Sam Lasham (NZ)

I am a PhD candidate at the University of Auckland where I am investigating harm reduction and drug checking in the context of psilocybin mushrooms. Prior to moving to pharmacology, I received a BSc and Postgraduate Diploma in Genetics, and a Masters in Botany from Otago University where most of my research centered around the investigation of native New Zealand fungi. Currently, I am researching how psilocybin mushrooms are used as well as what people are consuming through quantification of active tryptamines and qualitative LCMS work to identify compounds that may be impacting people’s psychedelic experiences.

I hope to better understand how these complex substances work whilst developing approaches that can be used to reduce harm to people who consume psilocybin mushrooms for recreational, spiritual, and therapeutic purposes. I am passionate about harm reduction and am involved in numerous organisations alongside my study. I am a board member of Students for Sensible Drug Policy International, the founder and national coordinator of Students for Sensible Drug Policy Aotearoa, and a board member of the Psilver Linings New Zealand Charitable Trust, New Zealand’s only psilocybin mushroom-focused harm reduction organisation.