Webinar: Pathways into Psychedelic Treatment in Aotearoa

Psilocybin, MDMA and Ibogaine: Navigating the legislation and putting psychedelic treatment into practice

26th August 2026

This webinar brings together three experts with practical knowledge of very different pathways into psychedelic treatment in Aotearoa.

Our guest speakers:

  • Dr Fi Darracott-Cankovic 

  • Dr Geoff Noller 

  • Dr Tom Paterson

Moderated by Dr  Tehseen Noorani

We will cover

  • The current legal and regulatory pathways for psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine

  • What is involved in preparing and submitting a Medsafe application

  • Reality of moving from training and preparation into running a clinical service

  • Lessons from treating patients

  • MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, and how the application differs from psilocybin treatment in end-of-life care

  • The realities of waiting for a decision and what the process reveals about the developing field

  • Ibogaine’s unique legal status as a prescription medicine in New Zealand

  • The history, risks and safety lessons associated with ibogaine treatment

  • The importance of training, supervision, teamwork and appropriate clinical expertise

  • How doctors, therapists, researchers and other professionals can responsibly become involved

Fi Darracott-Cankovic

Dr Fi Darracott-Cankovic is an integrative medical doctor and Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners with more than 20 years of experience in general practice and hospice care. She specialises in holistic care for people with cancer and life-limiting illnesses, including psilocybin and ketamine-assisted therapy, medicinal cannabis and other supportive somatic therapies such as shiatsu massage and acupuncture. She has completed extensive training in PAT and contributed to clinical research involving ketamine- and MDMA-assisted therapy. Fi successfully completed the Medsafe application process in October 2025 and is the first clinician authorised to prescribe psilocybin for palliative patients with existential distress. She will reflect on preparing the application, establishing the right team and systems, beginning treatment with patients, and what she has learned since the service began.

Dr Geoff Noller is a medical anthropologist and independent researcher specialising in psychotropic drugs, drug policy and harm reduction. He completed his PhD at the University of Otago and works through his research consultancy, Substance Use and Policy Analysis. Geoff led a New Zealand 12-month observational study examining ibogaine treatment for opioid dependence and has also published research on the subjective and transformative experiences associated with ibogaine. His work considers both its potential to reduce opioid withdrawal and dependence and the significant medical risks involved. Geoff will discuss ibogaine’s unique legal status as a prescription medicine in New Zealand, the history and evidence behind its use, and the screening, medical oversight and clinical expertise required to provide treatment responsibly.

Geoff Noller

Dr Tom Paterson is a psychiatrist who has been involved in psychedelic research in Auckland and Dunedin and is specialising in addiction psychiatry. His work focuses on the potential role of PAT in supporting people experiencing trauma, addiction and other complex mental health conditions. He also brings together practitioners interested in developing safe and responsible psychedelic treatment in Aotearoa. Together with his colleagues, Tom has prepared and submitted an application for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD and is currently awaiting a decision. He will discuss the thinking behind their treatment model, how the pathway differs from psilocybin treatment, and the practical realities of navigating an evolving regulatory process.

Tom Paterson

Together, the speakers will provide a comparison of:

●      A successful application now operating in clinical practice

●      An application that has been submitted and is awaiting a decision

●      An existing legal prescribing pathway that operates differently from the Medsafe application process - Ibogaine

The discussion will also explore who holds responsibility within these services, how multidisciplinary teams can work together, and what is needed to build safe, credible and sustainable psychedelic treatment pathways in Aotearoa.

Event format

The first 90 minutes will include short presentations from each speaker, followed by moderated discussion and audience questions. This section will be recorded and made freely available as part of a public educational archive.

The final 30 minutes will be a more informal conversation with the speakers. This part will not be recorded and will only be available to those attending live.

Date: 26th August, 2026

Time: 7:30–9:00 pm NZST
Location: Zoom
Cost: Free
Registration: [Link]

Support this volunteer-led seminar series

This seminar series is organised and delivered by volunteers. There are still essential running costs, including webinar hosting, recording, video storage and the tools needed to make these educational events freely available. Any contribution, large or small, will help us cover these costs and continue building a safe and ethical psychedelic therapy ecosystem in Aotearoa.

Donations are warmly welcomed. Please visit: https://support.auckland.ac.nz/psychedelic-therapy

Project Survey

If you are familiar with psychedelic-assisted therapies, and have views on the opportunities, challenges, and risks involved in making them available in Aotearoa, please consider filling out our project survey.

Survey link

PART B: Working Towards Specific Outputs

Through the project’s work in building and bridging community networks, we are developing:

  • Models of psychedelic-assisted therapy that centre stakeholder community interests

  • Best practice guidelines in the provision of psychedelic-assisted therapy

  • Recommendations for the policy and legal changes required for roadmaps to implementation

  • Designs for the onward, collaborative, real-world research and evaluation of psychedelic-assisted therapies

  • Resources and measures towards effective community-based psychedelic harm reduction

  • Guidance on the relationship between Rangatiratanga and Kawanatanga spheres of psychedelic therapy provision