"In March 1993, after a decade of raids
and arrests, and a particularly intensive recent period of random
street searches, arrests and rough treatment, a spontaneous demonstration
erupted, and marched to the police station, pelting it with eggs
and toilet paper. Negative newspaper reports followed. Nimbin
Hemp Embassy (formerly "Nimbin Hemp") members decided
to hold a peaceful protest in a non-confrontational
atmosphere, that ordinary people could comfortably attend,
on May 1, 1993. That was the first MardiGrass. (The spelling is
that officially used by the MardiGrass Organising Body) The MardiGrass
Organising Body (MOB) was formed to manage the event and consists
entirely of volunteers. The intention is to hold a MardiGrass
every year until prohibition ends."
That what Wikipedia
says and we couldn't have summed it up better ourselves.
20 Million Arrests, and
Counting
By Paul Armentano
Young people suffer the most under anti-pot laws, but they lack
the financial means and political capital to lobby politicians
to change them.
This November, moments before millions of voters flock to the
polls to elect America's 44th president, law enforcement officials
will make their 20 millionth marijuana arrest.
Yet in the days leading up to this appalling
milestone, it's unlikely either candidate will call for —
or even so much as entertain — any change in U.S. pot policies.
It's even less likely the mainstream media will care.
Since the early '90s, the total number of
Americans busted annually for pot has nearly tripled. In 1991,
police arrested a modern low of 288,000 people for minor marijuana
violations in the United States, according to the FBI's annual
Uniform Crime Report. By 2006 (the last year for which data is
available), a record 830,000 people were arrested. (Of those arrested,
an estimated 90 percent are charged with minor possession —
not trafficking, cultivation or sale.)
That's one American arrested for pot every
38 seconds.
Yet despite this massive increase in arrests
— by contrast, federal statistics indicate that adult marijuana
use has remained fairly stable over the past decade — the
mass media and Congress continue to ignore the story.
By doing so, they ignore the plight of millions
of Americans who suffer significant sanctions and hardships because
of pot-related run-ins with law enforcement. These penalties include
probation and mandatory drug testing; loss of employment; loss
of child custody; removal from subsidized housing; asset forfeiture;
loss of student aid; loss of voting privileges; loss of adoption
rights; and loss of certain federal welfare benefits, such as
food stamps.
Some Americans serve time for pot. Nearly
13 percent of state inmates and 12.4 percent of federal inmates
are incarcerated for marijuna-related drug violations, according
to a 2006 Bureau of Justice Statistics report. (The report did
not include the estimated percentage of inmates incarcerated in
county jails for pot-related offenses.)
In human terms, this means that some 34,000
state inmates and an estimated 11,000 federal inmates are serving
time behind bars for violating marijuana laws.
In fiscal terms, this means U.S. taxpayers
are spending more than $1 billion annually to imprison pot offenders.
The front-end criminal justice costs —
such as the number of hours a police officer must put in to arrest
and process the average pot offender — is far greater. Some
researchers, such as Harvard University economist Jeffery Miron,
estimate it at upward of $7 billion a year.
But the financial and social costs tell
only part of the story.
Up to 70 percent of all individuals in drug
treatment for pot are placed there by the criminal justice system,
according to statistics published by the U.S. Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration. In other words, these
individuals were ordered by a judge (or a drug court) to attend
"rehab" in lieu of jail, or as a requirement of their
probation. Of those enrolled in treatment, federal statistics
indicate that more than one in three had not even used marijuana
in the 30 days prior to their admission.
Yet, disingenuously, the White House argues
that these rising admission rates justify the need to continue
arresting cannabis users, even though the policy, not the drug,
is fueling the surge in drug treatment. At the same time, thousands
of Americans seeking — and needing — drug treatment
are denied because facilities lack bed space.
Equally troubling yet seldom discussed publicly
is the reality that marijuana enforcement disproportionately affects
citizens by age. According to data compiled by the FBI, 74 percent
of all Americans busted for pot are under 30. One out of four
is 18 or younger.
We now have a generation (or two) that is
so alienated that many young people believe the police are an
instrument of their oppression rather than their protection.
While young people suffer the most under
current anti-pot laws, they lack the financial means and political
capital to influence politicians to challenge them. They also
lack the money to adequately fund the drug law reform movement
at a level necessary to represent and protect their interests.
