Raoul Duke

I definitely agree with making that distinction. Hopefully these laws won't be used to target ordinary people that are not involved in serious organised crime. You are probably right though that some people will be effected that shouldn't. There are a small number of people that should be targeted by these laws but as mentioned if drugs were legalised and regulated we could take the power from those interests by removing most of their income. Which would also be a good idea and would free up police for more important activities.

With the enormous length of time indigenous people lived on this continent I think it's safe to say there must have been some examples of at least accidental ingestion of a plant/ fungus that had a psychotropic outcome. Whether this resulted in people's continued use of the plant in any ceremonial or social setting will sadly probably never be known to most of us. But as discussed the fact that most information was passed down orally I find it difficult to imagine that people didn't discuss their experiences when these situations arose. Potentially giving rise to some of the ideas around which the dreamtime stories evolved. These stories are not static, I remember hearing of a creation story similar to that of the rainbow serpent in one area where the indigenous people no longer participate in certain rituals as the story now goes; that white man came with a rifle and shot the snake and it was taken off hanging off the back of a ute. While I have this story as secondhand it was told to me by a professor at uni that had spent time with this community. My point is that all of these stories have probably changed through time to encompass new changes to lifestyle whether that be the arrival of new people or a climatic change. The oral tradition was/ is perfect for making adjustments through time as it becomes necessary. I imagine that if there was a collapse of the current society as we know it, the short period of contact (relatively) would be forever in any stories that perpetuated into the future especially in very remote communities where there may not be many non-indigenous people but the effects are still dramatically felt none the less. I definitely agree that the distribution of plants that have the potential for use in this way are far from being spread evenly. As the best pituri came form a specific area where the best plants grew so too would there be areas where concentrations of plants for potential use would occur. A sophisticated network of trade meant that the potential is there for sharing over a broader area but I personally think that a large part of sacred knowledge to a specific area was how to live in the area, which plants could safely be used for medicine, food, ceremony etc. and sometimes how they would be processed. If a neighbouring mob found out this information they could much more easily take over your land for themselves. Also as there were so many different groups it is possible that different plants and techniques could have been stumbled upon in different areas, some may have simply noted them and understand what they do but don't access them while others may have discussed it and kept the use of it to specific rituals. I think it is highly likely that how these plants could be used was understood, (considering the level of sophistication displayed for processing other plants), but whether that knowledge was employed regularly or at all we'll probably never know. I was trying to think of a way that this could be answered definitively though and the only way I can think of is to either find samples of processed material in an archeological sense but considering the level of disturbance at many sites, weather and the trace amounts you may be looking for that may be near impossible. The other idea I had was to somehow find trace elements within a skeleton as has been done with Egyptian and South American remains. However considering the sensitivity surrounding tampering with a relatives remains this is probably very unlikely as well. Also I'm not even sure there would be any trace of these compounds left behind as I understand they are metabolised with leaving no trace but I really don't know. I'd be interested to hear what others thought about how one could get evidence to show what substance had definitely been consumed? Great thread by the way, really interesting read.

If police investigated the homes of all politicians I bet they could find more than those quantities in many of their homes. Hopefully the quantities they're going to use for this process are much higher. That said, there are some really horrible people that are only engaged in these activities for profit, not for exploring/ learning or with any care for detrimental effects that can result from the cheap nasty shit that is pushed in some areas. I have no problem with people who really don't give a shit about others losing all their possessions.

I have only recently bought the stamets books so haven't even had a chance to read them, let alone put anything into practice. I'll look up aseptic but it sounds like I should get some spawn.

I'd be keen to try the Stropharia strains when they're ready. Also might have a go with the don't feed after midnight' albino tree oyster super-aggressive strain. How would It arrive and could I just put it out with some saw dust and bark chips? The wood chips have everything from eucalyptus to acacia and olive. Would they all be alright? Do you have some ready to go now? I could get some in about a week.

