke: John will lead you through the hidden history of cannabis prohibition in Australia.
BIO: Dr John Jiggens is a writer and journalist who has published several books including The Joke, Sir Joseph Banks & the Question of Hemp and, with Jack Herer, the Australian version of The Emperor Wears No Clothes. His PhD was โMarijuana Australiana: Cannabis Use, Popular Culture and the Americanisation of Drugs Policy in Australia 1938 โ 1988โ. The books that derive from this are Marijuana Australiana, The killer cop and the murder of Donald Mackay and The man who knew too much. As a journalist, he currently works in the community newsroom at Bay-FM in Byron Bay.
BIO: Micha has worked for more than 25 years in diverse roles and a broad range of clinical settings, including lecturing at Bond university, and researching the effects of psychedelic medicines. He has worked in drug and alcohol services around the world, and also founded his own company, Go Flow Consultancy, which provides after-care support. Micha has developed an integrative, client focussed therapeutic approach where evidence based modalities are used along with approaches such as transcendental psychology, psychedelic-assisted therapy and self inquiry processes drawn from various spiritual practices. Micha is completing his PHD in psychedelic research, and works at Mudita Holistic Collective in the Byron Shire.
Micha Lerner
Psychologist
PANEL: TGA Decision to Reschedule MDMA & Psilocybin – The Good, Bad & the Ugly
6 pm Saturday 6 May, Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: The half century old War on Drugs has meant people with a mental health diagnosis have been deprived of safe and effective treatments, all in the name of pharmaceutical profits. Recently, in a surprise move that made headlines around the globe, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australiaโs national regulator of drugs, poisons and pharmaceuticals made the decision to re-schedule MDMA and Psilocybin to schedule 8, under very specific and strict conditions.
This panel brings together researchers, psychologists, doctors, legal experts and advocates to discuss this decision. What it means for the future of psychological health care? Who meets the access criteria? What will this likely cost? What therapeutic training will be required for practitioners? Panelists consider whether patients are treatment-resistant or if theyโve been treatment-deprived? And examine what the cultural and societal cost of prohibition has been.
Kog
OG & Author, Green Grass Publishing
Q&A: Kog’s Gardener’s Circle
11 am Sunday 7 May, Indica Arena Tent
ABOUT: Sharing the truth about cultivating Cannabis.
BIO: Peter “Kog” Godfrey is one of Australia’s leading authors on Marijuana cultivation. In 1995, Kog was busted with 8,000 marijuana seedlings. The cops valued these worthless little plants at $2,000 each and sentenced Kog to 2 years in prison for being in possession of $16 Million dollars worth of marijuana. After he got out of prison, he set about to grow the biggest and the best crop of dope he’d ever grown – and he did. Kog was determined to share his knowledge with the greater community and wrote his seminal book “Marijuana – A Grower’s Lot” which has sold over 2,500 copies.
Pixie Miller
Founder, The PATCH
PANEL: The Emerging Ecosystem in the Australian Psychedelic Community
12 pm Sunday 7 May, Hall Garden Tent
ABOUT: In 2023 psychedelics are not contained within an underground bubble anymore, as they are integrated into the respectable worlds of therapy and corporate control.This panel will explore the changing landscape of the Australian psychedelic community as mainstream medicalisation and commercialism starts to emerge.
BIO: Pixie is the founder of the Psychedelically Aware harm minimisation network and The PATCH โ The Psychedelically Aware Talking Circle Hub. Having studied psychology and health science, while pursuing postgraduate neuroscience, she has a broad understanding of how entheogens affect both the body and mind. Pixie is passionate about research and how entheogens could be used in therapeutic models. Currently, her pursuit of harm minimisation through The PATCH has been gaining momentum with community discussions and education. Drawing upon interdisciplinary knowledge to collaborate on community-led initiatives, the potential of entheogens can shine in a safer space.
BIO: Sophia is the Legalise Cannabis WA member for the South West Region. Sophia was initially trained as a Registered Nurse at the Anna Reynvaan School of Nursing in Amsterdam before moving to Western Australia with her parents in 1983. Prior to politics she studied at Perth Academy of Natural Therapies and has been practising Naturopathic and Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Perth metropolitan area. As โthe first person, and thus the first woman, to have been voted in on a legalise cannabis platform aloneโ, Sophia embodies the imminent uprising of the voices of marginalised populations in the political arena by proposing radical preventative, innovative and cost-effective policy reforms.
