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

Australian mixed martial artist Tyson Pedro has made a big statement in his first fight in nearly four years with a knockout victory over American Ike Villanueva in the last seconds of the first round of their light heavyweight bout at UFC Vegas 52. The fight was Pedro’s first in 1239 days, his last bout being a loss to Mauricio Rua in December 2018. A series of injuries and a cancelled fight led to Pedro’s near four-year long absence.  Despite a slow start, Pedro appeared to

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

FILM REVIEW Petite Maman Run time: 1h 12mins. Who: Céline Sciamma (director), Joséphine Sanz, Grabrielle Sanz, Stéphane Varupenne, Margo Abascal. Where: In cinemas When: From May 5 Rating: Hard to fault. Céline Sciamma’s film Petite Maman , released in France last year, is as gorgeous and gut-wrenching as its predecessor,  Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Petite Maman  follows Nelly (Joséphine Sanz in her screen debut) as she forms an improbable bond with the child version of h

As grunge’s mainstream popularity started dying out in the mid 1990s, a new and happier ’90s emerged, one that laid the groundwork for the TRL bubblegum pop and Y2K fashion of the later part of the decade. There are many explanations for why the ’90s eventually turned out this way, but the one that seems the most obvious is that it was a happy time: the Cold War was over, the American economy was good, and 9/11 had not yet come to harsh the public’s mellow. Romy and Michele

BAR REVIEW Bar Paradox Where: downstairs at Supernormal, Flinders Lane, CBD When: until April 24 Bar Paradox is a pop-up venue adding to the many attractions bringing people back to the CBD during the second half of the Comedy Festival. Open from April 11 to 24, the project is spearheaded by Orlando Marzo, crowned World Class Bartender of the Year in 2018. Paradox is an intimate and pensive venue. The low lighting and quiet sound create a delightful space for conversation to

A large cast is one of the film’s shortcomings. FILM REVIEW Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Run time: 2h 20mins Who:  David Yates (director), Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne, Mads Mikkelsen Where: In cinemas now After delays, controversies and a global pandemic, the third entry in the divisive Fantastic Beasts series has finally arrived. This instalment focuses on a younger Dumbledore and his attempt to stop the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald from seizing control of

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

Australian UFC featherweight king Alex Volkanovski has defended his title by knocking out “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in the fourth round at UFC 273 in Jacksonville, Florida. This victory marks three successful title defences for the Australian since capturing the title from Max Holloway in 2019. Volkanovski appeared calm and in control as he set the pace of the bout and brought the fight to his opponent, in a bout UFC commentator Joe Rogan described as his “finest per

Genevieve Nardella savours the spinster vibes of the highly-anticipated B2 - but not without a warning for the history buffs among you.