NEWS: News.com.au - 05/05/07 'Cannabis capital celebrates Mardi Grass'

[hoptis]

Cannabis capital celebrates Mardi Grass
By Paul Carter
May 05, 2007 11:46am

AUSTRALIA'S cannabis capital Nimbin, in northern NSW, is celebrating its 34th Mardi Grass festival this weekend under the banner 007-Licenced to Mull.

Police arrested 15 people there yesterday, on day one of the three-day festival that attracts 10,000 tourists each year to the small but lush Northern Rivers town west of Byron Bay.

Ten charges related to possessing prohibited drugs, warrants and unlicensed driving were laid yesterday, as well, six cannabis cautions were issued.

The largest seizures of marijuana were 400g of cannabis and 159 cannabis cookies.

In NSW, the cultivation, selling and possession of cannabis is illegal.

In Nimbin, however, all three activities continue unabated under a high tolerance for cannabis, with the open buying, selling and consumption of the locally grown weed.

"We're here to support the Nimbin community hold this annual event by making it safe for everyone," local area commander Superintendent Bruce Lyons said ahead of today's bong throwing competition.

The main aim of Mardi Grass is to campaign for the legalisation of cannabis, as well as being an important community event.

News.com.au

 

[juice_soldier]

i went to one of these festivals years ago..

over a decade i'd say.

Was called the "Plantem Festival" that year.. man that town is whack.

these days it's just full of junkie crims on the run from sydney or queensland. The Hippies are cool

 

[choppedmess]

i went in 05. I thought it was pretty cool. First time at a bush doof too! i would like to go again some time.

 

[soundAzKnb]

nimbin rocks hey. seems that the legal presence is becoming more noticable each year tho...

 

[maxload]

Word of advise kiddies, don't smoke and drive this weekend as the saliva testers were out.

Other than that very peaceful mood today (from reports) and as long as your children have had a shower the last 3 days, minimal blue interference

 

[ohinvertedworld]

I jumped on the 'Happy Coach' to Nimbin in '05 when I was in Byron for schoolies and we were getting offered weed before we had even stepped off the bus. Cheap as hell too, made for a fun week. Very strange little town though..

 

[lil angel15]

Voluntary tests at Nimbin
May 06, 2007 12:00am

TOURISTS can volunteer to be drug tested before driving home from today's Nimbin Mardi Grass at the northern NSW township.

Drug and alcohol health service workers from the Buttery Outreach Drug Service, based in nearby Bangalow, accepted an invitation from Mardi Grass organisers to work at the annual event.

They will operate drug-test machines at the Nimbin Hotel and Nimbin Bowling Club.

Mardi Grass committee spokesman Michael Balderstone said other precautionary measures included drug-testing machines at the Hemp Embassy for $40.

While the 15th annual Mardi Grass rally will include a street protest calling for cannabis law reform, organisers want to ensure supporters have a safe drive home.

Police last night promised a "significant police presence" on the final day today.

Northern region police arrested 15 people on drug charges during the first day of the event on Friday and made several arrests yesterday.

They have seized 400g of cannabis.

Sunday Mail

 

[static_mind]

I didn't find the festival this year anything special. If hanging out with dirty, stinky people that can count there teeth on one hand cool then you might have a good time. In essence the only thing going for it is the open drug use, other wise people would steer clear of the town as though it was full of smallpox.

Can't say there was any violence though.

 

[Splatt]

I didn't find the festival this year anything special. If hanging out with dirty, stinky people that can count there teeth on one hand cool then you might have a good time. In essence the only thing going for it is the open drug use, other wise people would steer clear of the town as though it was full of smallpox.

Can't say there was any violence though.

Pretty well said.
Nimbin is dirty.

Wow open pot use, because no one gibes a shit about them ;-)
If it weren't for tourists the town wouldn't even have police presence that bust pot/drug relared crimes. Its just the whole.. using a known drug area to engage in open drug use thing that the cops and media want to stop.

 

[lil angel15]

More than 100 people arrested at Nimbin Mardi Grass
7 May, 2007

The NSW Police Force arrested more than 100 people – predominantly for drug offences – and seized more than 15kg of drugs over the three-day Mardi Grass festival in the northern NSW town of Nimbin.

Operation Maloo, comprising police from Richmond LAC, dog squad, mounted police, OSG (Operational Support Group) and the new roadside drug testing unit, was active between 6am Friday May 4 and 6am Monday May 7, 2007.