Sophia Moermond
Q&A: Hon Members & Senators Learning Circle
11 am Saturday 6 May,
Northern Rivers Hemp, Cullen Street [Opp Post Office]
FACILITATOR: Gerald, The Hempire
SPEAKERS: The Hempire
ABOUT: A chance for our parliamentarians representing Cannabis to hear from the farmers and producers of the Hempire and discuss strategy and tactics as the revolution progresses.
PANEL: Legalise Cannabis Plots & Plans
2 pm Saturday 6 May, Indica Arena Tent
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Craig Ellis, Jeremy Buckingham, David Ettershank, Sophia Moermond, Rachel Payne
ABOUT: What regulations do we want to pursue at the state level, and how to get there?
MEETING: Legalise Cannabis Party
5.30 pm Sunday 7 May, Hall Garden Tent
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Michael Balderstone, Jeremy Buckingham, Craig Ellis, David Ettershank, Sophia Moermond, Rachel Payne
ABOUT: All Welcome! Meet our elected State representatives from NSW, Western Australia and Victoria.
Bee Mohamed
Head of Advocacy & Government Relations, Astrid
PANEL: International Cannabis Experiences
3 pm Saturday 6 May, Indica Arena Tent
FACILITATOR: Bee Mohamed, Astrid
SPEAKERS: Paul Benhaim [Thailand], Jason โWilfredโ Gann [USA], Bek Houghton [USA], HQ [Malaysia], Marc Selan [Spain]
ABOUT: Our panelists will share their personal experiences with Cannabis law reform, culture and the entrepreneurial highs and lows of navigating Cannabis industries in other countries.
BIO: Bee Mohamed is currently the Head of Advocacy and Government Relations at Astrid, the first female-led medicinal cannabis dispensary in Australia and Campaign Lead of Drive Change, a nationwide campaign that aims to address drug driving laws in Australia. She comes from close to 10 years of experience in public policy – having worked in Canberra, advocacy organisations and within the private sector too. Bee was born in Singapore, and is deeply passionate about drug law reform as well as addressing barriers that patients on medicinal cannabis continue to face in Australia.
Fiona Patten
TALK: How to Influence Politicians & Parliaments
12.15 pm Saturday 6 May Indica Arena Tent
ABOUT: What I learned about Cannabis regulation after 8 years in Victorian parliament. How do we get politicians to the Cannabis grown-ups table? What is the political sweet spot & possible models from overseas.
PANEL: Weed Legalisation – What’s Next?
12.45 pm Sunday 7 May, Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: This panel will explore a range of legalisation hot spots including – roadside drug testing and treating cannabis the same as other prescription medicine, adult use, removing past cannabis convictions, fixing the medicinal cannabis scheme, and decriminalising psychedelics.
BIO: Fiona is the leader of the Reason Party and was a member of the Victorian Legislative Council between 2014 and 2022, until she lost her seat at the 2022 state election. She recently received an honourable mentioned by the McKinnon Prize Shortlisting Committee, an independent, non-partisan award that acknowledges outstanding political leadership across the political spectrum. Patten established the Australian Sex Party in 2009 to focus on personal freedoms after deep frustration with stagnation on censorship, Marriage Equality and drug law reform. In 2017, the Australian Sex Party changed its name to the Reason Party. During her time as a Victorian MP, Fiona has been credited for playing pivotal roles in achieving social reforms in Victoria, with examples including the passage of Victoria’s assisted dying legislation, and the trial of a medically supervised drug injecting room in Richmond.
BIO: Rachel Payne is a formidable addition to Parliament. She holds a Masterโs degree in Public Policy and qualifications in Sociology and Politics as well as extensive experience in leadership, advocacy and campaigning gained through executive, management, policy and research roles for organisations such as Eros Association, Family Court Australia and Centrelink. Rachel is also an acclaimed performance artist, touring as Freckles Blue in Paris and London. An advocate for womenโs rights, equality, inclusivity, and social and community development, Rachel is also actively involved in the LGBTIQ+ community. Rachel believes that cannabis law reform is well overdue. She is keen to drive the conversation around the role of cannabis as a catalyst for new economic opportunities, environmental ingenuity and creation.
Rachel Payne
Legalise Cannabis MP, Victoria
PANEL: Legalise Cannabis Plots & Plans
2 pm Saturday 6 May, Indica Arena Tent
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Craig Ellis, David Ettershank, Sophia Moermond, Rachel Payne
ABOUT: What regulations do we want to pursue at the state level, and how to get there?
