[As published in May/June BayBuzz magazine.]
Meth, crack, crystal, ice, speed, P. Methamphetamine is known by many names but the impact of this insidious drug is always the same: havoc, harm and upheaval for every individual, family and community it touches.
The meth problem in New Zealand is significant. Methamphetamine use has exploded in the country in recent years due to the growing sophistication of gang operations, and despite the drug’s well-known dangers, tens of thousands of Kiwis are hooked. Hawke’s Bay is one of the most affected regions in the country, with Wairoa, Napier and Hastings ranked above the national average for meth use per person, according to data from wastewater testing.
Now, Kiwis addicted to meth could have the chance to turn their lives around, thanks to a collaborative study underway using magic mushrooms.
The project, led by Rangiwaho Marae near Gisborne, involves a network of organisations and individuals including, Rua Bioscience, Environmental Science and Research (ESR), Auckland and Waikato Universities, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, and Mātai Medical Research Institute.
More on this project to follow. First, a primer on the meth problem.
A national scourge
For users, meth is an extremely addictive powerful stimulant that produces a euphoric effect. A powerful upper, it gives users a sudden rush of pleasure, making them feel energetic, confident, alert and strong for several hours. But when the euphoria wears off, users are left with an extreme physical and mental toll.
Over time, meth use affects every aspect of an individual’s life, including their health, work and relationships. The biggest impacts however, are arguably felt by families and communities. Meth use increases the risks of psychosis, violence and impulsivity and decreases emotional control. This creates a chaotic environment for people living with a user. More widely, meth use threatens whole communities, fueling crime, unemployment and child neglect.
Methamphetamine is used in communities all over New Zealand. Since police wastewater testing began, meth has been detected in every community tested during every day of the week. In 2020 wastewater mass loads (the normalised concentration of meth by population) were compared across 27 countries. New Zealand’s results were among the highest – only ranking lower than Australia, the United States and the Czech Republic.
Nationally, methamphetamine consumption has recently increased, according to latest wastewater data. Across sample sites in the third quarter of 2023, methamphetamine consumption averaged an estimated 13.8kg per week (up from an average of 12.8kg over the previous four quarters) and several districts recorded increases in meth consumption rates. The figures equate to an estimated weekly social harm cost of $15.3 million.
Data trends over time however, show methamphetamine consumption has remained fairly stable or declining, says National Drug Intelligence Bureau Detective Inspector, Tim Chao. “Methamphetamine use across all testing sites nationwide in 2023 was 10% lower than the previous four-year average,” says Detective Inspector Chao.
Yet the level of meth use and its impact still paint a grim picture. Of the drugs tested in the wastewater programme, methamphetamine continues to be the most consumed drug. Around New Zealand, meth use is having a deep and widespread impact. So much so, a recent study by the University of Otago ranked it as the second most harmful drug in New Zealand, behind alcohol.
The New Zealand Drug Harms Ranking Study looked at a broad range of harmful effects to meth users, their families and communities, which are many and serious, says executive director of the NZ Drug Foundation Te Puna Whakaiti Pāmamae Kai Whakapiri, Sarah Helm. “Beyond the harms methamphetamine can cause someone using it – including impulse control, memory loss, anxiety, anger and depression – the drug’s highly addictive nature means that acquisitive crime is common, which means the harms and impacts are widely felt in communities,” she says.
Hawke’s Bay situation
Disturbingly, Hawke’s Bay has one of the highest rates of meth use in the country. The region’s widespread meth addiction is laid bare in the police wastewater data. The wastewater sites tested in the Eastern District, which includes Hawke’s Bay, recorded the second highest per capita methamphetamine consumption of all regions in 2023, with an average of 703 milligrams consumed per day per 1000 people.
And the news stories keep coming. Last year a Hastings woman who ran a ‘walk-in’ meth shop and brought more than 1kg of the drug into Hawke’s Bay over six months was jailed for four years. The woman ran the operation with her partner, who will be sentenced at a later date.
Also last year, police made multiple arrests in relation to the sale and supply of methamphetamine in Hawke’s Bay. In a separate incident, four people were arrested after 83 kg of methamphetamine concealed in pallets arrived at Port Napier. The drugs were imported from South Africa and had a street value of $29 million.
Like everywhere, meth use in Hawke’s Bay results in the breakdown of relationships between users and their friends and family, child neglect, financial and health issues and a criminal lifestyle. Eastern Police say they will continue to focus on drug supply offending, and they need the help of the community to do so.
The issues and and reasons behind greater meth use and harm in Hawke’s Bay are multilayered and complex, says Helm. “The data shows that methamphetamine use and harm is concentrated in our most economically deprived neighbourhoods, and we know that the enduring impacts of colonisation and decades of failed drug policies are a factor.”
Mushroom magic
Reducing meth addiction has never been more critical, with communities around the country suffering its effects. The ground-breaking study led by Rangiwaho Marae could be the solution desperately needed to fight this catastrophic problem.
The Health Research Council has granted $300,000 to Rangiwaho Marae over 18 months for its research programme. In the summary for the grant, the council praises the value of the project.
‘This research has been a request that has come directly from the whānau of Rangiwaho marae. Their aspirations for this mahi is to comprehensively investigate the therapeutic potential of natural psychoactive molecules derived from taonga species in collaboration with iwi communities and Māori businesses, and to develop tikanga Māori (protocol) for safe administration of psilocybin-containing taonga species of mushroom (Weraroa) for the treatment of addiction and other mental health conditions such as depression in a marae setting, by, with and for Māori.’
