The use of psychedelic drugs to treat mental health issues should be decriminalised in Australia urgently, an advocate says. Australian Psychedelic Society vice-president Antanika Hoberg said her experience with psychedelic drugs were “lifesaving and lifechanging” to treat her complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD). “I should not be made to feel like a criminal, or be scared that my family was going to be taken away, because I needed to treat myself when other treat

Hundreds of jobs could be lost in the already struggling homelessness services sector, after the federal budget revealed a plan for major pay cuts in the community services and crisis accomodation sectors. Council to Homeless Persons policy and advocacy officer Damien Patterson said this could have a “deeply concerning” impact for homeless services in Victoria. “This is hundreds of staff who will be cut from homelessness services. It’s not a huge industry, so hundreds of s

A parent goes into a crowded fast-food restaurant with their child. The waiting time is long and the child gets bored. They keep nagging and asking when the food is coming out. The parent, busy with checking text messages on their phone, gives the child an iPad and tells them to watch some YouTube videos, kill the time and be quiet. For many of us, this is an everyday scene. Digital took over parenting Children’s nervous systems are more sensitive to the impacts of electrom

Australians suffering from Lyme disease say decriminalising cannabis in Australia would offer safer relief for their symptoms than the common alternatives. Lyme Australia: Awareness & Recognition co-founder Karen Smith said easier access to cannabis could help to change the community’s perception of the drug as an alternative and encourage patients to be more open to safer pain relief. She said she acquired the disease in Queensland 2003, and had experienced years of pain and

2020. It’s 2 am. Instead of being sound asleep because I have an 8am meeting the next day (at home, of course), I’ve spent the last few hours scrolling endlessly for the latest anecdotal COVID-19 updates on the COVID-19 Megathread of r/Melbourne, a subreddit dedicated to Melburnians. Many people are currently online on the same subreddit. This collective phenomenon, also known as “doomscrolling,” has been popularised since the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic in 202

Matt Bax and Matt Packham in action. All pictures by Alexander Nimmo BAR REVIEW Sabbatico (Bar Americano) Where: 20 Presgrave Place, Melbourne CBD When: Until end of the year One of Melbourne’s best-loved “hidden” bars has had a playful revamp. Nestled in Presgrave Place off Little Collins Street, the tiny Bar Americano has been a staple of Melbourne nightlife for some time. Starting from April 14 and running to the end of the year, owner Matt Bax and bartender Matty Packh

Australia’s two major political parties are offering no solutions to Australia’s affordable housing crisis even with an election just three weeks away, according to a leading social justice organisation. Mercy Foundation CEO Sue Mowbray said Australia had come under global scrutiny for its lack of affordable housing for disadvantaged groups. “Australia is a wealthy country, a lucky country; we shouldn’t be having this conversation,” she said. The Mercy Foundation last month a

A Brisbane woman is paying $1000 to legally take medicinal cannabis oil to treat her endometriosis pain , yet could still be charged for drug use regardless of her prescription. Endometriosis advocate Aroha Liebhart said medicinal cannabis was heavily stigmatised, even when using it legally as a pain relief. “A lot of workplaces still have the zero-tolerance policy to drugs,” Liebhart said. “[And] even though I have a prescription, if I am in a roadside drug test, and test

The surge in gonorrhoea cases in several disadvantaged suburbs in Melbourne cannot be defeated without mandatory STD awareness and sex education campaigns, a sexual health expert says. New research from Alfred Health, which mapped gonorrhoea cases for over a decade, has found clusters of cases penetrating some of the most impoverished outer suburbs of Melbourne, including Melton, Brimbank, and Casey. STI epidemiologist and lead author of the Alfred Health research, Associate

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalisation of work. Teleworking, virtual meetings, and home offices have become the new normal in the post-lockdown world. This shift is merely the beginning of a larger change to the nature of work. In 2021, Mark Zuckerberg rebranded his corporation, previously known as Facebook, as Meta with a new intent: “to help bring the metaverse to life”, he said .  In the same year, Microsoft released their latest mixed reality platform ca

Transgender Victoria has called out the trivialisation of trans rights in politicians’ federal election campaigns as “unnecessary and cruel”. The organisation’s statement on Facebook last week highlighted the legal barriers already in place restricting transgender people’s access to sport, and warned that new bills being discussed would only serve to discriminate against the community further. “The severe impact this kind of political and media rhetoric has as a significant

In today’s world, it would be rather difficult to find anyone who is not digitally connected in some way.  The term “digital detox” is often used, and it signifies the underlying issue with digital connectivity – is it good or bad for humans? Connection in the present-day world The internet is everywhere in our lives, from schools, workplaces to even relaxation. And that was even before the COVID-19 pandemic swept in and changed the way we perceived digital media. People u