Economic botany has globally been a major driving force for cultural interaction for centuries, in some cases, millennia. As a consequence, many plant and fungi species have travelled the globe, often disrupting traditional economies with unforeseen and, in some cases, dire circumstances. In some cases, unintentional travel companions have caused further problems or gone unnoticed, only to later be mistaken for being native.

Psychoactive drug use is an enduring and important part of the lives of many of us, despite the last 60+ years of prohibition. Unregulated drug markets create significant health risks, where people may unknowingly procure unexpected substances or consume drugs of unknown strength or dose. Drug checking services (also known as pill testing services) can address this issue by offering members of the public the opportunity to find out what is in their drugs to inform their substance use.

This panel will bring together members of The Australian Psychedelic Society together with the EGA attendees, to explore the evolving issues that psychedelic users and various intersecting communities, currently face. It will focus on safety, legal, ethical, cultural, economic, spiritual, equity, justice and access issues alongside harm reduction gaps.