As a result, marijuana arrests continue
to climb unabated. And few in the mainstream press — and
even fewer lawmakers — feel any sufficient political pressure
to address it.
Paul Armentano is deputy director of NORML
and the NORML Foundation in Washington, D.C. His writing has appeared
in the Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor and HuffingtonPost,
among other publications.
MardiGrass 2008 was attended by
Dr Alex Wodak and family, and Alex's son Saul was moved to produce
a PDF relating his reponse
to the experience.
As a result of legal advice, we have elected to remove
some material from this page, but affirm our support of Mark Heinrich
aka Smokin Moose and our belief in his integrity.
The short version of that legal advice: prolonged public
internet spats are counterproductive to all parties.
Anatomy of a Historic Bust - Smokin Moose raided
by Australian Federal Police
Matthew 7:6 'Do not give dogs what is holy; and
do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them
under foot and turn to attack you.'
It means that you can't bestow wisdom upon those who are unwilling
to hear it. If someone has closed their mind to what you have
to say, you are only going to rile them up if you continue to
try to convince them. Be chilled.
Models for Regulated
Legalisation
It has often been said that legalisation
would see higher prices and strict controls, but that is not the
intent of any of the regulation proposals here. Most say that
to end the illicit market the legal product needs to be cheaper
than the black market cannabis, and most contain provision for
individual home grown plants. The Case Studies are a bit of history
and background. After that are various proposals as to how legalisation
could be implemented.
This is not "decriminalisation",
but regulated legalisation. Decriminalisation preserves the failings
of prohibition but makes it easier for smokers. That is a wedge
of Howardly proportions. It is a Clayton's measure.
We have to look beyond the smoke
and mirrors, the fear and mystification, the rhetoric and hysteria,
etc and get a clear unemotional view. The issue of prohibition
is clouded with emotion and it will be difficult to overcome it,
but it is the only real option.
"What may lie before us we do not know, nor how
long the journey, but this we do know; That truth is our companion,
that truth is with us in the battle, and that truth must win."
Robert Menzies, September 1939,
referring to a real war.
Sunday 4th May 2008: Well, the police
came into the Volunteer office three times this MardiGrass. They
had never done that even once before. They seemed determined to
examine all aspects of MardiGrass production and activity, probing
like never before to discover the inner workings of it all. Perhaps
they want to pinpoint "persons of interest" beyond Balderstone.
Michael has already been the primary target of a police operation
that was designed to amass enough information to obtain a closure
order for the Museum over MardiGrass. They closed the Hemp Bar
over MardiGrass too. Thus the Hemp Bar's pot smoking moon-tanned
nerds were forced out into the sunlight of MardiGrass to join
the throng. The police did not seem to arrest as many this year,
but were more intrusive in inquiries.
At 7:30am Michael ducked into the Museum
for a shower, and was immensely surprised to be promptly removed
by four police who then released him saying they would consider
whether to lay charges against him for breaching the closure order.
Apparently he is not only meant to close to the public, but is
not meant to enter the premises himself.
It was a great MardiGrass regardless,
and we want to thank the local National Party member and NSW Police
for re-invigorating interest in the event.
Oppressions bring out the true believers,
and we heartily thank them all for coming too, especially the
volunteers who miss so much of it to create it all for the rest
of us. You are the heart of MardiGrass and we salute you.
The Museum, Hemp Bar, Hemp Embassy and
MardiGrass seem to have become the real police target at the moment.
2nd May 2008: We were
not even admitted to the courtroom to make a case. Like a Star
Court Chamber, magistrate and police decided alone.
When the news reached
Nimbin the doors of the Museum were removed by the crowd and taken
away. The Hemp Bar has closed. The Hemp Embassy is unaffected
and remains open despite bogus reports carried by the media.
The Plantem was arrested
on a warrant for having supplied cannabis to an undercover. Tsk,
tsk! They confiscated his costume!!
29th April 2008: Police
are now seeking a Magistrates order under 1943 Restricted Premises
Act to close Hemp Bar and Museum for the MardiGrass weekend.
20 : 20, 40:20, 42:42,
420:420, Whatever! MARDIGRASS MEDIA RELEASE ANZAC DAY
Police Folly
Inspires Nimbin’s own MardiGrass Summit
“The over zealous policing of the last month has inspired
us to hold our very own People’s Drug Summit at MardiGrass
next Saturday in the evening in the Town Hall from 5 till 7 o’clock.
