Nimbin, New South Wales

Nimbin Village 2008

Nimbin Village 2008

Nimbin Mardigrass 2008

Nimbin Village New South Wales Aerial View


Nimbin Rocks New South Wales Aerial View


Welcome to Nimbin New South Wales Sign

Nimbin is a village in the Northern Rivers area of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately 30 km (19 mi) north ofLismore, 33 km (21 mi) southeast of Kyogle, and 70 km (43 mi) west of Byron Bay.

Nimbin is notable for the prominence of its environmental initiatives such as permaculture, sustainability, self-sufficiency as well as the cannabis counterculture. Writer Austin Pick described his initial impressions of the village this way: "It is as if a smoky avenue of Amsterdam has been placed in the middle of the mountains behind frontier-style building facades. ... Nimbin is a strange place indeed."^[2]

Nimbin has been described in literature and mainstream media as 'the drug capital of Australia', 'a social experiment' and 'an escapist sub-culture'. Nimbin has become an icon in Australian cultural history with many of the values first introduced there by the counterculture becoming part of modern Australian culture.^[3]

Nimbin New South Wales
Nimbin
Population:	352[1]
Postcode:	2480
Elevation:	65 m (213 ft)
Location:	779 km (484 mi) NE ofSydney 181 km (112 mi) S ofBrisbane 35 km (22 mi) N ofLismore 50 km (31 mi) SW ofMurwillumbah 33 km (21 mi) E ofKyogle
LGA:	City of Lismore
State/territory electorate(s):	Lismore
Federal Division(s):	Page

History

Nimbin and surrounding areas are part of what is known as the "Rainbow Region", which is of cultural importance to theIndigenous Bundjalung people. The name Nimbin comes from the local Whiyabul (Widgibal) clan whose Dreamtime speaks of the Nimbinjee spirit people protecting the area. In recent decades As of 2007, the area has become a haven for Australia'scounterculture.^[4]

Forests of Red Cedar first attracted loggers to the area in the 1840s, but by the end of the century most of the land had been cleared. With the Cedar forests gone, Nimbin was subdivided in 1903 with the land turned over to dairy farming and growing bananas.^[5] In the 1960s, the local dairy industry collapsed due to recession and Nimbin went into serious economic decline until 1973, when the Aquarius Festival, a large gathering of university students, practitioners of alternative lifestyles, 'hippies' and party people, was held in the village.^[6] The Festival was the first event in Australia that sought permission for the use of land from the Traditional Owners. After the festival hundreds of participants and festival goers remained in Nimbin to form communes and other multiple occupancy communities, in search of an "alternative lifestyle". Nimbin in fact made legal history for the first ever application of group title ownership of land in Australia. Since the Aquarius Festival, the region has attracted thousands of writers, artists, musicians, actors, environmentalists and permaculture enthusiasts, as well as tourists and young families escaping city life.^[3]

In 1979, the Nimbin community staged the "Battle for Terania Creek" to protect the remaining local rainforest. As a result the N.S.W. government imposed a "no rainforest logging" policy covering the entire state, the world’s first government legislation to protect rainforest.^[3]

The population of Nimbin before the failure of the dairy industry in 1961 was 6,020. At the 2006 census^[1] Nimbin had a population of 352, compared to 321 at the 2001 census.^[7]However, Nimbin's 'head count' does not include the many Multiple Occupancy rural properties, the hippy communes for which it is most famous. The region's high rural population (35 percent of Lismore residents according to the census) means Nimbin services a surrounding rural area of about ten thousand people living within 15 km (9.3 mi).^[8] Nimbin had the highest unemployment rate in the Lismore Local Government Area in 2006, 18.1 percent.^[1]

Cannabis culture and MardiGrass

In New South Wales the cultivation, selling and possession of cannabis is illegal. In Nimbin, all three activities are part of every day hippie culture. Nimbin has a high tolerance for cannabis (marijuana), with the open buying, selling and consumption of locally grown cannabis on the streets and laneways. To rally for an end to the prohibition of cannabis in Australia, Nimbin has held an annual MardiGrass festival since 1993. On the first weekend with any part of it in May, thousands descend on Nimbin for cannabis oriented fun and frivolity. Activities include: a Prohibition Protest Rally and Parade with the Ganja Faeries, the Nimbin Cannabis Cup, the Hemp Olympix, which includes the Bong "Throw'n'Yell", Joint Rolling, and the Grower's Iron Person event, where runners must first carry a 20 kg (44 lb) sack of fertiliser, then a bucket of water, and finally "the crop", as a tribute to the difficulties faced by growers in the hills, and to show that cannabis users can be fit and healthy. At night, entertainment ranges from the Harvest Ball and Picker's Ball, ravedoof parties, to poetry and jazz in local cafes.^[9]

The prevalence of a drug culture in Nimbin since 1973 has been accompanied by a prevalence of collective and public creativity: colourful and spiritually-motivated art (including large paintings above the shop awnings), music, poetry, craft and fashion can all be seen on the main street. The town is also known as a hot-spot for alternative social activities, grass-roots political discourse, and the espousal of naturalist, humanist, anarchist, feminist, libertarian, permissive, new-age, mystical and radical social philosophies (which can all be seen as collective creative endeavours).

