DRUGS OKAY AT THESE GAMES

Sydney may have the Olympics but Australia's alternative capital Nimbin will
host its own special version of the event next month.

The Hemp Olympix, one of the featured events at the annual Nimbin Mardigrass
and Cannabis Law Reform Weekend, will pit countries and individuals against
each other in an array of events not found on the Sydney 2000 program.

Nimbin Hemp Embassy spokesman Michael Balderstone said the old favourites
like the bong throw and yell, the grower's ironperson and the fiercely
contested joint rolling competition, would be on the program.

However a new event expected to attract crowds is the police triathlon -
based on the NSW police's new driver drug-testing guidelines.

Contestants will be judged on eye gazing, the walk, turn and on leg stand
still and count.

Mr Balderstone said organisers expected about 10,000 people to crowd into
the small township on the Far North Coast on May 6-7.

"There's been a lot of interest overseas because there's no other event like
it in the world," Mr Balderstone said.

"But while the Hemp Olympix has grown in popularity, the weekend is really
about cannabis law reform."