This gives everyone a chance to have a say on how they see the
future for cannabis users. Maximum rave length is four minutes
and twenty seconds and butcher’s paper will be available
in the Town Hall during the day on Saturday for people who are
too shy to speak publicly or wish to articulate their point of
view carefully” said Michael Balderstone, President of the
Hemp Embassy, who will host the summit.
We are appalled by the police heavy handed harassment of Nimbin
this week. There was virtually no police presence throughout the
busy summer period and now in the lead up to our annual MardiGrass
weekend, the streets of Nimbin have been like a police training
camp. Daily harassment of small time users on the footpath is
easy pickings for the police to try and clock up some crime statistics.
But, in reality, making absolutely no impact on the drug trade
and giving more and more young people criminal records for life.
The result of the April Fool’s police raid are scheduled
to appear in the Lismore Court House on Monday and we will be
there to highlight the gross misuse of tax payers money and expose
the futility of the failed policing strategies. Its fact the colourful
Nimbin streets have become the perfect back drops for the police
media unit. It is also fact the police found one plant, lots of
cake most of it without cannabis, some plugs of tobacco they claim
were cannabis suppositories and few arrests in their massive operation
on April Fools day. The press releases following the raids are
totally misleading. It was like they had busted the CWA cake sale
stall by mistake. Then the police just cooked the statistics.
MardiGrass organisers may be laughing at the police folly but
they are leaving no stone unturned in an effort to get serious
discussion on the future of policing cannabis users. Various experts
have been invited to present a model for regulated cannabis supply
in the Nimbin Town Hall “Beyond Prohibition Forum”
on Saturday at one o’clock to kick of the ever optimistic
Nimbin Hemp Embassy Law Reformers who believe common sense will
prevail in the end.
HEMP Embassy 6689 1842 Michael after hours 66897525.
In 2004 we were pondering static numbers, and the effort of putting
MardiGrass on, given the signs of declining media interest in
a protest that no longer aroused much reaction. The years that
followed, as the Police presence increased, revitalised MardiGrass.
Suddenly there was something to protest about again. That was
not good, prompted as it was by a new conservative jihad against
cannabis, on the media and policing fronts.
Many though have been influenced by the new medical harm propaganda.
Why don’t I believe it? Because I am not seeing the claimed
harms in the community of smokers I live with, most of whom have
smoked cannabis for over thirty years.
It isn’t really about cannabis anyway. It’s just
a continuation of our endless class and culture wars where “right
people” discriminate against whomsoever they currently disdain.
Hippies and Pot Smokers are no longer an interesting young cuddly
concept, but an ageing fad of the past that has refused to fade
or cover itself decently. Cannabis has moved from being an African
or Hispanic intoxicant to include “poor white trash”.
As far as the average conservative is concerned, cannabis use
is not ‘chic’, but the front line of a class and culture
divide. Beyond here be the great unwashed, other races, other
religions and other cultures to fear and build walls between.
It is hard to change that mindset.
Just an April Fools Day Hangover
Well, maybe we're paranoid, but
it looks like someone wants to make MardiGrass difficult to put
on. Letters arrived Friday, one from the council, posted nine
days after it was written requiring a response within seven, on
camping at the Showground. The other came from Local Area Police,
with some new parade conditions, some of which might be quite
expensive to comply with. We are still trying to find out more
precisely what will be involved.
False alarm, its the standard form now. We're not paranoid.
Ha! Still, you can't help wondering what's going to happen next.
Australia is famous for sledging
in sports events. Some police indulged in this during the April
1st raid, in what appeared to be an attempt to encourage a "riot".
Don't be sucked in, and become their excuse for a "police
response". Don't give them what they want. Be a Ganja Ghandi,
no matter what.
WELCOME
to our SPINACH
LAW REFORM RALLY AND PARADE Weekend!