There are a number of shops in Nimbin geared to the cannabis culture.

• The Nimbin Hemp Embassy is a "soft entry point for drug information", and a shop selling anything to do with Hemp, except cannabis itself.
• Clothing & natural skin products using industrial hemp products.
• The Nimbin HEMP Bar used to allow the patrons to smoke cannabis while enjoying fresh coffee and cake. In April 2008 police announced their intention to close the HEMP Bar and Museum. Landlords were sent letters to this effect. Rather than cause legal problems for their landlord, the HEMP Bar crew voluntarily closed the doors and moved out. The HEMP Bar is open for 2009 as a coffee and hemp information centre, but smoking is no longer encouraged.
• The Nimbin Museum is a collection of local artefacts, local art,and alternative culture open for tour. Admission is gained by donation of a gold coin. The Museum has managed to stay open despite threat of closure. It may still be closed if too many drug offences continue to be detected on the premises

Police intervention

The level of police intervention against drug trafficking has fluctuated over the years, however the State and Federal Police have never been able to stop or even significantly reduce the prevalence of cannabis use in the village. In April 2008, a squad of 110 officers wearing bulletproof vests, six horses and police dogs conducted searches in a police operation. Several buildings were searched including the Hemp Embassy. Eight people were arrested, 72 people were issued cannabis cautions and police seized 4 kilograms (9 lb) of cannabis and cannabis ‘cookies’. Police sent letters to the Nimbin Museum and the Hemp Bar leaseholders indicating an intention to seek closure orders under the Restricted Premises Act of 1943 for the MardiGrass weekend.^[10] The Restricted Premises Act allows for the closure of premises for three days and orders may be obtained weekly. The Museum soon reopened with a new leaseholder while the Hemp Bar remained closed for eight months and reopened in January 2009.^[11][12]

CCTV cameras in the main street of Nimbin had pushed dealing off the streets and into the museum and the Hemp Embassy had been requesting that police deal with the problem. Following the raids, Hemp Embassy volunteer Andrew Kavasilas commented: "This is a real slap in the face for people who would like to see other resources in town. We have been inviting the police to come down and sort out the dealing in the museum for years and this is their response. They could work with the community, but they're not interested." Many locals voiced their opposition to the Police operation.^[11][12] Following the operation, Richmond Police local area commander Superintendent Bruce Lyons vowed to "shut down the drug trade."^[10]

Nimbin's local economy

• Tourism: Usually higher during late summer/spring, Nimbin is a major tourist attraction with organised tours frequenting the town.
• Backpackers: As Nimbin is regarded as an international attraction for its eccentricity, colourful people and drug culture; it attracts backpackers from over the world who spend money in the town at its various accommodation houses, retail outlets and New Age healing centres. Workshops held in the surrounding areas on ecology andself sufficiency contribute to the towns revenue.
• Property: In 2004 the region was experiencing a property boom, as many left the cities for an alternative lifestyle or tree-change, and large farms were being subdivided into smaller blocks for sale.
• Alternative Energy/Culture/Lifestyle: Many green industries operate in Nimbin include the Rainbow Power Company, Djanbung Permaculture Gardens, Nimbin Environment Centre, Ecosilk Bags and the Nimbin Candle Factory.
• Health & Lifestyle: New Age healing is available in almost every form, and the local arts are thriving with many galleries and arts events.^[13]

Accommodation and attractions

Nimbin is served by the people for the people; the community works together to promote a peaceful town that welcomes for all people to enjoy.^{[citation needed]} In Nimbin is a police station, hospital and medical centre, lawyers, real estate, a service station with NRMA accreditation, restaurants, cafes, and a pub. The pub has a variety of local talented^{[citation needed]} music and offers fairly priced^{[clarification needed]} beer with an in-house restaurant. A wide variety of accommodation is available for visitors, from camping grounds and youth hostels, to bush cabins and hotels. There are a number of sporting clubs and the Bowling Club maintains licensed premises. The Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre is a valued^{[citation needed]} source of knowledge about local trends to newcomers, activities, the where's where, visitors guides, resources, computers to use the Internet and general help to the community. The NNIC includes a small centrelink office, legal advice, nurse practitioner, welfare worker, weekly soup kitchen to the adjacent park, and publishing service for the local paper, all run by local volunteer residents. Local entertainments include the Nimbin Bush Theater, town hall, once a year Madigrass, markets, local bands, walks to the mountains, and day to day activities from buskers to street stalls and a local entertaining stories.

