An Australian trial that will investigate the impact of medical cannabis on driving ability won’t be finished until late 2025. The Guardian reports that Australian cannabis advocates are disappointed that the Victorian government appears to be delaying the study despite the issue being called a priority.

In February 2023, then-state premier Daniel Andrews pushed to determine how cannabis impacts driving ability and said that the issue is a priority for the Victornian government. He estimated as many as 200,000 medicinal cannabis patients in Victoria are essentially restricted from driving. 

That’s because THC can be detected in the body for weeks, if not months after consumption, meaning medicinal cannabis patients can essentially never drive without worry of driving while what authorities consider to be impaired.

Victorian premier Jacinta Allan announced May 14 that Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia has been selected to run the trial. The $4.9 million dollar trial ($3.26 million USD), to be completed over 18 months , will review about 70 medicinal cannabis patients’ ability to manage distractions and assess their performance behind the wheel, including steering, braking, and speed control on a dedicated track.

“Just as we were the first state in the nation to introduce medicinal cannabis to support people with their medical illnesses, we are now moving to have this world-first trial to support and examine how it affects people as they’re out on this closed circuit driving track,” Allan said.

Victoria became the first Australian state to legalize medical cannabis in 2016, but it remains illegal for individuals to drive with any trace of THC in their bloodstream.

Legalise Cannabis MPs David Ettershank and Rachel Payne said they were disappointed in the timeline. “Jacinta Allan may be on a driving track today but I know she is intentionally ‘stalling’ on this decision,” Payne said. “In 2023, Dan Andrews promised an answer ‘in coming months’ followed by a guarantee to have it fixed by 2024. Now, with a new premier, it’s mid-2026 at best.” Ettershank suggested was “discriminating” against medicinal cannabis patients and the motives were political.

What could change? Already in Tasmania, leaders established a medical defense if drivers are caught behind the wheel with THC in their system, as it can linger there for weeks or months. But roads minister, Melissa Horne said Tasmania had far fewer medicinal cannabis patients than Victoria. “At the heart of it, it is a basic human rights issue where we’ve got people out there who are taking a legally prescribed substance who cannot drive at the moment,” she said.

While cannabis breathalyzers have emerged, made by several companies, there is currently very few, if any places in the world that has developed standardized cannabis impairment testing; All that exists are tests that can detect THC in the bloodstream, but that has little to do with current impairment. That could change quickly, however.

How Long Cannabis Impacts Driving Performance

Researchers in Australia have been determining the window that cannabis can impair driving performance. In one case, Thomas R Arkell, Danielle McCartney , Iain S McGregor, who are associated with The Lambert Initiative at the University of Sydney, studied the impact of cannabis on driving ability.

They determined that cannabis can impair driving ability in the hours immediately after smoking, but the impairment ends well before THC metabolites are flushed from the bloodstream.

“Patients using THC-containing products should avoid driving and other safety-sensitive tasks (e.g. operating machinery), particularly during initiation of treatment and in the hours immediately following each dose,” the authors wrote. “Patients may test positive for THC even if they do not feel impaired, and medical cannabis use does not currently exempt patients from mobile (roadside) drug testing and associated legal sanctions.”

Hound Labs, based in Oakland, California, said in 2021 that market release is imminent for its Hound Marijuana Breathalyzer, which can detect the presence of THC molecules in the breath.

“The first commercial units of the Hound Marijuana Breathalyzer will be in the hands of customers this spring,” Dr. Mike Lynn, an emergency room physician who is CEO and co-founder of Hound Labs, told High Times. “Production will ramp up throughout the rest of 2021.”

The introduction of the Hound Breathalyzer could really shake things up for law enforcement, motorists, employees, employers, and medical cannabis patients. It’s different from other drug tests because Hound Labs reps say it can test whether the person is currently high, as measured by the presence of THC molecules in the breath. The developers of the Hound believe that THC molecules linger in the breath for up to four hours after smoking. 

In the U.S., 12 states—Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah and Wisconsin—have zero-tolerance laws for certain drugs including THC.

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MindBio Therapeutics Corp. said that “MB22001, a proprietary and self-titratable form of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) designed for safe take home microdosing” has been approved for take-home use in a pair of clinical trials.

“The trials in women’s health aim to address a huge unmet need in effectively treating Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric disorder (PMDD) without the side effects of anti-depressants and the combined oral contraceptive pill often used in treatment,” the company said in a press release.

The company “now has in its portfolio, multiple Phase 2B clinical trials underway and in a series of world firsts,” the press release said.

“This month, MindBio aims to present secondary data relating to its recently completed Phase 2A trial of MB22001 in patients with Major Depressive Disorder. The Company has already met its primary end-point using the global standard Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) to show a 60% drop in depressive symptoms and 53% complete remission from depression by week 8 of treatment,” the company said in the release. 

“The secondary data presentation will report on post treatment effects, using the MADRS and several other vital clinical scales for measuring the effects of MB22001 on each clinical trial participant’s mental health. The readouts are important to understanding the full impact on patients of this novel medicine and if the results continue to be positive, strengthening the position of this drug as it progresses towards Phase 3 clinical trials.”

