Australian Psychedelic Society

What Australian Psychedelic Society does

The Australian Psychedelic Society (APS) is a grassroots, community-based not-for-profit organization founded in 2017 and headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), APS advocates for the decriminalization and informed use of psychedelics through education, harm reduction programming, and policy engagement. Its work targets four primary audiences: the general psychedelic-interested community, policymakers and health professionals, veterans and first responders, and the broader Australian public. The organization is led by a volunteer committee (President Antanika Hoberg, Vice President Jess Maude, Treasurer Dr Simon Beck) with six employees and operates without a parent company or institutional investors.

APS delivers its mission through a suite of community and content programs rather than a unified technology product. Core offerings include a monthly and (from 2025) quarterly newsletter, an online volunteer hub, a merchandise store, recurring integration circles in multiple chapters, an events calendar of lectures, meetups, panel discussions, and film screenings, a clinical trials information hub, a published-articles and news platform, the "My Psychedelic Experience" storytelling project, and a specialized Veterans and First Responders Group. The underlying infrastructure is a standard Squarespace website with YouTube and social channels; there is no proprietary technology platform.

Revenue comes from donations (one-time and recurring at $10, $25, $50, $100, or custom amounts) and merchandise sales, neither of which is currently tax-deductible while APS pursues deductible gift recipient (DGR) status. Distribution is primarily domestic and free of charge, delivered via the website, chapter events in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, and regional Victoria, and festival-level harm reduction outreach including pill testing advocacy in partnership with The Loop, Harm Reduction Victoria, and YSAS.

Name

Australian Psychedelic Society

Legal name

Australian Psychedelic Society

Website

https://psychedelicsociety.org.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Australian Psychedelic Society is a volunteer-run, Melbourne-headquartered not-for-profit founded in 2017 that advocates for psychedelic decriminalization and harm reduction in Australia through community events, integration circles, educational content, and policy engagement targeting the general public, veterans, health professionals, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Harm Reduction and Psychedelic Advocacy Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Health & Substance Use Public Health Programs (BPAIAJAK), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Lifestyle Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAL)

Keywords

• Psychedelic advocacy
• Harm reduction education
• Drug policy reform
• Psychedelic integration
• Community education

Headquarters

HQ city

National organization - Australia-wide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization relies primarily on donations from supporters. Donations are currently not tax deductible as APS is working toward deductible gift recipient (DGR) status with the ACNC. Donation options include one-time, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual recurring donation options at $10, $25, $50, $100 or custom amounts.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of APS merchandise through the online merch store, including shirts and promotional items. Merchandise sales help fund website operations, events, insurance, zoom subscriptions, and social media advertising.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Australian Psychedelic Society is a volunteer-run not-for-profit organization that advocates for the decriminalization and informed use of psychedelics in Australia. It delivers education, harm reduction resources, community integration circles, panel discussions, film screenings, and meetups through local chapters across Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, and regional Victoria. Core deliverables include the APS Newsletter, the Volunteer Hub, an online merchandise store, the "My Psychedelic Experience" content project, an articles and news platform, a clinical trials information hub, and a Veterans and First Responders support group.

Product overview

The Australian Psychedelic Society operates as a grassroots, community-based not-for-profit organization that does not offer a unified software product but rather provides a suite of programs and services focused on advocacy, education, and harm reduction around psychedelics in Australia. Key offerings include: an APS Newsletter for community communication, an APS Volunteer Hub for volunteer coordination, an APS Merch Store, Integration Circles and APS Events (lectures, meetups, panel discussions, film screenings), the My Psychedelic Experience content project for personal accounts, APS Articles and News for educational content, a Clinical Trials Information Hub, and specialized groups such as the Veterans and First Responders Group. These services work together to advance the organization's mission of decriminalisation, stigma reduction, and safe psychedelic practices across Australian communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• APS Merch Store

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported pill testing legislation in Victoria through advocacy work
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The LoopcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2024Harm reduction organization partnered with APS on Victorian pill testing trial initiative. The Loop operates pill testing services at festivals and events, providing on-site substance checking and health advisory services.
• Harm Reduction VictoriacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2024Victoria-based harm reduction organization collaborating with APS on pill testing advocacy and implementation. Committed to reducing drug-related harm through education and evidence-based policies.
• Youth Support and Advocacy Services (YSAS)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2024Youth-focused harm reduction organization involved in Victorian pill testing trial partnership. Provides support services for young people affected by drug use.
• PRISM (Psychedelic Research In Science and Medicine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing research organization focused on psychedelic research in Australia since 2011. APS collaborates on advocacy and shares research through their networks. PRISM connects APS with researchers internationally.
• Bluelight.orgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline community platform for harm reduction. Dr. Monica Barratt, drug policy researcher at RMIT University and Executive Director of Bluelight.org, participates in APS panel discussions and advocacy.
• Bluelight.orgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline community platform for harm reduction. Dr. Monica Barratt, drug policy researcher at RMIT University and Executive Director of Bluelight.org, participates in APS panel discussions and advocacy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Beckley Foundation: UK-based psychedelic research and policy reform organization. Comparable international advocacy and research-bridging function, focused on global drug policy reform where APS focuses on Australia.
• Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS): Global non-profit driving clinical research, therapist training, and regulatory approval of psychedelics (notably MDMA). Comparable as the leading global psychedelic research and policy organization whose work overlaps with APS's decriminalization and therapy-access goals.
• Drug Policy Alliance: Large US-based advocacy organization promoting drug policy reform, harm reduction, and decriminalization. Comparable as a more established, broader-scoped advocacy peer operating in adjacent policy territory to APS's psychedelic-specific agenda.

Direct peers

• Harm Reduction Victoria: Victoria-based harm reduction organization collaborating with APS on pill testing advocacy. Direct peer in Australian drug harm reduction with overlapping policy goals and shared partner network.
• The Loop Australia: Australian harm-reduction organization providing drug checking and pill testing services at festivals. Direct operational partner of APS on the Victorian pill testing trial, addressing the same substance-use harm-reduction mandate in Australia.
• Youth Support and Advocacy Services (YSAS): Australian non-profit providing drug harm reduction and support services to young people. Direct partner of APS on the Victorian pill testing initiative, addressing adjacent substance-use harm reduction for different demographic segments.
• PRISM (Psychedelic Research In Science and Medicine): Australian psychedelic research organization active since 2011 with which APS has a long-standing strategic alliance. Direct peer bridging community advocacy and clinical research within the Australian psychedelic ecosystem.
• Mind Medicine Australia: Australian non-profit focused on expanding access to psychedelic-assisted therapies, including MDMA and psilocybin. Closest direct peer to APS — same geography, similar decriminalization and therapy-access mission, overlapping executive circles and advocacy targets in Australia.

Emerging players

• Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP): International student-led network advocating for drug policy reform grounded in harm reduction. Comparable grassroots, community-led advocacy model with similar decriminalization and education priorities, though focused on student populations.
• Chacruna Institute: International non-profit fostering psychedelic research, education, and Indigenous reciprocity. Comparable community, education, and policy advocacy orientation with a more international and Indigenous-knowledge focus than APS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/AustralianPsychedelicSociety/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-psychedelic-society

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian Psychedelic Society