Other nearby attractions:^[4]

• Nimbin Rocks, a series of jagged outcrops, solidified plugs left after the erosion of volcanic dykes and vents and Blue Knob that are both landmarks for the village.
• Mt Warning (known as Wollumbin to the Bundjalung people) is close by, the summit of which is the first point of mainland Australia to see the sunrise. The summit of Mt. Warning can be climbed via an 8 km track through forested slopes. Mount Warning is the solid plug at the centre of a caldera containing the Tweed River, where, millions of years ago, a volcano once stood. Nimbin lies on the edge of that ancient volcano.
• Nightcap National Park is one of the few remaining places to see the remnants of the Big Scrub rainforest.
• There are many local creeks and rivers for swimming

Transport

Nimbin is 35 km (22 mi) from Lismore Airport with flights several times daily to Sydney. Local and Private bus companies operate services from Lismore to Nimbin

GLOBAL MARIJUANA MARCH  @t the NimbinMardiGrass2012   Presented by.... the AUSTRALIAN CANNABIS LAW REFORM MOVEMENT Necessary Preamble: The 2012 Nimbin Marijuana March details can be found at the bottom of this necessarily long webpage. Yes it could be reformatted / fragmented into NOW FIRST and HISTORY if its clicked upon. BUT. all input thus far is that the brief history is worth reading and tends to give one a better understanding of the event they will participate in (by default) should they visit the NimbinMardiGRASS in 2012. A brief History of Nimbin MMMMarches... The first time the Million Man Marijuana March was celebrated at the Nimbin Mardi Grass was 1999 and even though it wasn't an official 'programmed' event, [last century computers were either misunderstood or considered demonic tools of the enemy in Nimbin] the 1999 Nimbin MMMMarch did set the underground tone that has endured to this day - we don't actually march in Nimbin, the nonofficial smokesperson of the ACLRM usually high jacks the "Main Mardi Grass Speakers" at 4:15.40 and sounds the 4 minute 20 second "roll up" alert for the 4 20 Demonstration. In 1999 we handed out FREE Marijuana, over 200 all natural - all organic cannabis "space balls" each wrapped with a poem called FREE Marijuana. The second time around was a bit different because it was a new millenium and the computer age had arrived. Not only was the 2000 mmmarch  on the official Mardi Grass program, but it was the first mmmmarch on earth to be broadcast live to the Internet. We launched the Freedom Ride in a blaze of electric digeridoos and had the 3rd largest crowd of cannabis law reform activists assembled on Earth the one day it really matters! In 2001, London cancelled and New York was busted out of contention by the police who prevented the NY MMMMarch from forming and thus the tiny village of Nimbin Australia ended up hosting the biggest event on earth that year......... A sizable cyber audience and a couple of smiling policemen watched as the MMMMarch 'rolled up' outside the Nimbin H.E.M.P. Embassy, the peacebus was in the center of thousands of people rolling joints and it's "Blues Brothers horns" exhorting the crowd to show their defiance of the illogical laws by lighting up at exactly 4.20 PM. snick-snick-flicker-flash-flame... inhale, exhale, inhale. Say it. No - More - Drug - War - Jails. inhale, exhale, inhale. Sing it.. No - More - Drug - War - Jails. inhale, exhale, inhale. Shout it... No - More - Drug - War - Jails. inhale, exhale, inhale. DEMAND IT... No - More - Drug - War - Jails. When the smoke had finally cleared, even the old local tokers agreed that it was the most joints they'd ever seen simultaneously rolled and ignited in the main street of Nimbin - and that's saying something! In 2002 the Nimbin MMMMarch was centred on web cam imagery uploaded using the Big Bong Mobile Webcasting Unit which was parked right out side the H.E.M.P Bar / HEMP Embassy complex- right in the centre of the vortex that is the Mardi Grass at precisely 4.20 P.M........ It is as impossible to guesstimate the size of the roll up for the 2002 Nimbin MMMMarch as it is to guesstimate the total inhalance of cannabis  during the Protestival, but every number I have heard so far is in excess of 4 and 20 thousand cannabists! As usual in Nimbin, we din't march in a straight line, in fact, truth be told, we din't actually march at all, not much point even trying really, I mean even attempting to marshal the entire MardiGrass crowd to march from point A - via point B -to point C would be harder than herding 420 black cats at midnight and so, we decided to ask the entire crowd (via the loud speakers) to take one step forward, then three steps back, two steps forward and then one step back (a little semi-dance step thing we call the 'real pace' of cannabis law reform) which of course resulted in as much confusion as marshalling a march or changing an illogical law, point is that thousands upon thousands of people come together every year in Nimbin for exactly the same reason.... To call for an End to Cannabis Prohibition. the 2003 Event.... We knew going in that that Nimbin was the only venue in Australia hosting a MMMMarch in 2003, we also figured that the 2003 crowd numbers were going reflect the downtrend in international tourism and so, to off set this, we decided that we needed to toke our demonstration up a level or 4.20 and do something different. The idea to do something different alarmed many of the hard core members of the ACLRM, many mutinous murmurs of dissent were heard until it was realized that the active word was different, notdo something. This is not to say that hard core members of ACLRM are apathetic, more to point out that the hard core members of the ACLRM are all too  well aware that actually doing something in the short term can be highly counterproductive in the long term. Example = Lobbying a government to change the law to allow ONLY doctors to proscribe ONLY "grown under a government license" indoor hydroponic  cannabis. Short term result terminally ill people get some pain relief, AIDS sufferers can keep their other meds down and the government and medical industries have a new cash cow. Long term we talking the industrialization of cannabis, not unlike releasing Mary Jane from jail only to lock her in the laboratory and the sweat shop.  