GregKasarik

Hello All, It has been a while since I have been active here. Unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way of the things that we want to do, but eventually we get ourselves back on track and pick up from where we left off. I figured I should let people know about my current activities and plans. Which are, as always somewhat dramatic! :-) Bicycle Day is coming up shortly, on Saturday April 19th and once again, I will be tripping on the steps of the Victorian Parliament House. This will mark the fourth time that I have done so. As with previous occasions, I have notified all members of parliament and the media of what I intend to do. This time is a little bit different. Instead of writing long letters laying out my arguments, I'm preceding the event by sending out short daily emails with an LSD related video or research article, with a short commentary. In doing this, I hope to generate both interest and engagement. There is another key difference: I intend to get arrested on the day. Yes, that is correct. It is my intent to force this issue, by getting arrested and dragging the Victorian Government through the Supreme Court (and High Court on appeal if necessary). Once arrested, I will request a referral to the Victorian Supreme Court under Section 33 of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act (2006). There I will seek to obtain a Declaration of inconsistent interpretation on the grounds that the Victorian Government lacks the “demonstrably justifiable” reason required under Section 7 of the Charter, for a prohibition on the religious use of Transcendent Compounds. I know that some people will be horrified that I've decided to take things to this level. If nothing else, it is a great risk, especially as I don't really have the funds for a Supreme Court challenge and nobody can be 100% certain of the outcome of any legal action. But in reality, what exactly do we have to lose? How can the Victorian Supreme Court make things any worse for us than they already are? For years, I have been telling people that the Human Rights law in Victoria (and the ACT) are as good as we are ever going to get. Anyone who believes that politicians are going to change drug law voluntarily simply haven't been talking to politicians. The only way that we are going to earn our freedoms is by launching a Roe vs Wade style legal challenge and by forcing the Government to acknowledge that its prohibitions are based on ignorance and bigotry, rather than justice and science. I'm tired of being run by fear and allowing myself to be confined in the straight jacket of others bigotry. We all know that the science regarding LSD (and the other Transcendent Compounds) is unambiguously clear: LSD is non-addictive, non-toxic and psychologically safe in an appropriate dose, set and setting. With the exception of a few dubious research papers from the 1960s and 1970s, the Victorian Government simply has no way to justify a prohibition on the spiritual use of LSD and other TCs. They know it, I know it and fairly much everyone here knows it. And once I've been through the Supreme Court, everyone else will know it. If I didn't truly believe these compounds to be safe, I wouldn't have begun my campaign three years ago and sacrificed so much along the way. If, like me, you believe that using LSD and other Transcendent Compounds is not only safe, but also is something that should be allowed and even encouraged, I'd hope that you will support me in what should be an interesting and potentially world changing journey. I'm not wanting anyone else to also trip publicly on the day. One sacrificial lamb is enough. But I would love to see people who aren't doing anything else on Easter Saturday to come and join me on the Steps of The Victorian Parliament House at Midday, when I take the plunge. It should be a great day to come and show solidarity and raise awareness in the broader community. :-) Bye for now, Greg Kasarik Herder of Cats

Thanks Muskrat. It is difficult tripping in such a public space, but I'm experienced and have done it before, so am not too concerned. Of course, if I get arrested, I won't actually end up tripping, so that won't be an issue either! :-) I have no intention of getting into debates trying to justify my existence. Reality is that I've come a long way in the years since I first went public and since I first landed here. I've realised that the haters are always going to hate and that they are just part of the challenge of existence. They still crop up, but I don't get tied down with their silliness. There are so many better things to do, and I don't really have anything to prove to anybody. I will certainly do my best to keep people informed of the events and whatever fallout occurs. Looks like I'll have a few more attendees than I initially thought I would so it should be a good day.

Thanks! It is good to be back. Too much time spent chasing my own tail over the last twelve months, or so. Probably just as well! Hopefully everyone will see the opportunity in what I'm doing and those who don't will be nice about it! Given the number off doofs and festivals on that weekend, I don't expect it to be a big turnout, but it doesn't need to be in order for me to make my point. I'll try to keep a few tweets going to keep people updated.

Just to let people know that the Indigogo event went live on Sunday evening, although it is tracking very poorly, with only $73 dollars being raised thus far. I've been dealing with a tooth infection that has mostly prevented me from doing anything apart from working and sleeping. Once it has been dealt with I'll be looking to make some significant efforts to ramp this up and get the message out to as many people as possible. Together we can make this happen and we can demonstrate to the world that we are a genuine spiritual community and not just a pack of druggies. And for those who don't regard themselves as being part of any (let alone my) spiritual community, I'd still encourage you to donate, because this will move us all in the direction that we want, even if it won't give all of us everything that we want. Greg Changing the world - One mushroom at a time! :-) http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/community-space-legally-munching-magic-mushrooms-in-marvelous-melbourne/x/3447805

