Former Hervey Bay journalist Joshuah Buckle tries to treat anxiety, depression with LSD ordered from Amsterdam

‘People lost their minds’: The former Wide Bay journalist was influenced by internet research to try an unconventional medical treatment, which landed him in hot water with the Australian Border Forces.

A former Wide Bay journalist and filmmaker has copped a hefty fine after border forces seized a package containing 52 LSD tablets ordered from Amsterdam.
Joshuah Buckle, 36, ordered the illicit drugs online from a research company after doing some research into microdosing to help with anxiety and depression, police prosecutor Sergeant Barry Stevens told the court.

The package, which was addressed to Buckle, was ordered via a website in the Netherlands and seized by the Australian Border Force on June 26.

When police attended the father of three’s Booie address on July 4, officers found four marijuana plants about 10cm tall, hydroponic equipment, and a fridge containing pot brownies.

Buckle pleaded guilty in Kingaroy Magistrates Court to producing and possessing dangerous drugs, possessing property suspected of having been acquired to commit a drug offence and supplying dangerous drugs to himself.

Former Hervey Bay journalist and filmmaker Joshuah Buckle.

Defence lawyer Jay Rose said her client was a father of three and suffered from anxiety and depression.

“He’s taken a number of medications over the years to deal with that, including Escitalopram and Risperidone,” Ms Rose said.

“He’s previously been an editor and journalist in Hervey Bay, and he spent two years of research before considering the purchase of these drugs from the Netherlands.”

Ms Rose said Buckle researched microdosing trials taking place in New Zealand and chose to go down this path as it was too expensive to go through the medical marijuana program.

“There was no element of commerciality. There was no allegation that he was going to sell the tablets to any other person. It was only his own personal experimentation,” she said.

Magistrate Andrew Sinclair fiend Buckle $1200.

“Parliament decides that some things we are not allowed to do, or try, or have an experience of them, and we have to pay regard to the fact that even possessing (marijuana) is punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment,” Mr Sinclair said.

“In doing your research, you should also research the history of musicians in the late ‘60s, including people like Jimi Hendrix.

“They too tried LSD, which is not something manufactured in the lab according to a precise formula. Many of those people completely lost their minds.”

No convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Former Hervey Bay journalist Joshuah Buckle tries to treat anxiety, depression with LSD ordered from Amsterdam