MardiGrass offers mind-blowing ideas and education all weekend 1-2-3 May at the 2026 Hemposium.
For 34 years, MardiGrass has given voice to the Oz weed resistance tirelessly educating and agitating for an end to the war on weed! 2026 MardiGrass will showcase an impressive line-up of speakers who will share their cannabis expertise and experiences across medical, industrial, science, politics, culture and more!
MardiGrass is an extraordinary chance to share and learn about our favourite plant ally and healing herb. A Weed University weekend!
MardiGrass is also all about sensible law reform for ALL drugs, so in 2026 we once again partner with Entheogenesis Australis to present a program dedicated to a rainbow of medicinal plants.
We promise expert knowledge-sharing on iboga, mushroom cultivation, mescaline cacti, salvia divinorum, with Terence McKenna and a cactus auction, from Friday night to Sunday in the Psychedelic Tent in the Town Hall Garden.
Described by Rolling Stone as “the real drug czar,” our international headliner this year, Ethan Nadelmann, is widely regarded as the outstanding proponent of drug policy reform both in the United States and abroad. He founded and directed the Drug Policy Alliance (2000-2017), the world’s leading drug policy reform organisation. We’re very excited that such an eminent reformer will make it to Nimbin this year.
Women have always been part of cannabis culture as activists, healers, growers, storytellers and educators. In 2026, MardiGrass is creating a space to bring women’s voices together across the whole spectrum of this plant to connect and share at a time when community is more important than ever.
Speakers over the weekend include Kyla de Clifford, Fiona Patten, Melanie Wentzel, Emily Rigby, Rachel Payne, Crystal White, Chloe Jean Teh, Chrissie Butler, Allison Wiseman, Christina Mc Mullen and Klara Marosszeky.
We’ll kick off Saturday at 10am with Women of the Plant – Morning Tea Gathering at the Bush Theatre. And don’t miss the panel on Saturday afternoon in the Town Hall, ‘High on Hormones: Women, Sex and Cannabis’.
The 2026 Hemposium will also feature some Oz heavy hitters on law, politics and policy. After a break of five years, we’re excited to welcome Dr Alex Wodak AM, Emeritus Consultant, St Vincent’s Hospital, back to MardiGrass. Local poet, ex-magistrate and Dean of Law at SCU, David Heilpern, will host a panel on the effective steps towards regulated recreational and medicinal cannabis in Australia, while Greens Federal Senator David Shoebridge will generate an important conversation about decriminalisation, convictions expunged, pilot programs, social clubs, home grow and more.
Legalise Cannabis NSW MLC, Jeremy Buckingham will discuss the (in)justice of Australia’s roadside drug testing programs and efforts to secure driving exemptions for medicinal cannabis patients in NSW, while Dr Lee Miles will dive into how saliva drug tests actually work.
MardiGrass welcomes Sean Hocking, Karma Koala Podcast and editor of the Cannabis Law Report who will speak on the need for equitable, evidence-based approaches to cannabis regulation worldwide. Hemp Historian, John Jiggens, will let us in on “The Joke” of cannabis and corruption, and long-time local drug law reform advocate, Steve Bolt will provide real-time legal advice. Bring your questions!
And we haven’t forgotten science or medicine! Plant Tissue Culture wrangler, Allison Wiseman from Cymra Life Sciences will share a functional sterilisation protocol for in-vitro Cannabis work. Pot aficionado, Orion Cross will explore why terpenes are important, how we can use them for specific effects, and demonstrate how to make our own Mellow Mix.
Join us for a Q&A session on automated cultivation with Bruce Cox, vertical farming expert, or learn how to assess cannabis quality with Gabriel Younes, Head of Curation at Sohma House.
Join Dr John Teh and Chloe Jean Teh, from PlantMed Medicinal Cannabis, for a medical cannabis Q&A. John and Chloe have been working within the Medicinal Cannabis industry since the legalisation of cannabis for medicinal use in Australia in February 2016.
Legalise Cannabis MLC WA, Dr Brian Walker will present the “heresy” of medical cannabis – and it’s not what you think!
2026 MardiGrass welcomes politicians from across the spectrum to pull back the curtain on the weed state and let us know their priorities and strategies for meaningful drug law reform.
From Legalise Cannabis Party: Jeremy Buckingham (MLC NSW), David Ettershank (MLC Vic), Rachel Payne (MLC Vic), Dr Brian Walker (MLC WA), Fiona Patten, Miles Hunt and Andrew Fenwick.
From Australian Labor Party: Stephen Lawrence (MLC NSW) and Lachlan Hall (Young Labor); and from the Australian Greens Party: Federal Senator David Shoebridge and Sue Higginson (MLC NSW).
This year’s MardiGrass Industrial HEMP Expo will feature hempstone and hemp puppet-making workshops by molecular sculptor Martin Ernegg; a hempcrete building demonstration by Jason (Jazz Construction) and Klara Marosszeky (Australian Hemp Masonry).
A grower’s workshop will be held at the Bush Theatre where Richard Gasser will explore the limitless possibilities of hemp seed, fibre and resin, and Gerald Taylor of the Hemp Club will show us how to grow our own health care.
Meet licensed hemp farmers and see demos all weekend at Northern Rivers Hemp Growers Co-op, 46 Cullen Street, and the Hemp Club, 80 Cullen Street.
And a massive shout-out to MardiGrass legends and stalwart supporters of cannabis law reform who will share their expertise and inspiration again with us in 2026: legendary master gardeners, Tony Mullaways and Kog!
The 2026 MardiGrass Hemposium is a space to inform, learn, agitate, inspire and connect in this massively important green revolution. For details and bookings, visit: nimbinmardigrass.com