Please note that I am quite busy organising this event and working full time, so may not be able to respond to comments for a few days. Solid support of this initiative will make it clear to the politicians that we are a genuine community and not to be taken lightly. https://www.facebook.com/events/347468442049114/ Raising $33,333.33 as initial funding for a community space for the Australian Entheogenic community and as a space where people in Victoria can LEGALLY experience journeys into the Divine Consciousness using Transcendent Compounds. *Transcendent Compounds are those Entheogens that are non-addictive, non-toxic and psychologically safe in an appropriate dose, set and setting. The term is important, both for legal reasons and because it does what it says on the label. This is an audacious event that, if successful will change the status of Transcendent Compounds within Australia and perhaps even around the world and bring the community of users into the perceptions of the mainstream community in a positive way. It will need the full support of people all over the globe if it is to have any hope of succeeding. We have a week before commencement. In that time I need everybody who cares about our future to spread the word. Invite your friends to this event. Post on forums that you frequent. Get the news out there that the world is changing and that the change is starting with the passion of 10,000 repressed voices! Ask yourself: "How much are my freedoms worth to me?" and donate accordingly. My guess is that the freedom to openly express your spirituality, share the wisdom and spread the healing without harassment, persecution and the overwhelming sense of fear that pervades our every move should easily be worth $100+ to most people with full time employment. Given that, I am hoping that this target is reached within a matter of weeks. On 18 Jun 2013, I will be opening up a fund raising event on Indigogo. It will go for 60 days and while I estimate I will eventually need to raise $100,000, my initial target is a third of that: $33,000, which should be enough for initial operations. The money will be used to rent a shopfront that can be used as a community space. This space will aim to provide several things both to the Entheogenic and broader community generally. 1. It will be a space where we can gather and meet like minded people and where new people can find entry into our wonderful community. It will be a place from which we can visibly launch our healing work into the community and demonstrate to the general population that we are a valuable addition to society and not a menace. 2. Many people in society exist in a state of existential crisis. There is simply nowhere for them to go if they wish to discuss issues of meaning, purpose and existence, without having someone's dogma forced down their throats. This will provide such a location. It will be a space where anybody can come to discuss and explore meaning of life issues, such as purpose, destiny and metaphysics. It will hopefully become a philosophical wonderland. Discussion will be governed by the "Principles" on which Community of Infinite Colour is founded. The first of these is that "There is no TRUTH". Each person needs to figure life and meaning out for themselves and Community is about building a society where gurus and dogmas are obsolete and the recognition is that "The First Disciple is always the First Heretic". Discussions become discussions among equals where everyone commits to being both teacher and student (and yes, I admit I do sometimes have difficulty with the latter!). The philosophy is based on an intersection of Philosophical Rationalism, Scientific Rationalism and Mysticism. Personally, I don't do conspiracy theories, Astrology, or fairly much any of the New Age stuff, but I respect the views of those who do (although I will challenge you every step of the way - don't worry, I'm just as hard on myself!). I know that some will not support me because of this, preferring that their pet theories got star billing, but until someone else has the courage to go down a similar path, I'm the only dog in the show and not supporting me because of something like this will only make things harder for us all, should I fail. 3. It will be a space where people who are experiencing difficulties in their lives can receive pastoral care and an escape from isolation. This will be provided by myself (scheduled around my own work commitments until enough funding is raised to pay me a living wage). I am a trained and experienced counsellor, but have been unable to find work in this area for for three years because of my drug law reform work. This will provide the perfect space for me to put my talents to use and allow me to do what I am best at: Helping people. 4. Anyone who has been following my activities for the last three years will know that I have a nearly watertight legal argument to the effect that Transcendent Compounds ARE LEGAL WITHIN THE STATE OF VICTORIA FOR SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS PURPOSES! *Please note: kasarik.com is currently down. I will post relevant links once it returns to service. Community of Infinite Colour is a spiritual organisation (although for legal reasons it will be kept unincorporated, thereby ensuring that I bear sole legal responsibility for all of its activities) and as part of this I will be providing the opportunity for ordinary folk to use Transcendent Compounds. Initially, this will be quite limited and only symbolic, so as to give the Government time to adjust and so that if any arrests are made not too many people are caught up in it. While it is not the main purpose of the space, the existence of an an actual spiritual organisation, Community of Infinite Colour, will force the Government to accept our validity as a spiritual community and abide by the provisions of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act (2006). Of course, they could arrest me and drag me through the High Court of Australia, where they will inevitably lose: I will pack the court with so much science and so many expert witnesses that they will rue the day they ever sought to demonise and persecute such ancient and wise teachers. Finally, they could alter the wording of the Charter to remove our rights, but in doing so they would be admitting that their position is based purely on bigotry and ignorance, rather than the decades of science that I have thus far used to avoid arrest. The Victorian Parliament knows they do not have a leg to stand on with this. I have publically tripped three times on the steps of parliament without being bothered. I have even twice gone into a police station, told them about my use of sacred compounds and invited them to arrest me. On both times I walked out free. It is my goal to force this issue this year, so that by 2014, everyone in Victoria (and by extension the ACT, because the Victorian act is based on theirs) has the legally recognised right to use Transcendent Compounds as part of their spiritual practice. This will not mean that your activities must go through Community of Infinite Colour to be legal. Both the Victorian and ACT acts give you the right to practice your religion (legal term) as an individual, if you choose. My (probably highly optimistic) estimate of annual costs is $100,000 and this is the eventual target. This would allow me to be present at the site on a full time basis, perhaps relying on some volunteer asistance. For the moment, however, I am seeking enough to get the operation underway ($33,333.00) and to give the authorities the opportunity to respond however they wish. I have not yet determined a location, but my initial preference is for Camberwell, as this is the demographic centre of Melbourne and has excellent public transport and road access options. I am committed to open accounting and it is my intention that all financial details and expenses will be made fully public on the internet within 60-90 days of them occurring. You will know how much we receive and what it all gets spent on - hopefully down to the last pen! :-) This needs to be done! I don't have official figures, but I guess that we are the largest growing spiritual community in many parts of the world, including Australia. Despite this, I regularly encounter two things when speaking with members of the Entheogenic Community. Whenever I speak to people, they cry out for the need for a space that they can call their own; where they can meet and exchange ideas with those on a similar journey. The second thing I regularly encounter is FEAR. I experience it myself (as I type this, I feel it sitting like a lump of dead coal in my chest) and it robs far too many of us of our vitality. We hide who we are and we lie to those we love, for fear of losing our families, jobs, friends and loved ones. If we are to ever thrive as a community and as individuals, we need to throw off the chains that bind us and make the firm decision that we, as a community, are going to be the authors of our own destinies. The legal argument is as solid as it is ever going to be. If we don't act now, we risk missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime. Similarly, I feel that there is now a critical mass for change within the Entheogenic Community. Entheogenesis Australis (EGA), who so courageously led the way are now more than a decade old. Each year sees a profusion of books and research and a greater profusion of evidence that our path is not only safe and sacred, but highly beneficial to those with the courage to make the journey. I fully acknowledge that this action will produce a backlash amongst the more fanatical and intolerant members of our society. But this backlash is coming one way, or another. In a decade EGA went from a handful of people in a community room to nearly seven hundred at a four day outdoor conference in the Strathbogie Ranges. With this kind of growth it will only be a few more years before we fall victim to the hatreds of other and I firmly believe that our best hope lies in taking the initiative and demonstrating to our fellow citizens that we are not "druggies", but are instead worthwhile and contributing members of society.