Truth is that no sunlight or wind on the leaves, no worms in the soil and an over load of chemicals in the water combines to create an artificial pain relieving medicine that cannot be used as a preventative nor as a cure- it's relegalize or nothing -  say the hard core of the ACLRM. >> back to the MMMMarch>> At 4.20 PM on the 3rd of May 2003 a huge cloud of highly green smoke wafted out the front door of the H.E.M.P Bar to signal the official toke-off of the 5th Nimbin MMMMarch and the start of something different. Rather than a march, a parade, a joint rolling and/or smoking demonstration or some other variation of a 'short term action/event', we embarked upon a "festival wide - 4 and 20 hour long" demonstration of responsible cannabis use that  included the entire crowd and concluded at 4.20 PM Sunday at the Mobile Big Bong Burger Bar in Peace Park. So what did the 4 and 20 hour long Nimbin MMMMarch accomplish besides the combustion of prodigious amounts of cannabis? Short term? Proof positive that cannabis does not induce insanity, criminality or death. Long term? You gotta figure that a whole lot more working, smoking voting citizens embraced the concept of just cannabis law reform and that even more pressure will be applied to the N.S.W Government over the coming weeks and months to follow in the footsteps of the ever so sensible and conservative Swiss as they head down the path towards just cannabis relegalization. In 2004, at precisely 4.20 PM Australian Eastern Standard time on Saturday May the First 2004 all MMMMarchers that were't already in position assembled inside and outside the H.E.M.P Bar / HEMP Embassy complex- right in the centre of the vortex that was the Mardi Grass  Where upon a flame was lit in front of the hempbar's webcam>> which will then lit a special ceremonial Joint and Candle which stepped into the street.... right as the Kombi Konvoy clattered by>>>> lost in the swirl of the main street madness, the hard core marijuana marchers merged with the crowd, strolled thru the food stalls and trinket stalls to Peace Park >>>> to where the peace chairs weren't - not enough chairs were available due to an organizing discombobulation - and at least 420 of us, from all over earth stood in a physical representation of "Peace for Pot and Pot for Peace" for at least 420 seconds, which I am sure would have shown up as a peace sign shaped cloud on a satellite camera had we of had one........ Bottom line? Forming a peace circle is a bit like sky diving ....... No photo can do it justice, it's an experience ! Unlike all previous years, the 2005 Marijuana March DID NOT coincide with the Nimbin Mardigrass on May 1st 2005. Thus for the first time, in a long time, the good citizens of Nimbin and the rainbow region showed their 'grass root' support for Just Cannabis Law Reform in a no glitz, no glamour demonstration with out the thousands of MardiGrass revellers,  it was exactly "the same" as every other town on Earth. So march is what we did, after assembling in the H.E.M.P Bar at 4.20 PM.... ETA Nimbin Police Station at 42 minutes or so past 420.... and then we tried something new, we DID NOT smoke cannabis during our march (medical users were, of course, exempt) along Cullen Street to the Police Station, as we walked down the main street we felt exactly as we would in most every town in Australia because our numbers were less than 4 and 20 as we walked down 'commerce street" to an empty looking police station, just the really committed people, the people who REALLY want to change the laws, indeed, there were more people waiting at the bus stop to board the bus to leave Nimbin than there were in the march. They all looked on as we all sat down and 'pointedly' didn't smoke cannabis and very quietly did we chant... Please help us change the Law. Please help us lobby the Government. Please help us ReLegalize Cannabis for fibre, for medicine, for fuel and for food.   Images above taken by a Japanese Tourist who later downloaded them at the H.E.M.P Bar At the empty looking Police Station, whilst all assembled abstained from smoking cannabis out of politeness to the Police who may or may not have been there- medical users exempt-  Max Stone made a 4 minute 20 second presentation of the ACLRM's latest activism strategy, the ReLegalize Just OutDoor Cannabis First Strategy, which is not designed to split the movement by keeping indoor hydroponic cannabis "illegal", it is seen as the natural solution to the Cannabis Conundrum by the members of the A.C.L.R.M, expending our limited resources to lobby the Government with ourRelegalize Out Door Cannabis First Strategy, lobbying towards establishing a difference "in the eyes of the law" between "out door-organic" and "indoor-hydroponic" cannabis would enable Industrial Hemp crops to flourish for fiber, for fuel and for food, and perhaps most importantly, Relegalizing just outdoor cannabis would enable the average pot smoker to break free from the black market. "Its a hippy thing" said Max