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

Genevieve Nardella and Aditi Kutty lift the skirts on the 2022 Met Gala to reveal the fashion that stole the show.

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

FILM REVIEW The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent People: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Tiffany Haddish Where: In cinemas now Nicolas Cage has been in the film industry so long that audiences kind of take him for granted. Even in a time when one-off movies have given way to billion-dollar franchises and cinematic universes, he’s stuck around far longer than many stars who started working in Hollywood around the same time he did. In the current cinematic landscape, it’s diff

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

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