It might bite me fair on the arse, but what I do know is that if I don't try, I will definitely fail. :-) The whole handing out mushrooms is going to be more symbolic from the start than actual. If nothing else, I don't want to get other people in trouble should the hammer fall. The idea isn't to have people tripping at the centre itself. If nothing else, it would be far too busy and a bad setting for most people, so we'd look to use a quieter, more private space for that. The idea would be to make it clear that we'll be facilitating journeys for people who wish to partake, but even then we are going to be way cautious from the outset, so as to ensure that people aren't going to be harmed. We'll be looking at doing a full psych eval for everyone and using the data to do some groundbreaking research into how personality impacts the experience. Yup, media can be right buggers and I'm sure that they'll continue down that path if and when they finally pick up on this story. All I can do is be the best and most sensible person and invite people to come in and talk to me in person, so they get to meet the real "me" rather than the demonised version that will most likely emerge. I think that there are arguments both ways with respect to location. One of the problems with going with a "stronghold" location is that a big part of what I do aims to normalise the use of these substances for spiritual purposes and setting up in a more inner city location will make it easier for conservatives to disregard us as a bunch of lefties. Camberwell is blue ribbon Liberal Party territory and it is they who need to see that we are caring people who want to help others in our society flourish. One of the advantages that it has for me is that I've been hanging around Camberwell for decades, know a fair number of people. and have a good feel for the place. I'd prefer to be able to set up near either Camberwell, or Glenferrie stations, but ultimately that will depend on how successful my fundraising efforts are. LOL! I've always thought that Nimbin was the biggest mistake of the Australian drug community. How on earth can you have any impact on politics if you situate yourself 800 km from the state capital? I live about 90 km from the centre of Melbourne and find the isolation and additional complications to be a real hindrance to my ability to get anything done. Another reason why I don't want people tripping at the shopfront location itself. The idea is that any raiding that gets done happens to me first, so that we can test our legal arguments in court. Having said this, given that the police have refused to arrest me, even when I've walked into a police station and admitted the use of LSD for spiritual purposes and that nobody has ever come to investigate the mushrooms that everyone knows are in my freezer, I'm hoping to call the Government's bluff on this issue. Although I think that you are correct and that people will stay away in droves until they can be certain that their attendance won't cost them their livelihoods, family and health. Once people have a sense of certainty, I think we'll see all sorts of similar things spring up overnight.

I've spoken to Greg Chipp from Drug Law Reform Australia and people from the Sex Party, but none of us think that this issue will have much of an impact Federally, if for no other reason than there is so much else going on. Having said that, if it takes off and gets some media coverage it could help parties that are sympathetic to Drug Law Reform to gain some attention and hopefully to gain some extra first preference votes and be in a better position to scoop other preferences in order to stumble over the line. Know what you mean. My head is full of pain killers, so I sympathise with your fried brain! :-)

Thanks for your support!!:-) I should also point out that I don't include ketamine as a Transcendent Compound and haven't from the beginning. I can understand your confusion, because I was intensely criticised for my stance on these forums after the John Safran interview and that probably muddied the waters a bit.