It’s unknown yet which mushrooms will be cultivated for the study. It could be one of a few indigenous species, of which Psilocybe makarora is an option, says Landcare Research mycologist, Dr Bevan Weir – one of the experts involved.
The different indigenous species (found in New Zealand and elsewhere) used in the trials will all contain the active psilocybin ingredient. There are currently six indigenous mushroom species and two that are endemic species (only found in New Zealand) that are of interest to the study.
Psilocybin is the active ingredient in all magic mushrooms. When consumed, it has hallucinogenic effects that alter a person’s senses, thinking, sense of time and emotions.
As mushrooms containing psilocybin are Class A drugs, a license from the Ministry of Health is required for their use in the trials and the ongoing study. Once the team has this, clinical trials can proceed.
Fungi power
Weir has been working with fungus and bacteria for 22 years and during that time he has developed a deep respect for this often neglected group of pathogens.
There’s believed to be somewhere between 1 to 10 million species of fungi in the world: most of which are microscopic. Fungi is a broad term that includes moulds, yeasts and mushrooms, while mushrooms are a certain group of fungi with fruiting bodies that typically have a stalk, cap and gills.
Fungi are hugely important to the ecosystem, because of their role in breaking down plant and animal waste and recycling nutrients. The only way they do this is by interacting with the environment through chemistry, says Dr Weir.
Wood rotting fungi for example, break down wood and return all those nutrients back to the forest. Fungi also form important symbiotic relationships. Fungi grow in or on plant roots, helping it get easy access to food from the plant. The plant benefits from the mycelium (threads that grow through soil) produced by the fungi that help it absorb more water and nutrients.
Once the species are selected for the study, Dr Weir will be involved in understanding the environmental conditions for optimum cultivation. He will also investigate what other compounds the species have other than psilocybin, which could be beneficial.
Holistic approach
The East Coast has been grappling with a growing meth problem, says Rangiwaho Marae trustee, Jody Toroa. “It’s everywhere; it’s insidious.” Support and health organisations have all reported an upwards trend, and affected families are concerned about the lack of addiction services in the region, she says. What is available, often isn’t the right fit, says Toroa: “Unfortunately the solutions aren’t that strong and community-centred.”
The collaborative study led by Rangiwaho Marae was born out of wanting to meet that need. An evolving team of individuals, whānau, community groups and institutions formed around 18 months ago. They have developed powerful relationships and share a common goal, says Toroa. “We’re a committed group of whānau from across all spectrums of our community, who have been looking at how we can turn this around.”
One of the conversations around alternative medicines led to discussions around native fungi. The idea of fungi potentially helping solve drug addiction has been well researched, and there are huge advancements being carried out overseas, says Toroa. In Australia for example, psychedelic treatments have been legalised for addiction, trauma, stress, anxiety, ptsd, and intergenerational trauma.
Approaching this kind of treatment from a holistic and New Zealand cultural perspective, however, is something new. “These are environments and treatments that are attuned to that community and culture,” says Toroa. “What we’re developing and designing is attuned to what’s right and specific for us as whānau Maori. The native mushrooms are taonga for us.”
The study’s approach brings together a mix of traditional medicines that have been around for centuries, for cultural and healing purposes, married with western science.
This all-inclusive approach to patient treatment is what makes this study special. As part of this, a key aspect of the trials is patients will be guided and supported throughout, to ensure it’s a good experience. “I’ve been really impressed with the deep thought that is going into this,” says Dr Weir. The trials will be in harmony with our culture and environment, and a huge amount of consideration has gone into every detail, down to what music should be played, he says.
Toroa and the team are hugely excited about the opportunity for whānau to turn their lives around. A lot of the addiction they see comes from deep-seated issues and intergenerational trauma. The study’s approach is about self-healing – giving the power back to the person and their whānau and working with them in their own environment. The hope is that this could ensure the trauma and life of addiction isn’t repeated for generations to come.
Clinical trials
Once all of the required medical licenses are in place, clinical trials for the study are expected to get underway in June, around Matariki, as this is a time of significance for Māori.
Nine people will take part in the first trial, which will follow a whānau-centred approach, with several more trials to follow. Auckland University is involved in carrying out the trials and these will be held on the marae as this is a community setting, and provides a safe, comfortable environment for those taking part.
Major steps have been undertaken by the team regarding meeting ethics standards, applying for licenses and ensuring the study meets legal criteria, says Dr Weir. The trials are a highly controlled process to minimise risk.
The first clinical trial will probably use freeze dried, ground up psilocybin imported from Australia. Participants will be given a highly controlled dose of psilocybin in the form of a granulated pill under clinical supervision and will be fully supported throughout the experience.
Psychedelics are useful in the context of drug treatment because they increase connections between areas of the brain. “The active ingredient, psilocybin, binds to a receptor in the brain and essentially does a brain reset,” says Dr Weir. “With addiction, you have these negative pathways and negative thoughts, and if you take these large doses of magic mushrooms essentially it’s like a brain reset.” Research shows this interrupts the negative behaviours and gives users the chance of a fresh start.
The process is about the individual taking control and power back over their lives, says Toroa.
“The intention behind this is to address the traumas and to bring people back to the connection with papatūānuku (the land)”. The mushrooms are a taonga – a gift from papatūānuku to shift the things that are happening inside the heart and the brain. “It’s a recalibration and it’s a reset, but it’s everything around the person and that whānau that’s the most important shift.”
