CANNABIS LAW REFORM RALLY AND PARADE

2:00pm * Gather and get ready for the MardiGrass Parade. If you want to be in it join us all at the top of Cecil Street where it meets Cullen Street, opposite the local Police Station. The march is the main event, so please come and join in.

We have the third Float Competition, sponsored by Happy High Herbs, but we’re not talking motorised floats. Here’s how they see it, and of course we would like it if there was an anti-prohibition theme to the “float”.

If you have a float remember to arrive in time for pre-parade judging!

FLOAT COMPETITION

Due to a change of circumstances for the principal sponsor, the float competition is in reduced circumstances. Bravely, our sponsor has put up a thousand dollars in prizemoney. Nimbin Happy High Herbs has chipped in five hundred! We are actively seeking sponsors to take up the gap between that and last years, but if they are not found we will have to make do.

CONDITIONS: 
Height – Floats must not exceed 3.2 metres from “the road”.
Width – Must not exceed 2.4 metres wide.
Length – Should not exceed 4.2 metres long, however this is a bit flexible.
Floats must be peopled or green powered.
You will be given a competitor number at the beginning of the Parade. Floats may feature a single person or group, or may be a centrepiece of a larger on foot display.

These floats are our opportunity to present a powerful message to the outside world of both celebration and/or protest. Your float can express whatever you feel or want to share. We need floats and displays that reflect our area, our people, our pride and desires for the future, our fun and festivity.

Drug Law Reform is a major focus of this festival and we encourage all to have their say.

JUDGING:

Judges will remain unknown until the day of the event. They will be women and men, and mostly not part of the Happy High Herb shop.

A 1-10 point score method will be adopted.

1. Judged pre-parade whilst assembling:
Use of recycled materials
Originality
Punctuality

2. Judging During Parade:
Function (Locomotion)
Costumes 
Message power
Overall effect
Crowd response

PRIZES will be presented to nominated heads of winning floats in Peace Park after the Rally. Contact the HEMP Embassy for details on 66891842

2:30pm CANNABIS LAW REFORM PARADE
The Parade begins at 2:30pm and makes its way to the Rally in Peace Park. Sometimes the parade might stop while the Ganja Faeries up front do a brief performance. This keeps the parade from being too hasty and allows the crowd a better opportunity to take it all in. Everyone waits behind the BIG JOINT until the procession continues. No rush. Percussionists who have not been practicing with the Ganja Faerie troupe are asked to form a second Drumming Troupe, further back in the parade to provide a continuing accompaniment for the parade. The procession will eventually make its way to the Rally for Cannabis Law Reform in Peace Park.

3:30pm CANNABIS LAW REFORM RALLY

At the end of the Parade we arrive in Peace Park for the Rally. Winning Cannabis Cup raffle numbers will be announced and Parade Float prizes awarded before the MardiGrass Harvest Celebration takes over the stage.

Speeches by Bundjalung Elders, Neil Pike, Michael and Others.

“This is our eightteenth consecutive Rally for Cannabis Law Reform. We vowed to Rally every year on the first weekend of May until we are no longer criminals for using cannabis. The recent Nimbin police raids have highlighted their need to reconsider how their limited resources are spent. For over three decades they have been picking on the pot smokers in Nimbin with very expensive operations which have made little or no difference other than to create more young people with criminal records for life. Building more jails is clearly a primitive approach to what is obviously a health and social issue. There is little public support left in Nimbin for their hollow justifications for over policing cannabis. Surely by now they must realise there are more important things for them to do with their time.” says our Michael.

Sunday after the Rally
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