As Benzinga explains, MindBio’s thesis “is that it can be used acutely during specific periods of the menstrual cycle, with targeted dosing to treat negative mood symptoms.” 

“This thesis is based on three main facts a) The acute dose day mood-elevating effects of MB22001 have been demonstrated in MindBio’s Phase 1 trials b) MindBio’s Phase 2a open-label trial in depressed patients show long-term improvements in mood and c) reports in the grey literature of people self-medicating for PMS/PMDD using LSD microdoses,” Benzinga said. “Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is estimated to affect ~25% of all women who menstruate – equivalent to 956 million women worldwide. A particularly severe form of PMS is termed premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) which affects 3-8% of women who menstruate. Current treatments for these issues are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), given either continuously or daily during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. While SSRIs can be effective for some with PMDD approximately 40% of women with PMDD do not respond to SSRIs, and common side effects of SSRIs when used for PMDD include nausea, decreased energy, somnolence, fatigue, decreased libido and sweating.”

MindBio bills itself as a “pioneering clinical studies into the microdosing of psychedelic medicines to treat a range of medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, panic disorder, chronic pain and opiate addictions,” and that invests in “clinical research to discover potential new treatment options and we aim to create novel medicines and treatment regimes from breakthrough microdosing studies.”

The company provides more background on this year’s clinical trials of MB22001.

“Phase 2a clinical trials completed in March 2024 using MB22001 in Major Depressive Disorder.  The Phase 2a clinical trial resulted in 53% of depressed patients entering the trial being in complete remission after 8 weeks of treatment. Overall, there was a 14.1 drop in MADRS Score (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale). The MADRS is a global standard for measuring the severity of Clinical Depression. Overall there was an impressive 60% drop in Depressive symptoms at week 8 of the trial,” the company explains, adding that it has “just started dosing in a Phase 2b depression trial.”  

“In this randomised active placebo-controlled trial, 90 patients with Major Depressive Disorder will be given microdoses of MB22001 or an active placebo over an 8 week period.  At the end of the 8 weeks, all participants in the placebo and drug group will be offered an 8 week extension to ensure the placebo group has the opportunity to trial MB22001,” it continues. “A second Phase 2b trial in late stage cancer patients is also currently underway.  This cancer study will evaluate the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial comparing psychedelic-microdose assisted Meaning-Centred Psychotherapy to standard Meaning-Centred Psychotherapy in people who have advanced cancer and anxiety or depression.”

Participants in the trials “will be randomised to receive psychotherapy alongside doses of either an LSD microdose or placebo,” MindBio said. 

“The feasibility, acceptability, safety and potential psychological benefits of this intervention will be assessed. Our findings will inform the development of a larger trial and provide an initial indication of the potential benefits of psychedelic microdosing in advanced cancer.”

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Using cannabis for pain relief is nothing new. Across the U.S., most states include chronic pain as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis.

Looking broader, individuals around the globe are already embracing cannabis for these pain-relieving qualities alongside the additional benefits it may offer. While we’re still learning exactly how cannabis can work to treat symptoms and provide relief for specific conditions, many are taking matters into their own hands with promising results — and these trends could very well help to shape further research and policy.

A recent survey published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology took a closer look at symptom management pertaining to cannabis and endometriosis, finding that patients often turn to cannabis to alleviate their symptoms despite ongoing barriers to access.

Cannabis Use Among Endometriosis Patients

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, generally resulting in severe pelvic pain and inflammation. The tissue acts in the same way as the lining inside the uterus, thickening, breaking down and bleeding with each menstrual cycle. Endometriosis involving the ovaries can also result in cysts, causing surrounding tissue irritation and formation of scar tissue.

Endometriosis can start at the time of a person’s first menstrual period and last until menopause. We still don’t know what causes endometriosis, there is no way to prevent it and there is no cure. However, there are a number of treatments to help ease the related symptoms. Some opt for surgery to remove lesions, while many embrace hormonal intrauterine devices, birth control methods, opioid-based pain medications and more for ongoing relief.

That said, we can safely add cannabis to the list of modern-day treatments given its prevalence of use.

In the survey, Australian researchers examined the perspectives of 192 people with a history of cannabis use and endometriosis. Noting it as a “very expensive disease, with substantive out of pocket costs for pain and symptom management,” researchers reference cost and accessibility to cannabis-based medicinal products (CMBPs) as a primary focus of the survey. They also cite the lack of information surrounding ideal products, modes of administration and efficacy in current research.

Researchers gathered data through an online survey of Australian and New Zealand residents, via social media and community-based advocacy platform Cannareviews.co. Respondents included those using either illicit cannabis or legal CMBPs prescribed by a doctor to manage endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain-related symptoms. However, the published report only includes data from Australian respondents. 

Endometriosis, Cannabis Use Trends and Symptom Relief

The survey found that THC-dominant CBMPs are most commonly prescribed to Australians with endometriosis, noting multi-product use as a common trend with most people reporting the use of at least two products. For those with only one prescription (23%), it was almost always a THC-dominant product. 

Most respondents (59.4%) said they used cannabis recreationally and for endometriosis symptom management, though many exclusively used cannabis to manage symptoms (40.1%).