I've just been kicked from Jon Faine's program. Despite having me hanging around for a full hour, they ran out of time. Disappointed that a positive drug story was neglected at the expense of the emphasis of the harms. It was a good segment, but once more our voice has been ignored and not heard.

Hiya, As you may know this Friday is Bicycle Day!! Not only that, but it is the 70th anniversary of Albert Hofmann's famous ride. Hard to believe but it has now been seven decades since the start of the modern psychedelic era. Figure we have a bit of a party! :-) I'll be once more tripping on the steps of the Victorian Parliament House, here in Victoria. It'll be starting at midday and depending on the weather, I'll be going until early evening. Bicycle Day is a holy day within Community of Infinite Colour (you've got to start somewhere...) and has a similar significance as Christmas does for others, although without the prezzies. It is a good day as any to celebrate and remember beginnings. As previously, we have notified the politicians of our intentions. Given their determination to ignore us on this issue, this time we are doing something a bit more proactive in terms of media engagement. A media release will be going out this evening and I am already booked to speak with Jon Faine's on his morning radio show on the ABC. It'll be locked in tomorrow, but barring the start of WWIII I'm scheduled for the 9.05 am time-slot, which will give our cause maximum exposure and ample time for the talk-back thing to run its own course. (http://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/programs/melbourne_mornings/) I've chosen Jon because he is a serious interviewer, who can be guaranteed to ask difficult questions, but who is also intelligent enough to understand the complexity of the issues. He has a law degree and acted on a pro-bono basis for the Australian Democrats before he went into radio, so he should be able to easily understand the legal argument for why the use of LSD and the other Transcendent Compounds for spiritual and religious purposes is currently legal within the state of Victoria. Given that we are a highly functioning community, rather than the "druggies" that we are regularly made out to be, I know that most people will be working on Friday, but if you are in Melbourne, feel free to drop by and to encourage others to do likewise. One proviso: If you are there, and I am arrested, please don't cause a scene, or create a disturbance. We are the good guys and rabble rousing only harms our cause. I have already established that I am on the right side of the law, so there is no need to get caught up with emotion if they decide to grandstand a bit and make a spectacle of themselves. Greg

I have updated my website to reflect Bicycle Day. http://kasarik.com/Bicycle-Day-2013.php Also, this might amuse: http://www.kasarik.com/Entertaining-LSD-Links.php If anyone else has any other links they'd like to share I'll look to include them as well.

I assume you mean Richard Stubbs? I caught up with him at the ABC studios last year and he seemed interested, but didn't reply to us during the Hunger Strike, so I haven't really bothered with him this time around. By the time his show is on, I'll be tripping a bit, so it will be interesting to see if he wants to do a live radio interview... :-)

I do have a FB event page, but it is fairly subdued. I have left things till too late to organise a spectacular party, because I had hoped to be working by now, which may have meant that I wouldn't have the time off to do this. What are the odds of getting some good, loud trance happening in a couple of days? :-) http://www.facebook.com/events/524056377612348/

I should also point out that this isn't quite over yet. I still have the option of proceeding to the Ombudsman and am considering doing so on the basis that they entirely failed to deal with the substance of my complaint with respect to the scientific and cultural aspects of the program. I should point out that it landed in my inbox in early March, but was missed until today, due to the volume of other emails arriving at the same time. This is the email reply that I received from ACMA: "Dear Mr Kasarik Investigation—HSV—Seven News—6/8/12 As you are aware, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) has been investigating your complaint about the above program. The ACMA has determined that the Channel Seven Melbourne Pty Ltd did not breach clause 1.9.6, 4.3.2 or 4.4.1 of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice 2010. I attach, for your information, a copy of the Investigation Report, including the decision and the reasons for that decision. The ACMA has also decided to publish the Investigation Report. Publication will include the full report being posted on the ACMA’s website and an investigation summary appearing in the ACMA’s Annual Report and other ACMA publications. The ACMA treats all broadcasting complaints seriously and aims to investigate complaints thoroughly and impartially, and in a timely manner. However, if you have concerns about the way in which the ACMA conducted this investigation you may wish to make a complaint to the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman or seek independent advice about potential avenues of review. The Ombudsman can investigate complaints about the administrative actions and decisions of Commonwealth government agencies, including the ACMA. More information about the role of the Ombudsman and how to make a complaint is on the Ombudsman’s website at: http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/ or you can call 1300 362 072. Thank you for bringing your concerns to the ACMA."

Hiyall, It has taken a while to get the final report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) ombudsman, but here it is in all its glory: http://engage.acma.gov.au/acmai/hsv-7-seven-news-investigations-report-2930/ They decided that no breach of the code had been made, but we already knew that this would be the case. I think that the logic of their report is incredibly flawed and it seems obvious that they were doing their best to appease Seven, but hopefully Seven will think twice before they launch another such attack on our community. Greg

This weekend Radio National's Encounter program is airing a show entitled "Mind at Large" which will discuss the use of hallucinogens for religious and spiritual purposes. It arose directly because of my hunger strike and I, along with Rak Razam, a member from Santo Diame and one of the John Hopkins psylocybin researchers are all interviewed. It promises to be an interesting program! :-) The website says that it will air on Sunday at 5pm, but it is actually wrong. The day of airing is Saturday. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/encounter/mind-at-large/4570186