TALK: Overhaul of Drug Driving Laws in Victoria
11 am Sunday 7 May, Hall Garden Tent
SPEAKERS: David Ettershank & Rachel Payne
ABOUT: David and Rachel will discuss the Victorian Road Safety Amendment (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill 2023 that stipulates legal prescription cannabis is not captured by drug driving laws. Both the Victorian government and opposition are backing Legalise Cannabis’s effort to change โunfairโ road safety laws.
PANEL: Weed Legalisation – What’s Next?
12.45 pm Sunday 7 May, Nimbin Town Hall
FACILITATOR: David Heilpern
SPEAKERS: Cate Faehrmann, David Ettershank, Sue Higginson, Fiona Patten, Rachel Payne, David Shoebridge
ABOUT: This panel will explore a range of legalisation hot spots including โ roadside drug testing and treating cannabis the same as other prescription medicine, adult use, removing past cannabis convictions, fixing the medicinal cannabis scheme, cannabis in the work place, and decriminalising psychedelics.
MEETING: Legalise Cannabis Party
5.30 pm Sunday 7 May, Hall Garden Tent
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Michael Balderstone, Jeremy Buckingham, Craig Ellis, David Ettershank, Sophia Moermond, Rachel Payne
ABOUT: All Welcome! Meet our elected State representatives from NSW, Western Australia and Victoria.
PANEL: International Cannabis Experiences
3 pm Saturday 6 May, Indica Arena Tent
ABOUT: Our panelists will share their personal experiences with Cannabis law reform and culture in other countries.
BIO: Marc is a medically prescribed patient since returning from Barcelona earlier this year after eight years as a medical โrefugeeโ. While there he managed a Cannabis Social Club and has great insight into how this system could work in Australia. His expertise will be invaluable in developing a workable model for Australians.
John Shipton
Human Rights Campaigner
TALK: Guilty of Journalism – The Case of Julian Assange
12 pm Sunday 7 May, Indica Arena Tent
ABOUT: John Shipton has been at the forefront of defending his son, Julian Assange, from political persecution, false charges, harassment and slander by political figures, the corporate media and the U.S. Government. In this presentation, John will share his thoughts and feelings about the struggle to bring his son home.
BIO: John is Julian Assange’s father.
BIO: David Shoebridge is a recognised voice for social justice and police accountability, and has spoken on these topics at many past MardiGrass. He was elected to the Senate as the party’s lead candidate in New South Wales at the 2022 federal election, to a term beginning on 1 July 2022. Prior to this David was a Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since September 2010. In 2014, as part of a broader campaign to curb the use of police drug dogs, David launched Facebook page Sniff Off with individuals reporting drug dog locations at train stations, festivals and other public places in NSW. Through freedom of information and questions in Parliament David obtained data that indicates drug dogs get it wrong up to 80% of the time.
David Shoebridge
Federal Senator for NSW [Greens]
Q&A: Cannabis Laws in Australia & State by State Reform
10 am Sunday 7 May Nimbin Town Hall
SPEAKERS: Steve Bolt, David Heilpern & David Shoebridge
ABOUT: This session will discuss Cannabis laws in Australia, and present a round up of state-by-state drug law reform in 2023 incorporating Mr Heilpern’s intriguing Radical Flank and Overton Window theories. From strip searches at festivals and your friendly sniffers dogs, to medical cannabis being the only prescribed medicine which makes it illegal to drive, please come on a journey into many cruel and unusual laws running rampant in contemporary Oz.
TALK: Legalising Cannabis Federally
12.15 pm Sunday 7 May Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: David will outline where the Greens federal bill is up to, and the next steps to be taken.
PANEL: Weed Legalisation – What’s Next?
12.45 pm Sunday 7 May Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: This panel will discuss the current legalisation issues including: Roadside drug testing and treating cannabis the same as other prescription medicine, adult use, removing past cannabis convictions, fixing the medicinal cannabis scheme, and decriminalising psychedelics
Simonetta
aka Ziggy, Simmo, Mutineer
BIO: Eritrean by birth, Italian by temperament, Australian by choice. But always a devotee of Mother Ganja because cannabis has always been the great healer and a light in the darkest night. Attributes; linguist, florist, deadly enemy of injustice.