"Hi there,
I am Dana Larsen,
the author of the article you linked to about Popeye’s spinach
being a metaphor for marijuana. I saw the reply you posted from
Bobby London, denying that there was any connection between spinach
and cannabis. Of course, he is not the creator of Popeye and there’s
no reason he would have any more insight into the thought processes
of Popeye creator Segar than anyone else.I thought your readers
might like to see this Popeye cover (at right) from October 1939,
drawn by Joseph Musial. I only came across this cover recently,
after I had written the original article posted on Alternet. The
comic cover shows Popeye lounging among pillows in an Arabian
sort of tent, smoking out of a hookah labelled “Spinach.”This
cover illustration shows that, to at least some people involved
in the early formation of the Popeye comics, the spinach/marijuana
connection was obvious, and not something they were ashamed of,
as King Comics put it prominently on the cover.Thank you for your
attention."
On April Fools Day 2008 over 70
Police, some in full riot gear, accompanied by Lismore Council
Officers, raided the Museum, Hemp Embassy and Hemp Bar seeking
something strong enough to close these premises down. They wouldn't
use that many police to arrest a murderer, so the politics are
obvious.
All self recognised Knights Hemplar and Dharma Farmers
are called on a Religious Crusade to Nimbin, home of the Church
of the Holy Smoke, to all meet there on the First Weekend in May,
in the Year Sixteen of our MardiGrass, to participate in all the
Sacred Ceremonies of the Holy Smoke, and smoke the Pipes of Peace.
It is Thirty Nine Years since the Death of Hippie in
San Francisco; followed by the Resurrection of his Spirit in a
thousand smiling faces. That Smile spread through the Sandstone
Nations in a Decade of Optimism. Since then the Fog of Mammon
has spread. Still we perform the Ceremonies and remember the Martyrs
imprisoned for their private observances.
Make your way past the gathering Orcs. Come to the Aquarian
Shrine. Celebrate with Herb and Friends. Pay Homage to the Bountiful
Seed. Debate, Discuss, Learn and Socialise. Compete in the Hemp
Olympix or Nimbin Cannabis Cup. March in the Anti Prohibition
Procession. Be peacefully free. Make your mark in the Book of
MardiGrass.
Of course, we expect exhemplary behaviour from
our pilgrims. Good heart to you all.
You know how Anzac Day is the one
day of the year that Two-up games are legal? How about one day
a year when you can smoke as much as you want?
Wednesday the 30th of April is Samhainfor the Southern Hemispere.
The Festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end
of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is generally
regarded as 'The Celtic New Year'.
Thursday is May Day, which marks the end of winter in
the Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally been an occasion
for popular and often raucous celebrations, regardless of the
locally prevalent political or religious establishment. For Australia,
it is the beginning of winter, but is still celebrated.
Yes, that means you! If you come
to march at the annual MardiGrass Cannabis Law Reform March and
Rally, and you can dance, you’re one of us!
We’re a bunch of friends
who start getting ready each year around March or April for the
MardiGrass, the first weekend in May. The common thread is green,
in all its shades, in all our styles. Ganja Faeries are all different
but the same. We create dance steps for the grand parade where
we can be a sea of green moving in rhythm to the drums. We sew
our costumes and make them wilder every year.
One week before MardiGrass we hold
a dance workshop where we show all the new ganja faeries the steps
and inspire them to wear costumes. We do it again the day before
the parade (Saturday arvo) to make sure everyone knows which way
to go when. It’s lots of fun but you need to be fit because
on the day it’s a long way to dance and frolic and make
lots of noise from the police station down the hill to Peace Park
and you’ll probably be stoned as well. Water is essential.
Dropping out is not an option. Ganja Faeries go to the end. So
come and practice!
Workshops will be held at the Nimbin
Community Centre dance studio the Saturday a week before MardiGrass,
then the Saturday before the parade, in the afternoons. If you
are already in Nimbin rehearsals are held at 5:30pm on Wednesdays.
Meet at the Spangled Drongo restaurant / Oasis café across
the road at the north end of town.
2008 Nimbin Performance Poetry World Cup
The sixth annual event in August is again
sponsored by the Nimbin community.
How It Works:
Performers have 8 minutes to perform one
or more original poems, not previously performed at the NPPWC.
HEATS are held within the village of Nimbin
from 11am on Saturday 2nd August 2008.
SEMI-FINALS are conducted on Sunday 3rd
August from 11am, at the OASIS Cafe.
GRAND FINAL & After Party are held at
the Nimbin School of Arts TOWN HALL on Sunday 3rd August at 7.30pm.
Entries Close: Monday 28th July 2008
Judges will select, from the eight finalists,
ONE outright winner of the $2000 prize & the World Cup. 7
Runners Up: $300 each. Peoples Choice Award: $500.
