Sam Lasham Email & Phone Number

Sam Lasham is a PhD candidate with interests in prohibited drug use and policy, harm reduction, and psychedelics. He has a postgraduate diploma in genetics, a masters in Botany, and is now undertaking his PhD in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Auckland. His genetics and botany theses investigated the lignin degrading abilities of fungal species and the species diversity of genus Cortinarius in Aotearoa New Zealand's southern beech forests respectively.Sam's PhD is investigating how differing chemical makeup in species of Aotearoa's psilocybin containing fungi ("magic mushrooms") affect user experiences. This research will use a Drug Checking license under the Drug and Substances Checking Legislation Act to test samples of psilocybin mushrooms brought in by people who use drugs.Alongside his academic research interests, Sam's passion for reducing drug policy harm and for drug checking extends into his role as founder and national coordinator of Students for Sensible Drug Policy Aotearoa; an organisation working towards reducing drug related harm in Aotearoa and reforming harmful drug policies.