BIO: Dr John Teh has been working within the Medicinal Cannabis industry since the legalisation of cannabis for medicinal use in Australia in February, 2016. As an avid organic farmer and permaculture expert, treatment with natural whole plant products in conjunction with conventional medical treatment has always been a top personal priority. Dr Teh worked in the surgical industry for 15 years before moving into Medicinal Cannabis specialty full-time.
Dr John Teh
PANEL: Cannabis for Healing, Health and Wellbeing
11 am Sunday 7 May, Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: This panel will explore how Cannabis affects our health and wellbeing, and how it assists with a diverse range of ailments including serious illness. Speakers will cover our endocannabinoid system, how Cannabis treats various medical conditions, the role of terpenes, drug interactions, and how to access legal medical Cannabis. Hear from both doctors and patient experience.
TALK: Plant Medications and Patient Outcomes
1 pm Sunday 7 May, Indica Arena Tent
ABOUT: Plantmed is a trail blazing Australian medical clinic specialising in allopathic medicine, cannabinoid medicine and integrated health practices. Dr Teh will share Plantmed’s experience over the last seven years to provide focused adjunct Cannabis therapy, and how patient treatment outcomes have improved. Plantmed is also dedicated to community education via the annual Australian Cannabis Summit, and collaboration with Greendorphin Media to provide valuable online resources.
BIO: Will Tregoning came to drug law reform from a background in social policy research, communications consultancy and health equity program management. He completed a Bachelor of Arts and a PhD in Cultural Studies at the University of Sydney before beginning a career as a research and evaluation consultant to Australian government departments and agencies, focussing on alcohol and other drugs. He co-founded Unharm and is also co-founder of drug checking organisation The Loop Australia.
Dr Will Tregoning
TALK: Persuasive Propaganda for Legalisation
3.15 pm Saturday 6 May Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: Will will share the results of research Unharm has undertaken on what messages persuade people to support legalisation.
PANEL: TGA Decision to Reschedule MDMA & Psilocybin – The Good, Bad & the Ugly
6 pm Saturday 6 May, Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: Recently, in a surprise move that made headlines around the globe, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australiaโs national regulator of drugs, poisons and pharmaceuticals made the decision to re-schedule MDMA and Psilocybin to schedule 8, under very specific and strict conditions. This panel brings together researchers, psychologists, doctors, legal experts and advocates to discuss this decision. What it means for the future of psychological health care? Who meets the access criteria? What will this likely cost? What therapeutic training will be required for practitioners? Panelists consider whether patients are treatment-resistant or if theyโve been treatment-deprived? And examine what the cultural and societal cost of prohibition has been.
“Dr Deb” Waldron
Cannabis Advocate and Educator
TALK: Cannabis & Other Vices – How do we change societal attitudes?
11 am Saturday 6 May Hall Garden Tent
ABOUT: How do we change societal attitudes to using cannabis for health and wellbeing?
BIO: Dr Debbie Waldron is a retired rural GP, a cancer survivor, and has been researching cannabis medicine for close to a decade. The biggest fight of her life was against melanoma. It was during this fight she re-discovered cannabis and natural medicine, and has not looked back. She no longer wishes to be part of what she sees as a corrupt, uncaring and broken system of health care, and focuses now on caring for people in a holistic way, and educating as many as she can on cannabis and other wonders of nature that have languished in the wilderness for too long. She has also been an enthusiastic cannabis activist, to the point of standing for State parliament for the Legalise Cannabis Queensland Party, and is looking forward to continuing the fight for reasonable and sensible cannabis legislation.
BIO: LCWA party member Dr. Brain Walker has officially won a seat in WA’s Upper House after getting 9,200 first preference votes in the election. Dr. Walker is a General Practitioner who works in Serpentine, in Perthโs south. He joined LCWA when it first formed, and ran alongside twenty-two LCWA members in the state election. Another LCWA member Sophia Moermond was also elected, in the South West Region. LCWA is one of Australiaโs newest political parties. It was only founded in December 2020, after drawing inspiration from Legalise Cannabis Queensland. The partyโs public Facebook group now has over 2,900 members. LCWA won about 2% of the popular vote โ which is remarkable for such a new party. Dr Walker believes that WA should legalise the use of recreational cannabis, and has described it as โsaferโ than alcohol and tobacco.
Dr Brian Walker
PANEL: Legalise Cannabis Plots & Plans
2 pm Saturday 6 May, Indica Arena Tent
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Jeremy Buckingham, Craig Ellis, David Ettershank, Sophia Moermond, Rachel Payne
ABOUT: What regulations do we want to pursue at the state level, and how to get there?