Patients reported improvements in common endometriosis symptoms through the use of legal CBMPs, specifically sleep (68.9%), chronic pelvic pain (44.5%), nausea (47.9%), anxiety/depression (45.4%) and menstrual pain (38.7%). 

They also reported a reduction in the use of opioids, hormonal treatments, non-steroidal inflammatory drugs, neuroleptics and illicit cannabis. 

Oils and flower were the most common product types, illicit or legal.

Examining Cost and Access to Cannabis Medicines

The results also pointed to legal, THC-dominant cannabis medications being more expensive than illicit “equivalents” and that the extra cost for legal access often led to people underdosing (76.1%) or resorting to illicit cannabis to “bridge the gap” and easen cost burdens (42.9%).

Researchers note that relying upon illicit cannabis products can lead to inadequate symptom management, using products that have not been tested for safety and quality and of course associated legal ramifications.

Nearly all (96.3%) respondents said that their cost burden would be substantially reduced if CBMPs were a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listed and subsidized product. 

The bulk of respondents said they would consider moving insurers if they found out their private health insurance would not reimburse the cost of cannabis medicine as well — 60.9% said maybe, depending on other factors; 20.3% said yes, so long as the premium was the same price or less; 11.7% said yes, even if the premium was higher; only 7% said no.

Researchers said that patients’ willingness to switch insurers based on this variable “speaks to the pivotal nature of cost concerns (and perceived effectiveness) relating to affordable access to cannabinoids.” Additionally, they state that the results suggest a need for a greater response from insurers in the country.

“Given the lack of well-tolerated alternatives for medical management of endometriosis, this is an equity issue that urgently needs addressing,” they add.

Limitations and Looking Ahead

Researchers note that self-reported nature of cost, diagnosis and product consumption as a limitation. They also cited the potential for their recruitment methods — through social media and Cannareviews’ patient base — to produce recall and selection bias, as participants may have either had more severe impacts to quality of life or a more positive experience with illicit or medicinal cannabis than the broader population.

Still, the data affirms that many are already finding relief and relying on cannabis treatments for endometriosis, highlighting the need for better access.

“Given major issues with symptom management and the self-reported reductions in pain and other symptoms, improving access to medicinal cannabis for this population is important and timely,” authors conclude. “Reductions in cost of both product and consultations, as well as coverage by insurance are areas which need addressing.”

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Australian border authorities confiscated nearly 900 kilos of ketamine last year, setting a new national record for seizures of the psychedelic drug. The spike in seizures of ketamine is concerning to Australian officials, who worry that organized crime groups are now focusing on illicit sales of the powerful drug.

The 882 kilograms of ketamine seized last year is more than double the 415 kilos seized in 2022, according to a report from 9 News. Officials say that the majority of the ketamine seized by the Australian Border Force (ABF) was imported into the country by sea. 

Testing of wastewater in Australia has revealed a new high for levels of ketamine, confirming that the psychedelic drug has become increasingly popular with the nation’s residents. Ketamine use reached a record high in April 2023, according to the latest ACIC National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program report.

Authorities discovered 84 kilos of ketamine hidden inside the panels of two brand-new delivery vans on a ship bound for Sydney last summer. After receiving a tip about the illicit shipment, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) boarded the ship in Melbourne to inspect the cargo. Officials found a total of 79 bags of ketamine hidden in the vans. After seizing the illegal shipment, they replaced the bags with dummy packets before the vessel continued its route to Sydney. Police then apprehended the recipients of the dummy bags outside Sydney and arrested three men who were charged with importing a commercial quantity of controlled drugs.

“These criminal groups may think they’re being clever in the way they try to bring in these harmful substances, but they should know that the ABF is ready to respond,” ABF Assistant Commissioner James Watson said in a statement to Australian media.

Largest Ketamine Bust Ever Made Last Year

AFP agents made the largest ketamine bust in Australian history in July 2023 when they found 80 kilos of the drug in an ocean-going cement shipment from Spain. The bust was made after a tip from Spanish authorities and led to the discovery of 80 kilos of ketamine that had been buried at a residence. Another 14 kilos of the drug was found at a nearby storage facility and three men were arrested and face charges in the record bust.

The largest amounts of ketamine were confiscated from ocean-going shipments of the drug. Additionally, officials seized smaller quantities of the drug from travelers to the country. According to media reports, ABF agents routinely find smaller amounts of ketamine in passenger luggage and arrest travelers suspected of importing the drugs.

In October 2023, a Taiwanese national was arrested at Brisbane International Airport after border officials discovered 250 grams of ketamine in his luggage. Last week, an 18-year-old UK national was arrested when he arrived in Sydney and border officials discovered 20 kilos of ketamine in his luggage. The man was charged with importing commercial quantities of a controlled drug and has been denied bail in the case.

Although ketamine busts in Australia rose to record levels last year, officials note that seizures of the psychedelic are much lower than other drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, according to AFP intelligence. As ketamine busts increase, officials are warning Australians about the risks associated with taking the drug.