During that time, police arrested 109 people of which 50 were charged with a number of offences and 62 dealt with by way of cannabis caution.

The majority of the 50 charges were for possess and supply prohibited drug but also included one assault charge, robbery, stealing, offensive language, offensive conduct, drink driving, unlicensed driver, suspended/cancelled driver, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt. Juveniles and adults were warned for drinking in an alcohol free zone and a licensed premise was monitored for breaching licensing laws.

During the police roadside operation in the outskirts of town and foot patrol in Nimbin, more than 15kg of drugs were seized. This included 4.2kg of cannabis leaf, resin and food product such as cookies and muffins, and pills including 48 ecstasy tablets in one haul alone as well as LSD tabs.

On Sunday morning, police stopped a car outside Nimbin at the police checkpoint and during the search allegedly found almost 12kg of cannabis cake. A woman was charged with supply prohibited drugs and will appear at court.

The 62 people issued with cannabis cautions were dealt with under the relevant Act as the arresting police found they were eligible to be treated with a caution rather than a charge. To be eligible, they must be first time offenders for drug related matters. The caution, however, is still recorded in the NSW Police Force COPs system.

Over the weekend Police conveyed a male to hospital after his condition required treatment to alleged consumption of the drug “ice”, he was sedated, treated and rehydrated.

Two police were injured, one requiring possible surgery for his injuries.

Superintendent Bruce Lyons, Commander of Richmond LAC, was pleased with the police results and said those who attended the festival were generally well behaved.



“Operation Maloo has been a great success for NSW Police Force and for the local community. Our main aim, despite some criticism, was to ensure the safety of the community and those visiting from out of town. And we did that,” he said.

“However, from our seizure and the numbers arrested, drugs continue to be a problem in Nimbin but I think the weekend’s operation would have made a substantial impact on supply.

“Nimbin is a unique community and despite the best efforts of police, drug dealing and possession does occur. I am hoping the continued success of our operations will make a difference.”

Supt Lyons said he was also encouraged that the new roadside drug testing unit – in its’ 14th operation – had no positive drug results despite testing hundreds of drivers heading to and from the township.

“It means people are getting the message and to police that’s good news. Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol is dangerous anywhere, especially in country areas where people don’t know the roads.”

The Mardi Grass festival is in its 34th year and the main purpose is to campaign for the legalisation of cannabis as well as being a community event which draws thousands of visitors from around the world to the small country town.

Last year, police increased their presence due to intelligence and an escalation in violence within the township as a result of harder drugs such as speed and ice being used. More than 100 people were arrested last year as well, with most for drug offences.

“We have noticed that violent and anti-social behaviour has been on the rise in Nimbin in recent years and this has been due to people using harder drugs,” Supt Lyons said.

“However I am encouraged that there was only one charge of assault this year.

“As well, the organisers of the festival should be credited for the job they did in making the festival such a success.”

All those charged will appear before Lismore Local Court on June 4 2007.

NSW Police Media Unit

 

[juice_soldier]

Yeh its pretty hardcore... but major police presence at these events only makes the worse really. Because everyone is well aware of the drug problems in nimbin, it's been that way as long as i can remember - but when i was a kid there was like 1 cop in the whole town...

 

[Recyclops]

Illegally Searched at Mardi Grass

My girlfriend and I had just set up our tent in Nimbin and walked into town. I picked up a small bud from someone, and kept it in my pocket. We went down to the bakery car park and sat on the grass to have a talk.

We were just talking fr a while when my girlfriend started getting bitten by ants. She must have been sitting on a nest, because they werebiting her all over. We stood up and she started brushing away any ants she felt, when we caught the attention of the cops. They shined their torch on us, and asked us what we were doing. I said we had just been sitting on the grass and my girlfriend had been bitten all over by ants, and we had to get some ointment for the bites straight away because she's allergic to ant bites. They didn't give a fuck, and told us to hand over my bag, and began searching through it. While one was searching through the bag, the other started sticking his hands in all my pockets.

They were being really pushy and intimidating, and asking stupid questions, like when they found a packet of Tums (chewable antacid tablets for heart burn) they got all suspicious about it, and asking what some pads are for (girl's pads). My girlfriend was really scared, they kept pointing their torch in her face, and since she's deaf she had no idea what they were asking because she couldn't read their lips while they were shining a light in her eyes. She was getting really upset because the bites were stinging her all over and she didn't know what the cops wanted, when they found the tiny baggy of bud in my pocket.