Stone. "After all, there is a huge difference between a dozen or so plants growing organically in the back yard for personal use and an "Indoor hydro lab" designed to make mega bucks. I am sure the police can tell the difference between cannabis plants grown for green and those grown for greed, I mean, the indoor stuff looks like Arnold Swarzeneggers biceps." "I'm not saying indoor cannabis is more evil than Chernobyl, just saying that it's artificial and definitely not the "homeopathic" wonder plant that "outdoor cannabis is and whilst ever Cannabis Prohibition is in place, criminals will exploit the market and "small time" cannabis users get caught in the cross fire. Too many resources are being wasted on enforcing cannabis prohibition, with the end result being that an ounce of indoor cannabis costs as much as a dole check. Just think of how wonderful Nimbin and Australia will be once cannabis re-establishes itself as one of humanities most useful plants. Once Max Stone finished the" less than 4 and 20 seconds presentation of strategic direction" of the following years activism in a very strained voice caused by MardiGrass, all the four and twenty activists stood up for Free Marijuana and then respectfully departed the empty looking police station and returned to the H.E.M.P Bar to begin the ramp up of the Big Joint to Canberra in 2006. 2006: see BigJoint.org ..... The Big Joint made it all the way to Canberra as promised! 2007 was something like what happened in 2004 and it was the 9th time that the MardiGrass was a rallying point for all those who wished to join the global ranks of Cannabis Law Reform Activists in the biggest simultaneous protest on the Planet, a non stop barrage of protest that circled the world following the 420 peace wave through all time zones, millions of people all standing up with a joint in their hand. 4:15:40 AEST... webgreetings MardiGrass and the mainstreet of Nimbin, the time is almost four twenty, so I would ask everyone hold out your joint straight in front of you, now, the GoogleCopter is almost here and you will see it before you hear it and it will appear as a very small speck to the north, everyone point their joints towards the North. Now the GoogleCopter is going to take lots of pictures so I want everyone who is not listening to these loudspeakers to keep walking and acting as background, I'd like to thank each and everyone of you for participating in the Biggest Cannabis Law Reform Demonstration on planet earth. Okay, arms out stretched and joints pointed to the north, can't be much longer now, the clock is ticking and it won't be long before we get to see the GoogleCopter, and while we are waiting I would like to seize this opportunity to thank the huge number of cybercitizens who have been asking GoogleEarth to update it's map for the last year or so, it's very close now, very close to happening now, I  can almost see the GoogleCopter, except its coming from the south, can every one turn 180% anticlockwise to the south, that's right smoothly slowly turn to the south and look for the small dot appearing in the south. South? Did I say south, I meant to say east, its east, sorry everybody, my mistake, keep spinning smoothly slowly peacefully towards the east, arms out stretched- joints ready to light, okay, I can see you are all spinning around in circles, so everyone say GOOGLE and take a picture! I can see the GoogleCopter? Can't you? LOLOLOL and now, in time with thousands of others, lets take part in the peace wave that sweeps around earth each day and every day and Light our JoinTs and think peace for pot and pot for peace! 2008... For the tenth time, the main thing that will be staying the same is the 4.20 P.M 'start time' of the Nimbin Global Marijuana March another thing that is staying the same will be Cannabis DaveLighting the 420 Joint in front of the H*E*M*P*Bars webcam, now I come to think on it, after over 10 years of spreading the word about 420, what will be different to previous years will be the sheer volume of cannabists who already know about  simultaneously light a joint at 4.20 PM and thinking 'pot for peace - peace for pot' thoughts. Another thing that will be the same, is that at 4.20 the Kombi Konvoy is due to arrive in the green smoke circle in the center of town (as seen on the image below) in front of the H*E*M*P*Bar at exactly 4.20 PM same as it did in 2004.   It was the 10th Global Marijuana March and the venue was the same as every year since 2000,  the www.NimbinHEMPbar.com (Help End Marijuana Prohibition) however this year, the H*EM*P bar had been closed by court order at noon on the Friday before MardiGrass! Cops up the Ante on NimbinMardiGrass   Police today informed the organisers of the Nimbin Mardi Grass that they will be making an application to close the Nimbin Museum and the Hemp Bar for 72 hours over Mardi Grass.    "The police are using a piece of archaic legislation (Section 15C of the Restricted Premises Act 1943) to, in effect. close two of Nimbin's most significant tourist attractions during the busiest weekend of the year," said spokesperson for the Nimbin Mardi Grass Organising Group and Nimbin Museum, Michael Balderstone.   The application will go before a magistrate in the Lismore court on Friday morning.   Balderstone described the action as "antagonistic and provocative."   "The police keep assuring us they want a safe Mardi Grass," he said. "What's the closing of the Museum and the Hemp Bar during Mardi Grass got to do with safety?"     "If one wanted a safe weekend in Nimbin, one would close the pub," he said.   "But it's another day in Nimbin and another day of Drug War harassment by the Lismore Area Command," said Balderstone.   "The public money being wasted by the local police trying to suppress Australia's second most popular tourism destination is as stupid as it is appalling," he said.   "Recent media debate about trial-ing some kind of legalised cannabis supply has clearly shown the north coast community of NSW, if not all of Australia, is ready for it," he said. As you can imagine, having the H*E*M*P Bar and its live web cam shut down and a sign on it's door saying "Gone to Mardi Grass" meant I was in a bit of a sticky situation from an 'organizational' point of view. Fortunate for me, the previous decades worth of 4 20's had left such an impression in the minds of all the hardcore repeat MardiGrassers, that I almost didn't need to mention it, but, mention it I did. At 20 minutes past the hour, every hour, on the main festival sound system I talked up the event. MardiGrass Saturday was a very POLICE intensive atmosphere, road blocks around the town, riot squad in bullet proof sunglasses every where you looked. I urged everyone if they was going to smoke one joint all day, let it be at 420 today when they could light that joint in global unity with the millions of other people all around earth who will also be lighting up at 420. And I always make a point of asking that when you do light up at 420, let it not be an act of defiance, let it be an act of peace, a sharing, a celebration and a thing you do every day at 420 until the law is changed....................           Peace for Pot ------------ Pot for Peace   Best part is that outside the H*E*M*P Bar wasn't the only venue for the 420 Demonstration, H*E*M*P President Michael Balderstone did a HUGE 420 Demo in Peace Park, Captain Reefer did another in Allsop Park, the Stage down in the Markets did a 420 and pretty much everyone everywhere was part of the Demonstration and if I had to add one last thought it would be that 4.20 PM on Saturday was about the only time that the main street of Nimbin had that traditional smoky mardigrass look to it.   2009; Excerpt from the Mardigrass Program: The Global Marijuana March at 4.20 PM on the Saturday could require some marching/walking for the first time ever," leaked Max Stone. "This year, again, well over 1 million cannabis law reform activists in over 250 cities will be marching, we usually keep the actual 'thing' we do for the GMM secret until the day which increases the spontaneity of the event," confided Max, "Don't Panic, the most distance anyone will have to march will be 420 meters and all you will need is a thing in your hand that looks like a joint and a heart full of peace, remembering all the while that the MardiGrass and the GMM are gatherings of people who want to CHANGE the cannabis laws, not gatherings of people who want to BREAK the law.   4.15.40: Standing on the roof of the ever so slightly faded red Volvo 244 sedan belonging to H*E*M*P President Balderstone, with the wireless  microphone in one hand, a joint in the other. I gazed down the street towards the marshalling point out side the HEMP Embassy and I looked for the marchers who were 'supposed' to be on the way up from Peace Park. Everywhere I looked there were people sitting or standing, all expecting something unexpected to happen. From my vantage point, excellent as it was, I couldn't see all of the 15,000 or so political activists who attended the MardiGrass, but I could see lots of POLICE uniforms, lots and lots of POLICE uniforms, lots and lots and lots and lots of POLICE uniforms. I could also see a lot of POLITE uniforms and POLITE hats, but we were definitely out numbered. It's an interesting place to find yourself in, standing on the roof of a car in the middle of a couple of thousand expectant people, a microphone, a ceremonial joint and no lighter. What do you do? What would you do? What would you say? Would you stand there and read a prepared speech? I didn't because I hadn't prepared one, I hadn't pre-prepared anything, and so it came to pass that for the first time ever, I decided to do nothing at 4.20, and promptly announced that since I had no lighter with me I wasn't lighting up at 420, told the crowd they should light up if they felt like it at exactly 4.20, said I be lighting up a bit later on**. Said, That's right I am going to do NOTHING, in recognition of what the government had done about Cannabis Law Reform since the Last MMMarch. Nothing at all. I just stood there, silent, on the roof of the red volvo and did nothing, not one little thing at all. This totally took the expectant crowd by surprise. It took the POLICE force and the POLITE force by an even greater amount of surprise and as that ripple of disbelief quavered around the crowd, I pointed out that even though I was doing nothing, in every town up the entire east coast of Australia, stoners were blazing up in solidarity, I forget what else I said and all of the points I was trying to make, I remember saying Peace for Pot and Pot for Peace and I can only hope that I ended up talking about the next escapade of the BiG Joint, if I din't mention the Big Joint at the end of my nonprpeprepared PeaceForPot-PotForPeace rave, I have now! P.S.** For those wondering, next time I lit up was at a very POLITE time: 4.24.20, 4 mins 20 secs after 4.20 PM.... PeaceMan ;O).   TWENTY TEN aka 2010 "SuperB with a capital B like the B in Big Joint and at least 4 exclamation marks", said a visibly elated Max Stone when asked about the Global Marijuana March  Demonstration on Mardigrass Saturday. "I don't want to knock any of the previous eleven FourTwenty demonstrations we have staged, each one of them occupies a special place in my heart (and webspaces,) but this one, the TwentyTen - FourTwenty was TRANSCENDENT. On the youtube footage, Cullen Street is awash with people from the Post Office to Peace Park, a wondrous ocean of people of all colors, ages and sizes, beyond overflowing - way past overflowing - somewhere in the outer regions of un-insurable and super saturation.”  “LET IT GROW” says the BIG JOINT.  10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5 - 4 point 20 – 3 – 2 - 1 – dramatic pause - IGNITION.... Thousands and thousands of lighters ignited thousands and thousands of ‘politically correct’ joints and I reckon we would have hotspotted a thermal satellite image like an Icelandic volcano. Speaking about eyes in the sky, Lismore Council must have had one of the best views from their multiple street cameras. Rumor is that Council had some extra special monitors hot wired into their chambers so they could make sure we followed the D.A every nanosecond of the weekend. I would have loved to have seen their faces for those four magical minutes and the 20 incredible seconds, when we, the activists, took control of “their” street and turned it into a moment of history, a record breaking moment in cannabis law reform history that was, itself, part of a record setting global demonstration that took place in 317 cities and towns around the planet, with every location reporting record numbers of supporters. “GOOD MEDICINE” says the BIG JOINT. It felt really real, you could see the desire to change the law on the faces in the throng and you could feel it in the cheering and as the smoke rose higher and higher, the sight, the sound, the taste, the smell and the feel of it all somehow coagulated into a 4 minute 20 second symphony of cannabis law reform that was uplifting in ways not possible to explain in 420 words or less to those who was unable to be there, however, please know that it was exactly the energy and exactly the spirit required to take the Big Joint all the way to Canberra to meet up with Obama in June ….   2011.....   ......... it's going to be a long long long time before I forget 420 on May 1st MardiGrass Saturday 2011.       YouTube One + YouTube Two Did you notice my dismount from the roof of the 420 Kombi around the 2 minute 20 seconds point? It was pretty wild up there on that roof, the Big Joint was bouncing around like a PinkFloydPig while the 420 Kombi was rocking and rolling around and what actually happened was that I bent over to speak with H*E*M*P President Balderstone, and then stepped back just a little bit too far onto the curved edge of the roof, lost my balance and was about to fall backwards off the roof. Time is an illusion, an anthropomorphic construct designed to facilitate human interaction, sometimes it appears to fly fast, sometimes it goes very very very slow. I was in the moment, focused entirely about what I needed to say next after asking all the activists to sit down, to take control of the street and to stay there until the law is changed. I was still running on the high of the 'goal' I completed with the POLITE vs POLICE Tug of Peace...       YouTube One  +  YouTube Two I often say that MardiGrass isn't the Grand Final of the Police vs Pot Smokers, but in some respects it is. I know that in 2011, the Police are a lot more educated as individuals about the reality of cannabis use thanks to the internet and that the majority of them are in favor of just cannabis law reform, as individuals, I know that without their support, real change in the law is impossible and so I work towards that at every opportunity. That the local police were prepared to participate showed me, and thousands of other people at the MardiGrass, just how supportive they can be. Where was I? Oh yeah, frozen in time two meters in the air whilst toppling backwards off the rounded edge roof of the 420 kombi, surrounded by an uncountable number of activists who are all jammed up close and sat down ready to stay sat till there was a change in the law. The cameras are rolling and the demonstration is still going full throttle.... At the point of no return, I windmilled my arms and tried to get my balance back and so very nearly got it back, but when it's gone it's gone. I scrunched up into a ball, managed to get my right hand down on to the edge of the Kombi to shorten my fall and then leapt with bended knees towards the only spot of road I could see. Like I have told my son countless times; when jumping/falling from something higher than your head.... Bend the knees son, I say. Touch down with the toes, keep your heels in the air if you can. TouchDown! The surprise and joy at a totally safe landing is obvious in my voice. I hadn't told many people that we were going to sit down at this years demo and this years Global Marijuana March wasn't about smoking as much as it was about illustrating and generating commitment for a change in the law, it was about making a YouTube to show the N.S.W Premier Barry O'Farrel that thousands and thousands of people DO want Cannabis Law Reform. Besides which, from where I was stood there was plenty of smoking going on, the dudes on the ground was all toking on the joints that a team of MardiGrass volunteers had rolled and handed out. (over 1000)  Once my feet was firmly back on the ground, I walked over to President Balderstone who was in his element, holding onto the center rope of the Big Joint, surrounded by POLITE force and hordes of young activists in total control of the street. "Let's stay for a week!" he declared and the crowd ROARED its agreement. It felt right, it felt like we had as firm a grip on the street as we had on the hemp rope in the POLITE vs