“Ketamine is a dangerous and illicit sedative. Its dissociative effects block sensory brain signals and can cause memory loss, feelings of being detached from one’s body and prevent their ability to perceive danger,” AFP Detective-Superintendent Anthony Hall said in a statement cited by The Maritime Executive. “Unfortunately, in Australia, an average of 40 people are admitted to hospitals every week as a result of experiencing the harm caused by drug use.”

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It’s already fairly well known that music festivals tend to come with plenty of illicit drug use. The activity is so common at festivals, and in dance scenes as a whole, that organizers and attendees alike are becoming increasingly more equipped to combat potential overdoses through a variety of measures.

A new study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy underscores the impact of these harm reduction strategies and consciously incorporating them into events, looking at the amount of drug-related deaths at Australian music festivals, the common trends and what may have helped to prevent them.

Moreover, the researchers ultimately confirmed that mobile medical care, drug testing and increased consumer education and awareness could have prevented these largely unintentional deaths.

Examining Modern-Day, Drug-Related Deaths at Australian Festivals

Researchers note the high prevalence of drug use among festival attendees compared to the general population, citing a study finding that 44% of over 5,200 surveyed Australian music festival attendees reported past-month use of illicit drugs. That said, it’s no surprise that more instances of drug use often result in increased cases of drug-related harm.

To examine the prevalence of drug-related deaths at Australian music festivals, researchers conducted a descriptive case series study using the National Coronial Information System (NCIS) looking at relevant data between July 2000 and December 2019.

The study noted a total of 64 deaths, predominantly males (73.4%) aged in their mid-20s (ranging 15-50 years old). MDMA and alcohol were the most common substances across the study period, reported respectively in 42 (65.6%) and 30 (46.9%) cases and with alcohol co-detected with MDMA in 14 (33.3%) cases. 

Deaths were primarily associated with toxicity from MDMA and other stimulants (19 cases), toxicity from other drugs or drug combinations (11 cases) and either natural causes (10 cases) or external injuries (24 cases) in the setting of drug use, like those involving motor vehicle or train collisions or a passenger or driver using drugs. The majority of cases involved unintended harm, with 11 deaths (17.2%) related to intentional self-harm.

Drug-Related Harm Reduction at Music Festivals

So, what exactly are the ways to prevent a drug overdose at these events?

Authors note that there is limited evidence surrounding the efficacy of specific law enforcement-related approaches. While drug detection dogs have been utilized in Australian festivals for more than two decades, researchers note some research showing this can actually increase risk of drug-related harm. They also mention that this method may “paradoxically increase the risk of overdose,” with attendees potentially leading to festival goers hiding drugs internally or quickly consuming drugs to avoid arrest.

There’s drug checking and testing, which allows members of the public to analyze drugs to confirm if they contain any potentially dangerous or unexpected substances and how much of a substance is actually in a given powder, pill, tablet and so on. 

Researchers note the body of research finding that this option indeed demonstrates a reduction in drug use and related harm. Combating the notion that people may be more inclined to use drugs with the ability to test them, researchers cite a recent study finding that festival attendees are no more likely to use drugs at festivals whether drug testing is provided or not.

Music festivals also tend to have mobile paramedics, peer harm reduction workers, chill-out spaces and may even incorporate specific physical design elements to reduce the risk of drug-related harm.

Preventing Overdose Through Drug Testing and Other Measures

Authors note that in these 64 cases, the most common cause of death was MDMA toxicity. While there are a variety of factors associated with increased risk of adverse effects surrounding MDMA usage, researchers highlight the variability in dose amounts as a key factor. For this study, the average MDMA concentration among the deaths was above a range usually associated with toxicity, showing an opportunity for harm reduction by drug checking and testing.

“Drug checking is not merely an analytical process; counsellors are available on-site to discuss analytical results and provide important harm reduction interventions,” researchers write. “This approach is favoured by festival patrons and has resulted in positive outcomes including changing dosing patterns, trust of health providers, and increased drug harm reduction knowledge.”

However these services are still in their infancy in Australia, despite being available throughout Europe and North America for a number of decades.

“Harm reduction strategies such as roving first aid volunteers, mobile medical care, spaces to rest, hydration stations, and drug checking services, may best address some of the risks associated with illicit drug use at festivals, in addition to increased consumer education and awareness,” authors conclude. “It is important to understand the factors involved in these incidents in order to inform policies around harm reduction and law enforcement at music festivals in future to prevent further deaths.”

In an interview with online music magazine and community platform Resident Advisor, co-author Dr. Jennifer Schumann underscored the findings around harm reduction, citing that two in three Austalians support drug checking services along with recommendations from coroners throughout the region to implement these services.

“It’s possible that information about the drugs these people were taking, along with harm-reduction advice from drug-checking service counsellors, may have prevented death in some cases in our study,” Schumann said.

It’s a particularly relevant topic Down Under, with renewed calls for more safety measures after nine people were hospitalized in January from suspected MDMA overdoses at Melbourne’s Hardmission Festival.

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Police seized nearly five tons of methamphetamine in Fiji, equivalent to more than $2 billion in Fijian dollars (approximately $886.2 million USD). The first Jan. 14 raid resulted in seizure of more than three tons of meth at a warehouse on the western side of Fiji’s main island near the country’s main international airport, according to an OCCRP report.