Hi, A little while back I was made aware of a petition to help promote the legalisation of Medical Marijuana here in Australia so I signed it and get updates on any changes that are occurring. Thought a few people here may be interested to see some positive steps. There's still a long way to go but at least it's a step in the right direction. This first link is about an article where an anti-drug campaigner has decided to switch sides. http://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/story/2256205/pot-of-gold-anti-drug-crusader-woodley-backs-medical-marijuana-bid/ And this article is about The Deputy Mayor of Tamworth joining the campaign. http://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/story/2248482/deputy-mayor-russell-webb-joins-cannabis-crusade/ Here is one of the articles that has been written to highlight this issue including a link to the Change.org website so people can sign the petition if they wish. http://www.mamamia.com.au/health-wellbeing/cannabis-for-medical-use-in-australia/ I hope people find this interesting and do what they can to support de-criminalisation of Medical Marijuana. Although in my personal opinion that too is only a step in the right direction.

Yep, it's a real shame some people don't care. Probably only takes a few items getting through and then when they're ground up it turns into lots of pieces spread throughout. Unfortunately I've gone through periods where nearly every bag has had something in it, luckily here in SA we have the returns policy on bottles and cans so people mostly recycle but things still manage to find their way in.

Would be interesting to find out more about which species of fungi the Wollemi plays host to, any beneficial micorrhizal relationships> And how adaptable are these relationships, as the location was very restricted and isolated for quite a long time but now they are spread all over the world in many different environments with potentially lots of different relationships. On another note I was surprised how quickly they can deteriorate and also bounce back when conditions change drastically. Last year we had about a week over 45 degrees and even though it got extra attention almost the entire plant (>150cm) went brown. But almost as quickly we had some rain and more mild weather and green tips emerged from the entire plant, from top to bottom. It still doesn't look great because I'm leaving the dead foliage to help protect it but I'm hopeful it will continue on.

Do you ever have shitake's, I've tried them before but with no luck. Might try them again.

Whenever people pay to get rid of their green waste or it goes in the green bins, dump etc. it gets ground up by a very large menacing machine, it does have magnets on both ends of the chute to try and remove anything metal but obviously it doesn't get everything. Also people who resent paying to dump their green waste might hide other waste amongst it to avoid paying more. And as these sites often have regular landfill nearby other waste can easily be transported into it before or after it's mulched down. I've seen the machine in operation, and I say the machine because there's only one AFAIK in SA and it's leased for several days at one site and then moves on covering a large area of the state. It's in the millions so they do try to remove things that might damage it but probably don't stop for glass or knickers. More just when large hunks of metal get through or the magnets are full. The zip ties often come from viticulture/ horticulture after pruning or when removing spent plants. So you may find they are more concentrated at certain times of year. Not that it's an excuse I just have noticed the same and asked a few questions when working near these operations.

what?

I'm pleased to hear they're going to a good home, I would've picked them up otherwise.

I'll be really interested to see how the Jabuticaba does as well, reminds me of Davidson's Plum with the flowers and fruit bearing right from the trunk. Wiki says it is adaptable but that doesn't mean squat until you've tried it IMHO. Sounds like a really interesting fruit, if you live in an area with mild winters and lots of available water. I think a micro-climate could still be utilised to keep them going in the extremes of what they don't like. For example if you had the space and only wanted to grow 1 or 2 you could divert grey water from the shower to go straight onto them. The warm water might be enough to get them through the worst of the cold weather. I say if you have the space because you'd probably have to set up another semi-outdoor shower because digging up and changing the plumbing would be difficult, potentially expensive and possibly illegal (I just don't know). Just an idea, might work.

Awesome growth on them, you've obviously kept them very happy. Keep up the good work. Love the pics.

If they're admitting 19.4% it's probably higher although that's quite high already. I don't agree with much of the way China conducts itself, so I don't buy anything from there. It's increasingly difficult but I either buy a substitute or go without. Same goes for other countries as well, I prefer to buy everything from within 200km of where I am but it's not always possible and I do break that rule for some specialised and unique items. On the issue of selling Australia to non-Australian's, we have a history of doing exactly that but only because we began as a colony where convicts and expendable labor were brought out to do the work and send the profits home to their respective country of origin. Not that it should be this way, there is just a long precedence of this occurring. It would only take one bold Prime Minister with foresight to change the laws and only allow Australian citizens to own land here. On the plus side because so much good land would be up for sale over night; ordinary Australian's could afford to buy some of it again.