Trust Center
How SubsAtlas separates evidence, risk, community patterns, AI context, images and partner resources.
How SubsAtlas works
Evidence-quality labelling
Every profile shows a clear evidence level based on the quality and consistency of available research.
Risk-first profiles
Every profile leads with a risk level, key cautions and interaction concerns — not with effects alone.
Source review tracking
Each profile shows its current source review stage transparently so readers can understand the editorial state.
Community patterns separated
Community Signal data is always shown separately from editorial evidence levels and risk ratings.
AI guardrails enforced
AI features are constrained to educational context and cannot provide dosing, sourcing or optimization guidance.
Partner independence maintained
Partner resources are structurally and visually separate from all editorial risk and evidence content.
Risk levels explained
Risk levels on SubsAtlas are editorial context based on available evidence, known interaction concerns, dependency potential and product quality uncertainty. Risk level is not a recommendation, prediction or personalized assessment.
Low
Generally lower concern profile based on available evidence, typical patterns and interaction context. Low risk does not mean no risk.
Moderate
Moderate concern based on a combination of effects, interaction potential, pattern variability or incomplete evidence.
Elevated
Elevated concern reflecting meaningful risks, significant interaction potential or patterns of problematic use.
High
High concern profile — serious interaction risks, dependency potential, toxicity concerns or controlled status. Shown for educational awareness.
Unknown
Insufficient context exists to characterize the risk level. May reflect very limited evidence, novel substances or high variability.
Evidence levels explained
Evidence levels describe the quality, consistency and source type of available information. They do not indicate that a substance is suitable, recommended or free of risk.
Strong
Stronger research consensus or broad clinical context for general awareness. Multiple consistent studies or official guidance exist.
Moderate
Mixed but meaningful evidence. Some research exists but results vary, populations differ or methodology limitations apply.
Limited
Early, narrow or incomplete research. Findings should not be generalised. Uncertainty is significant.
Traditional
Long-standing use across cultures or communities. Not the same as clinical proof. Traditional use does not confirm safety or efficacy.
Anecdotal
Reported by individuals or communities without formal study. Not research evidence. Uncertainty is high.
Unknown
Insufficient data exists to characterise the evidence context for this substance.
Source review status
Source status describes editorial review progress, not a medical certification. It is shown transparently so readers understand the current state of each profile.
Sources have been identified but not yet independently checked by the editorial team.
Some sources have been checked. Others remain pending editorial review.
Editorial source checking has been completed for this profile.
Safety review status
Safety review status indicates whether a profile has been checked for risky wording, missing warnings and unsafe guidance. It is an ongoing editorial process.
Profile is in the archive but has not yet completed a safety editorial check.
Profile has been checked and does not contain dosing, sourcing, preparation, extraction, optimization or safe-combination language.
What safety review checks for
Image review status
Images on SubsAtlas pass through a structured intake and review process. Plant and fungi visuals are not identification guidance.
No real image added. A visual pattern is shown instead.
Candidate image shown publicly. Source, license and editorial review are not yet complete.
Image has passed source confirmation, license review and editorial safety review.
Image assessed as not suitable — commonly due to identification guidance, dosing content or product claims.
Community Signal explained
Community Signal uses structured, moderated reports to surface effect patterns. It is not a recommendation, proof of safety or a use guide.
How Community Signal reports work
- Reports use structured fields only — no free-text dosing, sourcing or preparation data is accepted.
- Raw reports are not published publicly by default. Moderation happens before any public aggregation.
- No star ratings, no product testimonials, no recommendations.
- Effect patterns are shown with a confidence level that reflects actual report count.
- In this MVP, reports are stored locally on the user's device only. No server writes occur.
- Supabase migration and public aggregation are planned for a later phase, after moderation systems are in place.
What Community Signal includes
- Reported effect patterns from structured fields
- Negative effect patterns from structured fields
- Intensity and context from structured fields
- Common warnings from optional text (filtered and moderated)
- Report count and confidence level
- Moderation before any public aggregation
What Community Signal does not include
- Open unmoderated forum submissions
- Star ratings or product ratings
- Narrative review content or raw trip reports
- Medical conclusions or recommendations
- Dosing, sourcing or preparation fields
- Product or vendor information of any kind
Risk Signal explained
Risk Signal is a general educational visualization based on profile risk levels and known interaction concerns. It is not a medical prediction.
Not a probability score
Risk Signal does not calculate the probability of any outcome. It is a visual educational indicator.
Not a medical prediction
Risk Signal is not produced by a medical algorithm. It does not predict individual responses or outcomes.
Severe = serious concern
A severe signal means serious concern based on the profiles involved — not a detailed combination analysis or clinical warning.