POLICE Tug of Peace, we were all in it together. I was in no doubt that we could, if we wanted to, make a major disruption, we were web connected like never before, uploading the demonstration as it was happening to Youtube and those you tubes was linked to facebook and the world was watching. WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN. Was the code words that the POLITE Force and other operatives were waiting to hear so they could spring into action and put the barricades in place between the 'sit down' and the police in the real world. Online, the same code words would inform our Fox operative and our man with the BBC that we had formally taken control of the main street of Nimbin until there was a change in the law. Counter intuitively, since there was no violence going to happen at our event, that pulled our global news item worthyness down according to our man in the BBC, but since Nimbin is the third most known "place" in Australia behind Sydney and Cairns we are newsworthy to an extent. He added that Cannabis Cancer Cures and 420 have both been popular news items and  since any story about cannabis appeals to a wide demographic in their audience (18 to 85) meant that we scored high enough on the "colorful interest component" to be a "stand by breaking story" if, I said the words WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN out loud that is. To quote a physist friend of mine, reality, is really really really real. Actions have consequences and causes have effects. Unlike the good citizens of Egypt, we are not oppressed by a dictator, the response of our Police and Army would not be to start shooting at us to disperse us and silence our voice, the good citizens of Egypt put their lives on the line to be heard. In Australia, we already have social democracy, we already have a welfare safety net and pretty good medical facilities, we already live in the most peaceful part of the planet. I wanted to say WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN, but I didn't, because it was NOT a demonstration of intent to occupy the street long term, so, once I knew we had the footage required, I rather politely asked the crowd to disperse because our point had been made and if I know one thing, it's that everyone who was there and everyone who has seen the youtube of the Big Joint flying above a mosh pit of cannabis law reform activists will be making plans to be at the "Twenty Twelve - Four Twenty" at the MardiGrass at the End of the Universe.. I will be there and, as ever, I will be very POLITE and the POLICE have also confirmed that they will be fielding a team for the 2012 TuG of Peace.... 2012..... Finally, you made it! You are now fully briefed as to what to expect, an event that is somewhat different every year and always somewhat the same and I always seems to say (because I use the same paragraph) 2012 will be no exception.  Yup, there is no doubt in my mind that the 2012 MardiGrass will become the next most powerful and memorable MardiGrii ever held. I think this because the last couple of years have been some of the best years in Global Cannabis Law Reform for a many a long year thanks to the huge successes of the Industrial Hemp and Medical Cannabis Campaigns. As we move forward into 2012, we move onto a new playing field and new policing attitudes will be required if we are to take full advantage of the changes in legislation. As you will have understood by reading the words above, each year we (the A.C.L.R.M) try to come up with a slightly different 'thing' for the "MardiGrassers' to do at 4.20, and, we like to keep that a surprise until the last few minutes, even if we are doing nothing besides gathering together for a POLITE toke.   A vision statement about the positive benefits of regulated and taxable cannabis / hemp. Let this vision statement inform it's readers that a multitude of medical discoveries regarding cannabis as a cancer cure have been made this century, prostate and breast cancer, to name the top two.  Let it point out that the number one carbon scrubbing plant is cannabis. Let it point out that growing hemp for fiber and paper is more eco friendly and sustainable than logging trees or fertilizing cotton. Let it point out the nutritional quality of the hemp seed is greater than that of fish or soy beans.  Let it point out that the concept of legalizing cannabis is more popular with the 'man in the street' than ever before, with every online 'poll' (abc/smh etc) about re-legalizing / decriminalizing cannabis have shown over 60% in favor, with most registering in the 70 percentile bracket. Let it point out that in November of 2010, 48% of Californians were in favour of outright legalization of recreational cannabis and let us remember that 56% of Californians voted for (and now have) a legal and taxable medical marijuana industry. Let it point out that that the current NSW (and Australia) government is lagging behind most every other state in the global economy simply because it has not been able to conduct research into the realities inherent in cannabis/hemp re-legalization because of the enforcement of cannabis prohibition. Let it leave the reader in no doubt that relegalizing cannabis for fibre, fuel, food and medicine is in the best interests of everyone.     till next   Max Stone   4:20 on 420 Day 2007 webcam's 7th birthday 4:20 at MardiGrass 2006 Words assembled by Max Stone, the non official smokesperson from the extreme edge of radical fringe of the Australian Cannabis Law Reform Movement A more detailed example of the Just Outdoor First stratagem can be seen at ..  "the Fast Track Proposal for the Nimbin Valley".......