It is great to see you getting involved in this issue Thelma and I encourage you to keep up the good work. As PRISM pointed out, the issue of S9 Scheduling doesn't officially impact on legitimate research. However, the reality is that the professional stigma associated with doing work on MDMA, or other needlessly S9 substances is significant and this is a major barrier to any research taking place. You simply can't do research if you can't find a researcher who is willing to stick their neck out and take a risk. Similarly, with research that would expect to involve members of the Australian Defence Force, the S9 classification of MDMA becomes a problem, because the organisation has an intensely anti-drugs policy and is highly conservative by nature. I have discussed these issues with the PRISM team and have been told that they currently present a bigger obstacle to the research taking place than the financing of the experiment, which is in itself a major hurdle. The reality is that a rescheduling of the compound would not change the legal requirements, or make it easier to get ethical approval, but it may very well have a positive impact by removing a considerable amount of the stigma that currently surrounds this particular compound. Interestingly, the TGA did mention the rescheduling of Entheogens in 2012, although I have only a vague idea as to who might have made the actual submission. Their comments are on page 152, and you can see that when discussing these substances they are entirely ignorant of the use of the substances and the relevant research. Their ignorance is adequately demonstrated by the fact that they describe Ibogaine as "Chemically synthesised". Ibogaine a bloody complicated molecule (which may be why the trip lasts so long - it probably takes a lot of hard work for the body to break it down) that AFAIK has not yet been synthesised. Even if it has been synthesised actual manufacture would be a very expensive proposition. (To get an idea, compare its structure to that of DMT - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibogaine vs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyltryptamine) Needless to say, there is also considerable research to show that the use of these compounds within spiritual settings actually has a significant, beneficial effect on people's wellbeing, but that was dutifully ignored. Frankly, I doubt that they even bothered to fetch up Medline, or even Wikipedia for this one. http://www.tga.gov.au/pdf/scheduling/scheduling-decisions-1202-final.pdf With respect to the spiritual use of Transcendent Compounds in Victoria, the scheduling is actually irrelevant and the TGA has no authority, but the Government representatives will try to tell you otherwise. For example, in the middle of last year, when I made it clear to the Victorian Department of Health that I was not prepared to put up with their stalling any longer, they responded by trying to further stall me. I was told to go to the TGA, which was spectacularly dishonest of them. I didn't respond to her rubbish, but posted a response on my "Government Correspondence" page: "Finally, Dr Edwards is entirely misleading and deceptive when she attempts to fob me off to Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), all the while hinting why it is not even worth my time to bother. Firstly, the Australian Constitution specifically grants the Commonwealth powers and any power not so granted automatically devolves to the states. As the regulation of drugs is not mentioned within the Australian Constitution, outside of its customs powers, the Commonwealth has no power to determination what drugs are legal, or illegal. The TGA, as an agency of the Australian Commonwealth Government and has no power to direct the states to "decide whether psychoactive substances or "transcendent compounds" should be made available to the public." It certainly has no authority to adjudicate state based law, such as the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act (2006). Secondly, the TGA exists to regulate any product for which therapeutic claims are made. Even if its remit did extend to being able to shoehorn the states into obeying their own laws it is not the appropriate forum for determining issues related to the religious and spiritual (or even recreational) use of Transcendent Compounds, any more than it is the appropriate forum for determining issues to do with liquor licensing. To claim that I should go to the TGA in order to argue my case for regulated access to Transcendent Compounds for religious and spiritual purposes under Victorian statutes is at the very best abysmally ignorant and uninformed and at the worst yet another mendacious delaying tactic." You can find the correspondence here: http://www.kasarik.com/Government-Correspondence.php Once again, good on you for being proactive on this. I look forward to hearing how you go with your final submission and am happy to proof read, or offer suggestions if you wish.

People have been wondering what I have been up to since I finished the Hunger Strike. I recovered fine and have put back on quite a bit of the weight that I lost. I did hit something of a wall in the aftermath (which had more to do with personal circumstances and recurring depression than the effects of not eating for 28 days) and have taken a bit of time to get myself back on my feet. However, I am lucky enough to be supported by some really outstanding people (some who are here) and am now feeling much more energised and once again prepared to go out and do battle with the forces of authoritarian nastiness. Some of these really outstanding people are going to be joining me on the next phase as we ramp things up a bit on Drug Law Reform here in Victoria. Expect more news in the next few weeks.

