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. These services are free and anonymous. Data from these services can be shared as alerts and information briefs to inform the wider drug-using community of what is in circulation, particularly when risky substances are detected.

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.

In 2023, Australia became the first country to allow the prescription of MDMA & psilocybin for PTSD and depression. Despite this re-scheduling of psychedelics, the reality & perception of the legal implications remains ambiguous, patchy and inconsistent. Venture capitalist pharmaceutical companies are steering the legislative narrative and issues of accessibility, safety, who benefits and who remains excluded, are ever pertinent.