Incentive Awards of $50 and $25 given by
judges during the heats.
Peace & Love for all from Nimbin
Nimbin is a small village, with a huge heart,
and the people who continually support and encourage the Arts
within the community are precious gems.
You are invited with love for the 2008 Moroccan Rainbow
Gathering ,
starting on the newmoon of February at the amazing site of Argan
Valley. To join us you should follow the next directions:
* From Agadir: take the road in direction of Tamri until Aourir.
Turn left and go to Imouzzer and than continue 16 km more in direction
of Tamri, Cascades.
* You arrive to the village that has no name. 200 meters before
the bridge that leads to the village, take the dirt road going
upwards
on the right side.
* Follow until you arrive to the amazing parking.
* On the last part of the road from Immouzzer to the village there
is almost no transport.
Bring with yourself all you want to find here.
Bring with yourself also some tools, kitchen equipment especially
big
pots, tarps, lalala please.
Water containers are especially important in order that we have
to
carry drinking water to the site.
Bring love and smiles.
Please don't bring chemical drugs, alcohol, golden watch, television,
electric music lala , guns.
Bring your animal friends only if you feel able to look after
them
well.
Think about to give respect to Mother Earth for her welcome.
From an informed Government source:
"As you know, I don't think there is much future in simply
arguing the libertarian case . If cannabis law reform is going
to ever appeal to people, I think it will have to be placed in
some sort of regulatory framework. I don't think we will see much
drug law reform happening under the Rudder.
(1) He is very conservative
(2) Like most of the centre -left, he would be terrified of any
such reform being exploited by his opponents"
Everyone that we have gathered here with a single purpose: To
thousands of Sheets Marihuanas be present at polling stations
across the Valencia next March 9, the day of the general elections
to Parliament and the Congress. Our first objective with the creation
of this first list independently by the RCN-NOK is not seeking
a certain number of votes, or measurement in our first appearance
with the major political parties who lead the designs of Spanish
society, just trying to give an opportunity to the thousands of
people using cannabis in the Community of Valencia to express
his vote its rejection of the current prohibitionist policy, we
understand that the draft submitted by eRCN green-NOK is in line
with our historical claims and hence arises training this list
of independents in Valencia.
Everyone we met here today, from all the provinces of Valencia
we sat down and starting from scratch on an equal footing, away
all sorts of egos, personal quarrels or old differences towards
the creation of a single list , designed to be a representation
of all the users of Cannabis Valencia and that has in principle
with the general acceptance of the rest of the collective cannabico
Valenciano, which we will let you know through the publication
of this document the steps taken so far in the future, always
remaining absolute transparency on our decisions, both face to
affiliates as to the rest of society. No matter where in the end
we are presenting this first time, is in Valencia, Alicante or
Valencia, in the three provinces at the same time, comsi at the
end we can only help with some people from our list to the brothers
and sisters from other communities forming their own, which we
think is really important that these lists are forming, always
trying to seek the greatest possible impact to our demands.
Persons attending this meeting they do accept the premise that
this is nothing more than the seeds of a project that will materialize
in the medium term within two years, when several representations
Canábicas Spanish throughout the state, to come together
to European elections and in the long term within 4 years in the
upcoming General Spanish Parliament. To this end everyone here
we commit ourselves to put our name available to the drivers RCN-NOK
in Valencia for respecting the Parity Act, establishing lists
that will allow us to have access to present as many independent
list provinces as possible. Once past the election, is established
as a first priority organize a general assembly in which all members
of the Valencia discuss how llar out this project and must endorse
the positions of those who are appointed to the realization of
the individual actions that we organize within the election campaign
and people making up lists to be created ad hoc for the upcoming
elections in the Community of Valencia. All persons attending
this meeting would have a period of 3 days to send those responsible
all the proposals it deems necessary, to be studied, discussed
and answered by the leadership of RCN-NOK and propose candidates
to fill the various posts should be created in the coming days.
Headquarter in Navarra: 948382555 to 690781594
+ info Alicante 625026477
+ info Málaga 616961088
+ info Valencia 628881169
“Anyway, no drug, not even
alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we’re
looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn’t test
people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance,
greed and love of power.”
P.J. O’Rourke
"Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness's sake:
For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."