Those who were at last year's EGA conference may remember my impassioned, impromptu "Something is actually happening, Reg" speech in which I said that I was considering doing a hunger strike in the Burke Street Mall. Given the off the cuff nature of the announcement, I received a surprising amount of support from attendees, but after discussing the issue with several of the other more experienced members of the EGA community, I decided to postpone the action, both so that I could seek to further engage with the Government, but also so that when I did go down that path, I would have more support behind me. 9 months later and the only thing that has changed is that the Victorian Government is now totally ignoring my requests to discuss the issue. It is now clear that without radical action, nothing is going to change. Ever. So, today, I am announcing that on November 14, I will be going ahead with the Huger Strike in the Burke Street Mall and that it will be running until December 21. This action will not succeed without the support of the broader Entheogenic Community, so I'd hope that everyone will help in one way, or another. I've created a Facebook event for it, and everyone is encouraged to invite as many people as might be interested. http://www.facebook....87789641289553/ There is additional information on my website: http://kasarik.com/Hunger-Strike-2012.php The Facebook blurb is below: The use of Transcendent Compounds is an ancient and valid form of religious and spiritual practice. As Transcendent Compounds are non-addictive, non-toxic and psychologically safe in an appropriate dose, set and setting, there can be no legitimate reason for prohibiting their use within religious and spiritual frameworks. Religious freedoms are protected within the State of Victoria by the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act (2006). Greg Kasarik has been directly lobbying the Victor ian Government for around 18 months in order to ensure that these protections are formally extended to persons who use Transcendent Compounds as a part of their religious practice. Initially, the Victorian Government stated that the prohibition was required in order to protect "Community Health and Safety", but since being presented with peer reviewed literature that effectively debunks that claim, they have refused to even discuss the issue. Because of the intransigence of the Victorian Government, on November 14 2012, he will be commencing a hunger strike in Melbourne's Bourke Street Mall, in order to pressure the Victorian Government to conform with their obligations under the Charter. The demands are simple: "That the Victorian Government provide regulated access to Transcendent Compounds for religious and spiritual purposes, as per their obligations under sections 7 and 14 of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act (2006)". This action is intended to pressure the Government into complying with the law and to provide an opportunity to educate the wider public about the reality of Transcendent Compounds and the fact that their use is a safe and appropriate form of religious, spiritual and mystical expression. This is an open event and everyone is encouraged to invite anyone they wish to come along, or to provide support. For further information: http://kasarik.com/Hunger-Strike-2012.php If you don't wish this action to go ahead, Greg is not the person to be speaking to. The person you should be contacting is the one who has decided that his religious freedoms, and those of thousands of other Victorians are not worth protecting. The Premier of Victoria, Mr Ted Baillieu, can be contacted thusly: Ministerial Office Address Level 1, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne, VIC Phone (03) 9651 5000 Fax (03) 9651 5054 Email Address [email protected] This action will happily be terminated the moment Ted Baillieu and his government demonstrate that they are willing to take concrete steps that will result in regulated access to Transcendent Compounds for religious and spiritual purposes within a reasonable time frame.

Tripping on the Steps On Wednesday 28 November, to celebrate the conclusion of two weeks of Hungerstrike 2012, I took a single tab of LSD on the steps of the Victorian Parliament House and nobody batted an eyelid. On Monday evening, I had sent an email to all of the Victorian Members of Parliament informing them of my intentions and the reasons why I was taking them. I have no idea of how many of them actually bothered to read what I sent, but a friend who is a backbencher said that the MPs he spoke to aware of what I am doing, but had decided to ignore me. This is really good news for this stage of the campaign. It shows that they are not committed to being confrontational and have no desire to turn me into a martyr for my cause and are perhaps uncertain as to whether my legal arguments hold up (www.kasarik.com/The-Legal-Argument.php). From here I intend to issue an invitation to all MPs to begin a conversation and to work together in order to arrive at a win-win solution that meets our needs to be able to use these compounds, while also meeting there need to be seen to protect the public health and safety. The most interesting “conversation” for the day, was when I approached Ted Baillieu, the Premier of Victoria. He was engaged in a photo op on the steps of parliament. I approached him and gave him a brochure, asking that he “have one of his people get in touch with me, so that I don’t have to starve myself”. His response was a quite contemptuous “whatever” and his disdain for people like me was abundantly clear. Needless to say, nobody from his office, or government contacted me, just as they have failed to do so for the last 18 months. The most inspirational conversation was with an 81 year old woman in a disability scooter. I initially spoke to her expecting that she would be critical of my ideas, but it turned out that she had been the founding administrator for the Fitzroy Legal Service and had been instrumental in attempts to have cannabis legalised. Even today, she is trying to raise funds so that young people in the poorer Asian countries can get an education. Initially, there was nobody in attendance when I took the LSD and I was concerned that nobody would come along. In the end my fears were groundless, as I had around 15 people come through to provide support and to introduce themselves. I met some really wonderful people and it makes me even more confident that we will succeed. In light of the success of this action, I have decided that I will once again take a tab of LSD on the steps of Parliament House on December 12 in order to mark 28 days without food. 28 days without food is enough to make the point that I wanted to make, so I will also end Hungerstrike 2012 on that day, rather than attempting to go the extra 9 days, which would risk serious harm to my health.