Unknown = limited data
An unknown signal means insufficient data exists to characterize the concern level for the combination shown.
No combination guidance
Risk Signal is never accompanied by guidance on how to combine substances or what amounts would change the signal.
Educational awareness only
Risk Signal is shown alongside Knowledge Cards and comparison content for educational awareness context only.
AI Context
AI Context is a guided explanation layer over curated SubsAtlas archive data. It is not a free substance advisor.
How AI Context works
- AI Context summaries are deterministic — they are generated from the curated SubsAtlas local archive, not from an external AI service.
- No external AI API calls are made. No prompts leave SubsAtlas servers. No user input is sent to third-party models.
- Summaries are rebuilt from structured substance, compare and safety topic data. The archive is the source of truth.
- AI Context is in preview. Current summaries cover substance profiles, risk context, evidence quality, legal context, comparisons and safety topics.
- Future AI integrations will remain constrained to curated archive data only. No sourcing, dosing, preparation or optimization guidance will ever be added.
AI Context may
- Explain curated SubsAtlas profile data in plain language
- Summarize known risks from the local archive
- Explain evidence quality and uncertainty
- Explain legal context as educational background
- Point to related Safety Topics
- Compare profiles using existing curated fields
- Explain what Community Signal means
- Acknowledge limitations and uncertainty
AI Context must not
- Provide dosing or dosage ranges
- Provide sourcing or purchasing guidance
- Provide preparation or extraction instructions
- Optimize effects or recommend combinations
- State that any substance is safe to use
- Provide medical or legal advice
- Invent certainty not supported by data
- Hallucinate sources or unsupported claims
Limitations
- AI Context is not a substitute for professional medical, legal or clinical advice.
- Summaries are based on curated archive data only — they may be incomplete or out of date.
- Evidence quality and risk context described in AI Context reflect the archive at the time of review.
- AI Context does not predict individual outcomes.
- SubsAtlas AI Context is not a drug information service.
Partner independence
Partner resources are always separate from editorial content. Risk ratings and evidence levels are never influenced by partners.
Required disclosure on all partner links:
“Partner link. We may earn a commission. Editorial content remains independent.”
Books and courses on risk and evidence literacy
Educational resources with no substance-use optimization focus are allowed.
Recovery and support resources
Recovery directories and harm reduction guides are permitted with editorial review.
Professional education resources
Resources aimed at researchers and practitioners are permitted.
Commercial product recommendations on high-risk profiles
High-risk education profiles do not include commercial product recommendations.
Sourcing, sales or acquisition links
Illegal sourcing or substance acquisition links of any kind are not permitted.
Influence on risk ratings or evidence levels
No partner may influence how risk levels, evidence levels or safety information are presented.
Legal context explained
Legal status for substances varies significantly by country, state and local regulation. SubsAtlas provides legal context as educational information only — not legal advice, sourcing guidance or buying guidance.
Legal context varies
Legal status for this substance differs by country, state or local jurisdiction. No universal legal status applies.
Restricted / controlled
Subject to legal controls, permits or restrictions in many regions. Status and enforcement differ by jurisdiction.
Prescription-only
Available only by prescription in most documented jurisdictions. Availability and conditions vary by region.
Prohibited in many regions
Subject to prohibition in a significant number of jurisdictions. Regional variation and exemptions may apply.
Legal context unclear
Available legal information is ambiguous, contested or insufficient to characterize regional status clearly.
Legal review needed
Legal context has not yet been checked or updated by the editorial team. Status shown should be treated as provisional.
What legal context includes
- General legal status characterisation for awareness
- Note that legal status varies by country, state and local regulation
- Indication of editorial review status for legal content
- Link to Trust Center for context on legal review process
What SubsAtlas does not provide
- Legal advice or jurisdiction-specific legal opinions
- Sourcing, purchasing or acquisition guidance of any kind
- Import, export or travel advice
- Guidance on navigating legal restrictions
- Definitive current legal status claims
- Real-time legal data or external legal APIs
What SubsAtlas does not do
SubsAtlas is an educational knowledge atlas. These are the firm limits of what it provides.
No personalized dosing or dosage ranges
No sourcing, purchasing or acquisition guidance
No preparation, extraction or synthesis instructions
No effect optimization guidance
No medical advice, diagnosis or treatment recommendations
No public wiki-style content editing
No unmoderated community claims published as evidence
No partner influence on risk ratings, evidence levels or safety information
No description of any combination as suitable or safe
No images that function as identification guides for controlled substances
Guides
Educational guides connecting profiles, comparisons and safety topics — including guides that explain evidence levels and legal context in depth.
Educational information only. Not medical advice. SubsAtlas does not provide dosing, sourcing, preparation or optimization guidance.