PANEL: Cannabis for Healing, Health and Wellbeing
11 am Sunday 7 May, Nimbin Town Hall
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Mirembe Campbell, Dr Karen Hitchcock, Dr John Teh
ABOUT: This panel will explore how Cannabis affects our health and wellbeing, and how it assists with a diverse range of ailments including serious illness. Speakers will cover our endocannabinoid system, how Cannabis treats various medical conditions, the role of terpenes, drug interactions, and how to access legal medical Cannabis. Hear from both doctors and patient experience.
TALK: Western Australia’s Cannabis Report
1 pm Sunday 7 May, Hall Garden Tent
ABOUT: Legalise Cannabis MP, Dr Brian Walker is determined to push through changes to W.A.’s medicinal Cannabis regulations after warning the current framework is restricting access to medicine and damaging people’s health. The Select Committee in Cannabis and Health, chaired by Walker, has made 16 recommendations to the WA government, including changes to the drug driving laws and increasing the daily THC prescribing limit from 40mg to at least 100mg.
MEETING: Legalise Cannabis Party
5.30 pm Sunday 7 May, Hall Garden Tent
FACILITATOR: Dr Brian Walker, Legalise Cannabis W.A.
SPEAKERS: Michael Balderstone, Jeremy Buckingham, Craig Ellis, David Ettershank, Sophia Moermond, Rachel Payne
ABOUT: All Welcome! Meet our elected State representatives from NSW, Western Australia and Victoria.
Mark Webb
Aromatic Specialist, Educator & Therapist
TALK: Aromatics & Cannabinoids โ The Synergy of Plant Medicines
11.15 am Saturday 6 May Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: In this presentation Mark will take a look at the chemistry & therapeutic advantages of the polypharmacy approach in formulating effective products using aromatics paired with cannabinoids. The Entourage Effect on Steroids!
BIO: Consultation – Education – Formulation – Innovation. As the โAroma Science Guyโ Mark is an aromatic, formulation and cosmetic chemist with extensive extraction expertise who provides independent consulting across crop selection, harvesting, extraction science and aromatic, cannabinoid and herbal compound application to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and personal care industries. Mark has a passion for aromatic chemistry (terpenes, EOs, CO2s) and their applications with the hemp and cannabis space.
BIO: Martin is the Executive Director and Co-founder of Psychedelic Research in Science and Medicine (PRISM), Research Fellow in Psychology at Swinburne University and in Computational Neuroscience at the Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health at Monash University. Martin is a founding member of Entheogenesis Australis (EGA), an educational charity focused on the historical use and societal impacts of medicinal plants and chemicals. Martin is co-lead on the St Vincentโs Hospital Melbourne Phase 2 trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression and anxiety associated with terminal illness, and co-investigator on the upcoming Melbourne multi-institutional psilocybin trial for treatment-resistant depression and Edith Cowan University MDMA trial for PTSD. In his spare time, Martin has an avid interest as an aircraft pilot.
Dr Martin Williams
Psychedelic Research in Science and Medicine (PRISM)
TALK: Psychedelic Assisted Therapy – The Australian Landscape
1.45 pm Saturday 6 May Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: Martin will explore current psychedelic research in Australia. Martin has been involved in seeking approval for two clinical trials, one of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD, and the other of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of anxiety and depression associated with terminal illness. He is currently working with another interdisciplinary research group on a clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression.
PANEL: TGA Decision to Reschedule MDMA & Psilocybin – The Good, Bad & the Ugly
6 pm Saturday 6 May, Nimbin Town Hall
ABOUT: The half century old War on Drugs has meant people with a mental health diagnosis have been deprived of safe and effective treatments, all in the name of pharmaceutical profits. Recently, in a surprise move that made headlines around the globe, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australiaโs national regulator of drugs, poisons and pharmaceuticals made the decision to re-schedule MDMA and Psilocybin to schedule 8, under very specific and strict conditions.
PANEL: The Emerging Ecosystem in the Australian Psychedelic Community
12 pm Sunday 7 May, Hall Garden Tent
ABOUT: In 2023 psychedelics are not contained within an underground bubble anymore, as they are integrated into the respectable worlds of therapy and corporate control.This panel will explore the changing landscape of the Australian psychedelic community as mainstream medicalisation and commercialism starts to emerge.
Friday 5 May
Saturday 6 May
Sunday 7 May