Hunger Strike day 27! Due to increasingly severe bouts of dizziness and light headedness, I will not be out and about today. I am finding myself to be increasingly vague and clumsy, although I can still concentrate when required. Tomorrow and Wednesday, I will be on the steps of the Victorian Parliament House (I'll be driven in on both days). Wednesday will be the last day of the hunger strike! I am certainly looking forward to getting some food back into my stomach! :-) I am @gregkasarik on twitter, and have about 30 followers or so. Hopefully I'll get a few more as time goes by. I don't know if I'll be up to twittering the event on Wednesday, but I'll do my best. Typing onto a touch screen is problematic at worst, but while trippiing? Hopefully with less fire and brimstone! But I'm very much a voice crying out in the wilderness... I have made several attempts to contact the media, but they aren't really interested. One journalist I spoke with expressed disappointment that I was not representing a group and was just acting alone. Apparently if I am formally representing a group these things carry more weight. After looking at my sign another complained that there were "too many big words on there", which really shows the level that they pitch their reporting at. That journalist was from The Age, so I'd hate to think what the Herald-Sun would think. At this stage, I am actually quite content with no media coverage and won't be putting out a press release for Wednesday. The problem is that while some sections of the media are warming to the idea of drug law reform, it is still very patchy and LSD is currently under a cloud thanks to that idiot police officer who incorrectly said that that kid had died from an LSD overdose. My main audience for Wednesday are the politicians and the community of users. With the former, I intend to demonstrate that LSD is perfectly safe, while exercising my rights under the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities. For the latter, I intend to show that we can challenge the status quo. I hope to motivate them to join me in standing up for their freedoms. I have big plans from here, but without the support of others, it will all come to naught. Certainly, the media may pick up on what I am doing, but that could easily backfire. Best let sleeping dogs lie for the moment. That way we can organise properly so that we are much better prepared for hostile media attention when we do hit the public spotlight. I think that you'll find that there is always a great discrepancy between the practical support offered and the positive vibes and well wishing that goes on. One is easy, but the other takes time and effort. It certainly would have been nice to get some more help, but if people still want to help they can. I haven't gone without food for this long simply to turn my back and wander off! Having said this, I have had the support of some really amazing people through this journey. Intriguingly most of the support has come from people who I have only known for a short space of time. Nick Wallis, who does the Enpsychedelia (http://enpsychedelia...ychedelia/blog/) podcast stepped in to offer me a place to stay (as did a girl, who I met on the very first day). Others such as Vine Voice have been regular attendees and have made great efforts to stay in touch and see how I have been doing. I've been on Nick's podcast three times now, and will probably be on the next few as well. He has been a professional radio host and it really shows through in the quality of his voice, questions and editing. I had someone interview me on camera, when I was tripping on the 28th, but am not sure when that footage will be made available. Sadly, other offers of filming never actually materialised and my own efforts to put up Youtube videos floundered on my own lack of experience and too many other things to do. Still, it is early days yet. In doing this, hopefully I have planted a seed and demonstrated my commitment to pushing forward and fighting for the legal rights for us all to make educated decisions about our own consciousnesses and what we value. Also, given our somewhat antagonistic history, I really appreciate your positivity about what I am doing. It means a lot to me!

http://www.facebook.com/events/449031078490588/ For those who are interested Tripping on the Steps V 2.0 has a facebook event page. Will try to comment on questions when I have some time!