The second raid took place Jan. 20, with Fiji’s public prosecutor sanctioning charges against 13 people in connection to the raids, RNZ reports. Those accused have been charged with unlawful possession of illicit drugs, according to a statement from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

Drugs Down Under: The First of Many Possible Busts to Come

“Of the 13 accused persons, two are also charged with unlawful importation of illicit drugs. It is alleged that the accused persons without lawful authority, facilitated the importation and were found in possession of 4.8 tonnes of methamphetamines, an illicit drug, the statement says.

The ODPP also said that three of the 13 suspects were also charged with possession of property suspected of being proceeds of crime.

“It is alleged that the three accused persons were found in possession of cash (local and overseas currency) suspected of being proceeds of crime,” the statement said.

One of the 13, Justin Ho, was previously charged for exporting 2015.7 grams of cocaine from Sydney in 2018 while working as a flight attendant for Fiji Airways. Ho, and the other suspect, ended up walking free after the drugs went missing from the Namaka Police Station and the ODPP filed to discontinue proceedings.

A Fijian police officer was also charged in relation to the incident, after allegedly scooping up what was believed to be crystal meth powder from the first drug bust. The officer also allegedly fled the scene on Jan. 14 and was apprehended two days later.

An Ongoing Investigation

A Fiji court proceeded to grant bail to the 13 people charged after questioning and holding them in custody for 48 hours per country law. They are still under a curfew and must appear at the Lautoka High Court on Friday. 

Fiji Police are now working with their nearby counterparts, like the Australian Federal Police and the Pacific Transnational Crime and Coordination Centre, and expect to make additional arrests.

According to Fiji Police Assistant Police Commissioner Mesake Waqa, the drugs arrived in Fiji in late December and the country was “being used as a transit point and that the methamphetamine was destined for a foreign market.” Waqa also said that the exchange of the meth shipment was believed to have been made outside of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, and the packages were delivered through a barge.

“The Fiji Police Force will not be making further comments on the ongoing investigation until major developments are made,” Waqa said.

Fiji Leaders Unite Against Drugs

According to the Fiji Sun, three chiefs — Tui Nadi Ratu Vuniyani Navuniuci, Tui Sabeto Ratu Viliame Mataitoga and Tui Nawaka Ratu Joeli Naevo — have also united to address the issue and naming their concern about drugs in the country.

It’s looking as though this incident could ignite a War on Drugs in the region, as entities like the Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Nadi Town Council also urged for swift action to address what they called a “serious and worrying issue.” 

Dr. Ram Raju, president of the Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that these drug busts were staggering and that Fiji is vulnerable acting as a middle country for illegal drug trade. Raju similarly called for major, sweeping measures, even suggesting that Fiji be deemed as “smoke and drug free.”

Pio Tikoduadua, Fijian Parliament minister and member, pointed to the need for legislative review and strengthening the country’s laws around illicit drug trade and border control. Tikoduadua also called for harsher penalties on those involved in the drug trade and building effective processes for police investigations while emphasizing that education is one of the best tools to discourage Fijians from using drugs.

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Sometimes, you have to take it to the streets, literally. At least that’s the approach Australian cannabis activists Will Stolk and Alec Zammitt take when trying to generate awareness around the flaws in Australia’s current weed regulations.

Stolk and Zammitt have been helping make cannabis a hot topic of discussion in Australia for the past eight years, rolling out annual 420 “Who Are We Hurting?” demonstrations that have captivated the ears and eyes of the Australian public. At the very least, Stolk and Zammitt aim to share a laugh and start a conversation with people about cannabis legislation reform, but activism is not without its hurdles.

As previously reported by High Times, both men are currently on bail for organizing a pot publicity stunt where they projected cannabis imagery onto the iconic Sydney Opera House on 4/20 in 2022. As of the writing of this piece, Stolk and Zammitt are scheduled to return to court on either the 4th or 5th of January 2024 to face charges—all for trying to help people not feel like outsiders and not feel objectified because they consume cannabis.

Stolk and Zammitt left no trace of their light show on the Opera House, did not disgrace its exterior with graffiti, nor was the property damaged in any way. Technically, they were never on the premises.

“We’re facing criminal charges for doing something that obviously is of mischief, but when we did the opera house stunt, we left no impact on it,” Stolk said over a video call. “We just want to be able to go down to the shop and buy cannabis, just like you can in California.”

Activism Meets Guerrilla Marketing

Since their first 420 stunt—where they donned a giant bong costume and attached a sign reading “Happy birthday, weed” to a bunch of balloons like in the movie Up—Stolk and Zammitt’s passion for activism was really to humor themselves. It just so happened that others well received their work, and suddenly, the “Who Are We Hurting?” movement was born.

Before their serendipitous meeting, Stolk was a professional skier and Zammitt was well-versed in guerrilla marketing, PR, and publicity stunts for corporate clients.

After an arrest in Utah for two grams of pot on a ski trip derailed his ski career for about six months, Stolk was pissed off and wanted to do something about it. Zammitt—who was also a cannabis consumer—wanted to change the negative stigmas around weed in Australia, and the two joined forces to jumpstart the conversation on cannabis reform and to educate people.

