I’ve been wanting to have this conversation for years and it is great at long last to speak to one of my Australian political heroes.
Michael stood up many many moons ago for hemp and cannabis and cared not a jot if others ridiculed him for his understanding of the the cannabis plant and the way he spread the message using fun and humour to illustrate the very serious issues that cannabis prohibition raises about society.
Not only did he believe and speak, he also organised
So much so, that there’s now a cannabis party in Australia with elected representatives at state level around the country and although it might not all be down to him, I do believe cannabis recognition in Australia would still be in the doldrums if it weren’t for his energy and that true Australian tradition of sticking it to authority and doing it on your own terms.
Many Australians believe themselves to be of that tradition but few actually are. Michael is one of those few and he probably wouldn’t like others to say it, but he’s a bit of a national treasure.
The added bonus of talking to Michael is that the podcast finds itself in Nimbin northern New South Wales and in Koala land, so hopefully a few of our furry friends overheard this conversation!
Amongst other things we discuss
- The cannabis party
- The state of the current medical cannabis”market” in Australia
- Law enforcent and especially roadside cannabis and drug testing
- Political alliances?
- Legacy primary producers
Michael Balderstone
Michael Balderstone abandoned a successful career as a stockbroker to look for a deeper meaning in his life.
He settled near Nimbin thirty odd years ago where many of the locals understood the various aspects of the cannabis scene.
He’s been involved with the HEMP Embassy and MardiGrass since they began and is president of the federally registered political HEMP Party.
He’s passionate about injustice in all forms but in particularly the war on drugs, saying drug use should be a health issue and not a fight over who gets to profit from our pain.
0054 Michael Balderstone