This is the latest letter that I sent to all of the Victorian Members of Parliament. I don't have time to put it up on my website, so will post it here instead: Transcndent Compounds, Religious Freedom and Tripping on the Steps - Lets figure a win-win solution. A week ago, on Wednesday 28 November I consumed a single tab of LSD on the steps of the Victorian Parliament House. Despite notifying all MPs days earlier l was ignored and nobody intervened. I ended up passing a pleasant afternoon with friends. This act was done under the religious freedoms granted to all Victorians under section 14 of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act (2006). In light of my success in this endeavour, I will once again be taking a tab of LSD on the steps of Parliament House on Wednesday 12 December. Assuming that I am once again unmolested, I have decided that on that day, I will also be concluding my hunger, as I believe that 28 days without food is ample to make my point regarding the importance of Transcendent Compounds for religious and spiritual practice. Today is day 23 of the hunger strike and it appears that my actions have gone totally unnoticed by both the media and yourselves. While it may surprise you, I find this a perfectly acceptable outcome, as my purpose is to secure the unambiguous religious freedoms of all Victorians, rather than to grandstand in public. I regard your collective failure to act last week as a positive sign, in that you have decided to not pursue the path of confrontation that would inevitably turn me into a martyr. It may be that such calculus arises, because you erroneously believe that if you simply ignore me, I will go away. If this is the case, please disabuse you of such flights of fancy. The determination that has allowed me to go without food for over three weeks is the same determination that will carry me through to ultimate success. For the last 18 months I have endeavoured to meet with the Government in order to discuss this issue and to work out a reasonable win-win solution that meets everyone’s needs. Sadly, it is clear that the Victorian Premier has little more than contempt for people such as I and has no interest in creating a tolerant, inclusive society, or in implementing evidence based drugs policy. Because of this, I am now writing to so that I may extend the same invitation to dialog that I have repeatedly extended to the Baillieu Government. It is my hope that I can sit down with the Members of the Victorian Parliament in order to determine a suitable solution to the current impasse. In fighting for my religious freedoms under the Charter, I have introduced a wholly new element into what farcically passes as the “debate on drugs” and without the “demonstrably justifiable” reason required by section 7 of the Charter, the use of Transcendent Compounds for religious and spiritual purposes is completely legal under Victorian Law. You have three options open to you: 1. You can work with me to achieve a solution that meets both our needs, 2. You can give into ignorant intolerance and persecute me to your heart’s content. This would inevitably entail enacting laws specifically for the purpose of targeting me. 3. You can simply ignore me. Option one is the courageous option, as well as being the option which conforms to Victorian Law. It is the option that requires both wisdom and the understanding of a complex issue. It is the option that will require you to face down scurrilous media attacks and muckraking smear campaigns, but it is also the option that will allow you to begin reworking seriously flawed policies. Option two is the “Syrian Option”; the option of tyranny. While it might keep some of the aspiring dictators happy will only turn me into a martyr and help promote my philosophies. Changing the law to make my spiritual practices illegal won’t stop me from engaging with them. Option three isn’t really a solution. You might as well put your hands over your ears and continuously shout “LaLaLaLa!” It certainly won’t address the issues that I have raised. For the last 18 months, I have done my best to encourage the Baillieu Government to go down the path of option one, but instead they have chosen option three. Clearly this hasn’t worked, and will not work. I am not about to slink of into the dark. In approaching you on this issue, I am asking you to step above the vagaries of mere party politics and the short sighted dictates of polling. If there ever was an issue that cried out for leadership this was it, but sadly the very idea of leading seems to have become anathema in modern political life. The denial of the religious freedoms of thousands of Victorians is a symptom of the larger problem that is Richard Nixon’s War on Drugs. Irrespective of how you measure it, this war is a complete and utter failure at achieving any of its objectives and only serves to funnel super profits into the hands of organised criminals. After more than four decades of virulent, inaccurate and distorted propaganda, everyone is too afraid to admit that the emperor is not only naked, but is stark raving mad. Most of us have grown up in a society where governments have spent hundreds of millions of dollars each year on lying to us by promoting the evil myth that alcohol is somehow good and all other drugs are somehow bad. The science and evidence that should guide good public policy has been outsourced to the shock jocks and opinion writers whose ignorance is only surpassed by their egos. An excellent example of this appeared in The Age newspaper only yesterday, when they published an article on MDMA, in which highlighted the simple truth that it is a far safer drug than alcohol, has been demonstrated to be highly beneficial for PTSD sufferers and that allowing regulated access would make the job of police so much easier. I am not asking that you rewrite decades of failed policy in an afternoon, but I am asking you to end years of blinkered stupidity and to work towards a sensible policy on drugs that acknowledges the real world realities, rather than the prohibitionist fantasy. A win-win solution on Transcendent Compounds that respects religious freedoms, while protecting public health and safety is certainly achievable. The issues that I have raised are not going to go away and only a bipartisan approach to this issue will allow us to move forward and achieve a policy that protects the community while respecting the rights of people to make informed decisions about their own consciousness. I firmly believe that men and women of good will can, through discussion, arrive at a solution that respects the rights of all. You, as a member of parliament hold the cards. It is you who will ultimately decide my fate and that of thousands of other Victorians. It really is a question of what kind of society you wish to create. If you value a democratic, tolerant society in which the respect for human rights is paramount, then please get in touch with me so that we can discuss these issues and begin to identify a reasonable solution to the current quandary. Should the Parliament be derelict in its duty to provide appropriate regulated and legal access to these compounds, I will have no choice but to go it alone and set up my own frameworks and professional guidelines so that these substances can be used and accessed safely by those who wish to use them for exploration of Divine understanding. I do not wish to go down this path, but if you refuse to work with me towards a solution, I will have no alternative but to implement my own. Kind Regards, Greg Kasarik. PS: For those with an interest in the actual science behind these compounds and who are doubtful of my claims that Transcendent Compounds are in fact non-addictive, non-toxic and psychologically safe in an appropriate dose, set and setting, I have included two excellent peer reviewed literature reviews that cover these important issues. As David Nichols' paper is quite technical, I have also included a summary of this written by myself, which covers the main points of his article.

Hunger Strike 2012 enters day 23! The last few days have been incredibly busy with being out on the streets during the day and doing something else in the evenings. On Tuesday evening, I was in the audience for The Project when they did their piece on MDMA and quite enjoyed that. Last night I went to Harm Reduction Victoria’s 25 Birthday celebrations and met a number of really interesting and highly motivated people. Once this is over, I have big plans and HRV will hopefully be an important part of those. In the last few days I have begun to feel a bit dizzy at times and am feeling much weaker. I also find that I am getting tired more easily and need more sleep (although I still have difficulty falling asleep). Today, I intend to be outside the State Library again, although this may have to change if it rains, in which case I will probably head back into the Bourke Street Mall. I didn’t wake up until 10.30 this morning, so I most likely won’t be in until about 2.30pm, or perhaps even later.

Hungerstrike 2012 enters day 16 today! I'm feeling good and energised by all of the positive response that I have received from people, many who have had no awareness of the existence of EGA, or a wider community of users. My weight is now 61.5 kg down from 71.0 kg at the start. I still have a little bit of body fat to lose and this should happen over the next couple of days, although my weightloss seems to have dramatically reduced over the last few days. Tripping on the steps of parliament house went really well, with quite a number of people turning up. I've created a thread on it, which can be found here: http://www.shaman-australis.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=34242 The other news is that I have decided to end the hunger strike on December 12, after I take my next tab of LSD on the steps of parliament house. This is because I feel that four weeks of not eating makes my point just as well as five and many people are starting to express concern that I might harm myself in this endevour. 28 days will mean that I loose muscle mass, but this won't be at any risk of long term harm.