“There’s definitely a lot of knowledgeable Australians who can speak on the topic better than we can, but they might not necessarily be able to get in front of the right people or have the clickbait,” Zammitt said. “That’s what we’re trying to pair together—the people who can speak well on the topic and the platform that helps them give that message.

“We just supply what we know, and we encourage other consumers to do the same. If everyone was vocal about it, we’d be a lot further ahead of the stigma around cannabis.”

And according to Stolk, slowly but surely, the culture is changing.

“In 2016, when medical weed legalization was passed, it led to massive change, and two years ago in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), they decriminalized cannabis,” he said. “You’re allowed to grow your own weed and you’re allowed to smoke it, but you’re not allowed to sell it.”

The legislation puts Australian weed smokers in quite a predicament: While they can consume their own herb, they have no legal way of purchasing it.

“In Canberra, where Will’s talking about, you can grow your own, but it’s still federally illegal to import seeds and trade for them, so the plants would have to magically appear in your backyard,” Zammitt said with a laugh. “You’re also not allowed to use artificial heat or lighting sources, so if you don’t have a backyard, live in apartments, or security is an issue for you, you won’t be able to take advantage of the decriminalization.”

And that’s why “Who Are We Hurting?” does what it does. They’ve teamed up with politicians and different activists who can help enact change, or at least influence the people who can make the changes, such as the Australian political party Legalise Cannabis Australia.

“They’ve got four members of parliament elected across three different states in Australia,” Zammitt said. “People are voting for the change, and other politicians are starting to realize they’re asleep at the wheel.”

One of the main legislative problems “Who Are We Hurting?” is currently trying to fix is the unfair targeting of medicinal cannabis patients on the roadways.

“Currently, it’s the only prescribed medicine that you’re not allowed to have present in your system while driving,” Zammitt said. “We’re proposing an allowable defense so you can have it present in your system as long as you’re not driving whilst impaired.”

According to Stolk, even if you’re a medicinal cannabis patient, if you’re caught with any traces of cannabis in your system, you automatically lose your driver’s license for three months, regardless of impairment.

This means that even if you have a legal medical cannabis prescription, there’s a chance you could be unfairly cited while on the road.

“During my time over the past decade doing these stunts, the police have set up a specific task force to target activists who are doing what Will and I do, as well as what the climate protesters are doing,” Zammitt said. “They specifically targeted my car, kept pulling me over, kept searching the car and drug testing me.”

Zammitt kept coming up negative, but on two occasions three weeks apart, he returned two positive tests. He ended up going to court for those matters and, at the time, owned a private security company. Because of the roadside positive test, his license to employ security guards was revoked, causing him to close the company instantly.

“I wasn’t allowed to profit from anything industry-related,” Zammitt said. “It was iffy as to if I would even be legally allowed to sell the company I owned.”

But once he went to court, his driver’s license remained intact.

“They allowed me to keep driving on the roads, so I feel the police task force was trying to target some of my financial income to try and hinder the activism we’re doing,” Zammitt said. 

“Obviously, they were targeting me, and they specifically went about it in that way to take my company off me, but there’ve been plenty of other people who have had consequences similar to mine just because they’ve been driving with their medication present in their system.”

This could mean that weed might still show in one’s system two weeks after initial consumption—depending on one’s metabolism. Thus, the work of “Who Are We Hurting?” aims to fix these holes at the highest levels of government and help people not live in fear of criminal prosecution for weed consumption.

Haters may ask, “Why publicity stunts? Why not print pamphlets and canvass around?”

“We do the stunts because we do what we know,” Zammitt said. “Rather than handing a pamphlet to one person who walks by who will probably throw it away, we would rather put a bit of effort into a stunt that could reach national or global news and get us in conversation with organizations like High Times Magazine and other mainstream media outlets.”

“Who Are We Hurting?” wants to push the doctors, scientists, and politicians to comment on legalization and do cross-over interviews with them to convert the nonbelievers and reverse the stigma.

“We do what we do to make the most amount of impact possible,” Stolk said. “When we do these stunts, we try to get people to talk about the elephant in the room, which is obviously ‘Who are we hurting?’ and the impact of these draconian drug laws.”

For Stolk and Zammitt, stunts make it possible to do something highly visible to push their message in ways that do not negatively impact the public.

“We don’t want to be going out there blocking major highways saying, ‘We want to make cannabis legal,’ because even people who smoke might be stuck in that traffic trying to get to work or trying to get their kids to school,” Zammitt said.

In other words, Stolk and Zammitt aim to be disruptive, but not in a way that pisses people off.

“We want people to resonate with our cause, but we don’t want to cause any conflict in society,” Stolk said. “I think the majority of people would agree that cannabis is safer than cigarettes or alcohol, can be used in both a medical and recreational way, and if we’re not driving impaired, we’re not really hurting anybody.”

Zammitt echoed similar sentiments.

“We’re not against the police, either,” he said. “There are a lot of police on our side and a lot of police who have family members in Australia who are prescribed medicinal cannabis. I feel like it’s just a few politicians and corporate folks who are pissed off and don’t want to see these changes go through. But we’ll play their game, we’ll keep lobbying, we’ll keep stirring the pot and I think we’ll see a lot of change moving forward.”

