Hi-Space

Festival pill testing in Australia has stalled because no one will insure it Canberra Times By Miriam Webber 23 January 2023 Original Article: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8023212/nothing-we-can-do-why-festival-pill-testing-ended/ It took a mammoth effort to convince the ACT government to allow festival pill testing, but four years on, the only service of its kind in Australia has stalled. “How did … Continued

The ACT is set to become the first Australian jurisdiction to decriminalise small amounts of commonly used illicit drugs, such as ice, heroin, cocaine and speed. Under a proposed law that the government has now endorsed, police would continue to target dealers and try to disrupt Canberra’s drug trade. However, people found with amounts considered … Continued

New data released today by the Global Drugs Survey has found that Australians reported getting drunk 27 times during 2020, compared with the global average of 14.6. Data gathered from over 32,000 people across 22 countries shows that Australian’s top the list in heavy drinking, with Denmark, Finland, and the US following behind. Aussies actually … Continued

World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year. It raises awareness across the world and in the community about the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS. It is a day for people to show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. The AIDS Memorial Quilt, which was … Continued

New South Wales Greens MP Cate Faehrmann is bringing two cannabis reform bills to the state’s Upper House in the next two weeks. On Wednesday November 17, Faehrmann introduced the Road Transport Amendment Bill (Medicinal Cannabis — Exemptions from Offences) Bill 2021 to the Legislative Council. The bill, due for debate in 2022, provides an … Continued

A Melbourne doctor who is fighting for permission to treat a severely unwell patient with the drug MDMA has taken his battle to court, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in Australia. Consultant psychiatrist Eli Kotler launched legal action after the Victorian Department of Health knocked back an application … Continued

The New Zealand government will fund recreational drug checks at festivals and concerts, giving NZ$800,000 to a service that previously operated in a legal grey zone. While pill testing has operated to some extent for years, it did so in an uncertain area that stopped it getting into major music festivals. Even when the Government … Continued

Canadian drug users are sick of being forced to purchase their drugs from a poisoned drug supply run by the criminal underground.   A non-profit organisation, consisting of drug policy reform advocates and people who use drugs (PWUD’s), calling themselves the Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs (CAPUD), are suing the Canadian Government for … Continued

Stigma of Overdose and Why Awareness is Important Stigma – There is a stigma around substance use and overdoses caused by substances. This can create a barrier to seeking treatment and in having support from family and friends because of a lack of understanding around how substances can affect a person. The notion that the … Continued

People released from prison are more likely to overdose & die in the weeks immediately following release For those who use opioids, overdose is common, both for those who use and those around then (family and friends) and is the lead causation of death for this population (Degenhardt et al., 2011). Worldwide opioid overdoses are … Continued

Victoria. The Dark Ages in Drug Reform. Victoria is in lockdown. Not just due to Covid. Due to its Government refusing to look at the facts about drugs. As Science PUSHES to heard, by perpetually demonstrating the soundness of their studies that SHOW the value of many illegal drugs in treating depression and anxiety, that … Continued

Victoria ALMOST legalised the growing of a small number of cannabis plants at home for personal use. ALMOST! And almost removed small cannabis convictions from people’s criminal records and almost saved Young People from becoming involved in the criminal system for possession of small amounts of cannabis.   After a two-year State Parliament enquiry, looking … Continued

WA to Introduces New Drug and Drink Driving Penalties from 1 July 2021  As of 1 July 2021, the WA State Government’s new Road Traffic Amendment (Impaired Driving and Penalties) Act 2019 has come into effect. The new “polydrug” offence separates the offence of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs from the offence … Continued

This week in psychedelic news! Links to articles below. California Activists File Psilocybin Legalization Ballot Measure As Legislature Advances Broader Psychedelics Bill Red Light Holland CEO on Moving Past Stigma Around Psychedelics LSD and Nicotine Could be More Important to Healthcare Than We Think Treating Addiction With Psychedelics: An Interview With Professor David Nutt and … Continued