Nimbin Hemp Embassy was established in 1995. The Embassy’s prime activities are promoting drug law reform by educating the community in general, and promoting a more tolerant and compassionate attitude to people in general.

The Embassy supports other various community groups such as the local Community Centre, Northern Rivers Legal Service and Mothers on Methadone to name a few. The Hemp Embassy is supported by many influential community figures.

2.0 Finance and Management Structure

The Nimbin Hemp Embassy in a non-profit association incorporated under the name "Nimbin Hemp". The Embassy is under stable and reliable management. Accurate and honest bookkeeping is being maintained, and may be viewed by arrangement.

The Tomato Sauce building has been kept in good repair by the Embassy, and constant renovations are being made. There is close to 24-hour presence on the property for security.

3.0 The Hemp Embassy Shop

The Hemp Embassy generates some of its operating costs by running the Hemp Embassy Shop. We provide a retail outlet for local clothing designers, artists, candle makers, soap makers, potters and woodworkers. We aim to support local arts and crafts people in our promotions.

The Hemp Embassy actively participates in monitoring the street for disturbances and emergencies. Emergency medical equipment is kept on the premises for treating and transporting drug overdose victims.

We provide a phone service for drug, education and referral.

4.0 Mardi Grass

The Nimbin Hemp Embassy organises the annual Nimbin Mardi Grass festival. Despite criticisms, Mardi Grass is one of the best organised and most peaceful festivals in Australia. Mardi Grass has become a respected forum for seminars on industrial hemp, medicinal cannabis, community policing and drug law reform. Mardi Grass is a major boost to the local economy and a huge drawcard for Australian and international tourists.

5.0 Historical considerations:

Nimbin Hemp Embassy provides the Nimbin community with a tangible presence of the Aquarius Age which initially brought so many to live and visit our community. Tourists and local people alike have a colorful and dynamic reminder of the origins of counter-culture and the plethora of other socio-political issues that have evolved as a result of the increase in awareness.

The Embassy has historical connections with the actual premises, as it was co-owned by Graeme Dunstan for a period during and after the Aquarius festival, then handed over to the community at a nominal price. The downstairs room, having been the Hemp Embassy and Mardi Grass headquarters for many years, is wallpapered with irreplaceable posters and newspaper articles, and is in fact a historical site for drug law reform activism in Australia.

6.0 Educational Projects:

The Hemp Embassy is constantly adding to an already large and definitive reference library on a range of issues such as: industrial hemp, medicinal usage, law reform issues.

Medicinal Cannabis

The Embassy runs Seminars on medicinal cannabis, supported by doctors and psychiatrists like Dr David Helliwell and Dr Harry Freeman. During Mardi Grass ’99 the Hemp Embassy sponsored the visit of Dennis Peron, leading Californian politician and medical cannabis activist.

The Hemp Embassy is actively researching medicinal cannabis use in collaboration with Dr David Helliwell, including a current web-based user survey.

Community based projects

The Embassy regularly runs seminars on topics such as Community Policing: supported by police at local, district and state levels. Annual Jungle Patrol training contributes to course grades for tertiary students from Bond University and is supported by local police and community.

Multi-media learning facility

The Hemp Embassy provides visitors and researchers of all ages a variety of sources with current information and networking facilities. This information is accessed via books, an extensive video library, an up-to-date news clipping collection and computer-based learning facilities such as the Hemp Embassy website, which is constantly updated and disseminates information locally and internationally.