Follow @willysworld69, @crazek, and check out crazeco.com.au for more information.

This article was originally published in the January 2024 issue of High Times Magazine.

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Two Tasmanian hemp business owners are founders and operators of the island state’s hemp processing operations. Andi Lucas of the hemp processing facility X-Hemp and Tim Crow of Hemp Harvests proudly embrace the benefits of hemp, but in a recent interview with ABC News, both of them expressed the need for regulations to change.

“I’m effectively being treated as though I’m dealing with some sort of narcotic when in actual fact it’s a crop like grain, or barley, or wheat,” said Lucas about the state of the industry. “I think we missed an opportunity, the rest of the world has the ability to utilize the whole … plant,” added Crow.

In November 2023, the Tasmania government tabled the Industrial Hemp Amendment Bill 2023 in parliament. New regulations associated with the bill would have changed both the 2015 Industrial Hemp Act and the Industrial Hemp Amendment Regulations 2016 to free up restrictions encountered by people like Lucas and Crow.

At the time, Jo Palmer, the Minister for Primary Industries and Water, explained that legislators are committed to improving the state’s hemp industry. “Proposed amendments will improve clarity, efficiency, and transparency for licensees,” Palmer said in a press statement. “It will also provide consistency with existing legislation in relation to police powers, the assessment of suitability of applicants, and definitions for fit and proper persons and responsible officers.”

X-Hemp was founded by Andi Lucas (who is also the Tasmanian Hemp Association’s president). According to her website, X-Hemp is the only cannabis fiber processing mill in Tasmania, and one of only a few throughout all Australian states. “X-Hemp grows its own crops and works with our state’s licensed hemp farmers, converting the grain stubble left from the hemp seed harvest—which was previously being burned off as waste—into saleable products,” the company website states. “X-Hemp sells hemp for building materials, mulch for landscaping, bast for specialty paper production, and other outputs for alternative uses such as animal bedding.”

Lucas told ABC about the benefits of hemp processing and hempcrete production. “Hempcrete as a building material is highly insulating, it’s non-combustible, so it actually won’t ignite,” Lucas said. “It’s fantastic for bushfire areas, that type of thing, it’s a very attractive option for people who are looking to build environmentally sustainable homes. Hemp basically sequesters carbon through the growth cycle of the plant and the building’s life cycle.”

X-Hemp is making hempcrete to be used in the interior construction of the University of Tasmania’s (UTAS) forestry building, which was announced in January 2023. “We’re incredibly excited to be asked to supply material to a huge project that UTAS are building in Hobart and the old forestry building,” Lucas explained. “It’ll be the largest hempcrete building in the southern hemisphere and all of that hemp is being locally grown and processed in Tassie, which is amazing.”

Crow founded Hemp Harvests, a hemp seed processing company which sells hemp seed hearts, hemp protein concentrate, and hemp seed oil. In the ABC interview, he explained that traveling in France and the Netherlands showed how hemp has truly become mainstream. “That’s where they produce fiber which is put into composites—BMW and Mercedes put them into car door panels.” He added that hemp insulation is more beneficial and takes less energy to create versus traditional methods of insulation, although it’s currently more expensive.

He also explored the North American and Canadian hemp markets, specifically how they have evolved and expanded hemp production. “Now there’s a lot of investment going into using the fibers, including building materials—there’s people making natural insulation and flooring,” Crow said.

When the Tasmanian Industrial Hemp Amendment Bill 2023 was shelved last November, the government stated that the industrial hemp industry could be worth $10 billion by 2050, and is an important contribution to help the state move toward sustainability.

Overall, Australians have shown overwhelming support for cannabis in a variety of ways. A recent YouGov poll showed that 50% of Australians are in favor of legalizing a bill that would allow residents to grow up to six cannabis plants for personal use. The poll also showed that 54% of Australians support decriminalization, with 33% saying they do not support decriminalization, and 12% didn’t know.

Last July, Australia became the first country in the world to allow doctors to prescribe psilocybin and MDMA therapy. It was a three-year process and decision by the Therapeutic Goods Administration that eventually led to moving psilocybin and MDMA from Schedule 9 substances to Schedule 8.

If recreational cannabis were to be legalized throughout Australia, a May 2023 report shows that the industry could earn $243.5 million per year within the first five years. “This is the first time anyone has shown their working, and set out exactly how their figures were arrived at,” said Legalise Cannabis WA party leader Brian Walker. “On the spending side we’ve got stuff like your police—for chasing a cannabis crime—the courts and the corrective services for managing that. Altogether, that’s about $100 million per year.”

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The Victorian parliament has passed new laws that will allow medical cannabis users to get behind the wheel on a closed road. These new laws are part of a trial that will look into the impact marijuana has on a person’s driving ability.

In 2016, Victoria was the first Australian state to legalize medical cannabis. However, individuals part of this program can still face legal consequences if they’re found to have tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in their system while driving.

The difficulty with this is THC can remain in a person’s system long after the “high” has worn out. That said, you can find yourself with an offense even if you haven’t consumed it for a few days. As of this time, Tasmania is the only state that allows for a medical defense if THC is found in a driver’s body fluids.