They took us back to the station, where we waited for about an hour for them to get all the paperwork together. They asked where I work, who my parents are, why I was in Nimbin, where I was staying, why I was on the pension (I'm disabled with Chronic Demylinating Polyneuropathy, skoliosis and Anxiety Disorder), and a bunch of stuff that isn't their business. We got off with a Cannabis Caution, but lost $20 worth of Moui that we never got to have a nice go of.

For the rest of the weekend, we didn't carry any buds around on us, and were a lot more paranoid about cops. We saw heaps of them harassing people and acting like general fucktard bullies.

 

[stereobot]

I don't think they are going to give you your bud back.

Also, I don't think you are going to be able to do anything about them illegally searching you. they DID find pot on you, so you aren't going to get much sympathy. The cops are just going to whip out a "probable cause" excuse for searching you.

You could file a complaint, but I wouldn't bring anymore attention to it if you got off with a warning, consider yourself lucky and move on with life. You have learned a valuable lesson that not every law enforcer follows the bill of rights and usually they get away with it, that is life.

 

[hoptis]

Cops and pot campaigners put animosity on ice
Andrew Fraser
08, 2007

AN unlikely alliance of NSW police and pro-marijuana campaigners is concerned about escalating violence fuelled by hard drugs in the northern NSW hippie town of Nimbin.

More than 100 people were arrested at the town's Mardi Grass festival on the weekend, but police and those attending said that most of the crowd of 7000 was fairly well behaved.

Although most of those arrested were charged with possession and supply of marijuana, other charges included assault, robbery, stealing, and offensive language and conduct.

Five more were arrested at a saliva test van set up outside Nimbin to find if drivers had consumed marijuana.

There was some evidence of people using the methamphetamine ice on the weekend, with one man being conveyed to hospital in Lismore, where he had to be sedated before treatment, after allegedly using the drug.

Superintendent Bruce Lyons, of Lismore Police, said two officers had been injured at the festival, one possibly requiring surgery for his injuries.

"We have noticed that violent and anti-social behaviour has been on the rise in Nimbin in recent years and this has been due to people using harder drugs," he said.

Senior Sergeant Michael Hogan said that although there was asmall proportion of heroin users in and around Nimbin, they were concerned about the rising use of ice.

"The problem is when ice is combined with alcohol and other drugs and people become violent," Senior Sergeant Hogan said. "That's what happened on the weekend with the man we had to take to hospital who had to be sedated."

Michael Balderstone, from Nimbin's HEMP embassy, said: "The problem is the black market, when people sell not only cannabis but also ice and all those pills. The black market attracts all sorts of people and some of them can become very violent. It's not the dope smokers; it's ice that can make people very aggressive.

"There's always been a small injecting scene in Nimbin but the vast majority of people here are pot-heads."

Mr Balderstone said that police had traditionally turned a blind eye to some of the activities at the Mardi Gras, which campaigns for the legalisation of marijuana.

He said that last year police took a more aggressive presence at the festival and this high presence was repeated this year.

"They were very aggressive on the Friday night, but then we didn't see them that much the rest of the time," he said.

The Australian

 

[pickapocket]

I attended the Mardi Grass in 2003 when I was on a years break in Australia, I am actually from the UK. All this posturing about Nimbin being a druggy shithole is completely overstated.

The community feel in Nimbin was stronger than any of the small villages I have lived in in the Uk. The whole community got behind what was essentially a village fete with a twist. There was a real pride being shown in the unique culture of the town and although the town is taken over by tourists for the majority of the time I sensed less tension than I have in virtually any other place.

I will concede that there are some scumbags there, probably more than equivalent UK villages. What impressed me was that they got on with their life and others got on with theirs, the 2 cultures where disctinctly different and operated in their own space.

As Australians you should all be supporting this unique place and embracing what the town of Nimbin represents. Just because the good folk of Nimbin don't wash as much as city folk does not mean they are backward or in somehow lacking. The town is a working model in diversity and, in my opinion, is unique the world over.

Mr Balderstone is a legend and I hope the next generation pick up the mantle and continue to demonstrate how this model can work and work well.