This is the primary importance of Victoria’s trial – to determine what’s a safe level of THC to be driving with. Many Victorian medical marijuana users have raised concerns about the risk of losing their license or being fined. The Victoria parliament had initially addressed these concerns in 2021, but efforts were delayed due to COVID-19. 

The government plans to commission an independent research organization (currently undetermined) which will be supported by the Department of Transport and Planning. And they’ve made sure to note that this research will take place in a controlled-driving environment that’s separated from public roads.

Such efforts couldn’t come at a better time. According to road safety minister, Melissa Horne, the number of medical marijuana patients in Victoria has increased more than 700% over the last 2 years.

The Importance of Understanding Cannabis’s Effects on Drivers

While Victoria can recognize the many benefits medical cannabis provides to residents, there remain “significant gaps” in their understanding of THC. More specifically, how it affects drivers and what the risk is for road safety.

“This bill will allow us to deliver a world-leading research trial into medical cannabis and driving, enhancing our understanding of how cannabis affects driving behaviour and informing future reform,” Horne said.

There have been other efforts for reforms to road laws and medical marijuana. For example, upper house MPs Rachel Payne and David Ettershank, of the Legalise Cannabis party, have been championing for it to no longer be an offense if a driver who has detectable levels of THC in bodily fluid is unimpaired. Both Payne and Ettershank support the current trial but are concerned it will take too long.

“The reality is patients continue to wait,” Payne said. “Medicinal cannabis has been prescribed since 2016, that’s a long time for patients to have to wait for a resolution.”

She continued: “A medicinal cannabis patient should be treated like any other patient who is prescribed medicine by a doctor who also provides appropriate advice about when that patient is safe to drive.”

Beyond this information, it would also help to have a way of testing impairment. Since law enforcement can’t resort to surefire results as seen with a blood-alcohol test, it would also benefit Victoria to determine a proper physical test to decide on a driver’s state of intoxication.

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New research carried out over three years in Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc vineyard by grape grower Kristy Harkness and viticulture researcher Dr. Mark Krasnow has found that hemp is a viable cover crop, at least when it comes to the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc vineyards. 

The research, as  outlined by New Zealand Wine Grower, found that the hemp did not compete with the vines and beneficially affected soils and wines. During the country’s dry season, the hemp also became established without supplemental irrigation when other crops failed to survive, allowing the plants to sequester carbon longer into the season.

For U.S. regions like California, which have both booming wine and hemp markets, these findings could potentially prove useful for the future of both industries.

Assessing Hemp’s Impact on Wine Vineyards

To assess the effects of hemp as a cover crop and intercrop on the vines and vineyard soil, searchers sowed industrial hemp seeds in the mid row of the vineyard. The hemp plants showed a superior ability to acclimate without additional irrigation, and rather than having a negative effect on the wines, it actually improved the quality compared to grapes not grown alongside hemp.

“Hemp plants grew large roots to at least 30 cm, and were able to grow in compacted tractor wheel tracks in the row, where the root system can alleviate compaction caused by vineyard operations,” researchers said. “Juice/must samples from the 2019 harvest showed a higher diversity of yeast species from the hemp area than the control, and produced perceptibly better wine.”

The “stark difference” in hemp growth between the 2020-21 season and the other two seasons also showed the importance of using quality seed, according to the study, saying it was “absolutely imperative for other crops, and hemp is no exception, as strongly evidenced in this study.”

A Potential Game-Changer for the Future of Wine

Harkness pointed to the hemp’s ability to further benefit the affected soils and wines, calling the finding “very exciting.”

“The differences in native yeast populations brought about by a hemp cover crop is an aspect sparking much interest,” Harkness said. “The suggestion that hemp could improve wine quality is an interesting further study topic, but not a path I’m currently going down. As a grape grower, my focus is on producing the highest quality fruit, and improving soil health in vineyards.”

Krasnow also called the lack of hemp’s competition with grapes a “little surprising, considering how large some of the plants grow.” While the study didn’t directly assess this element, Krasnow said that he sees hemp in the mixture with other cover crops, like clover for nitrogen and buckwheat for beneficial insects, as a huge potential benefit for vineyards. Doing so could not only produce better grapes with fewer inputs and sequester carbon but also alleviate soil compaction in the tractor wheel tracks, which can be a major issue in vineyard soils. 

These findings could pave the way for a vineyard where no grass needs to be sown, leading to no mowing. Instead, a mixed cover crop sward, including hemp, could be sown, which would be simp-rolled as much when vineyard crew walk down rows. This new option would improve grape quality, conserve water, be more friendly to bees, use less diesel and be more cost efficient, Krasnow said. 

“Mowing doesn’t add to wine quality. It may look lovely and more tidy as people drive past, but it’s not that great for the soil,” he added.

“Given the possibility hemp offers as a cover crop, in terms of improving vineyard soils, potentially enhancing wine quality and offering a second income stream from the property, it is expected more and more grape growers will experiment with hemp either as an intercrop or as part of a more diverse cover crop mix,” researchers state in the study’s discussion. “Further work needs to be done on the effects of wines, both in terms of quality, but also the potential for cannabinoid and/or off flavour pickup in red wines grown near hemp plants.”

The full study can be found here.

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