kindly consult your healthcare provider if you think that using magic mushrooms is right for you.
However, shrooms are illegal in most places and carry risks that people should recognize.
Magic mushrooms are often prepared by drying and are eaten by being mixed into food or drinks.
Verywell Mind / Stocksy / Getty Images
Although, some people eat freshly picked psilocybe mushrooms.
Drug Class:Psilocybin is classified as a hallucinogen.
Dried mushrooms are a rusty brown color with isolated areas of off-white.
Shrooms can be eaten, mixed with food, or brewed like tea for drinking.
They can also be mixed with cannabis or tobacco and smoked.
Liquid psilocybin is also available, which is the naturally occurring psychedelic drug found in liberty caps.
The liquid is clear brown and comes in a small vial.
What Do Shrooms Do?
The effects of shrooms, however, are highly variable and believed to be influenced by environmental factors.
Shrooms have a long historyof being associated with spiritual experiences and self-discovery.
Others take magic mushrooms to experience a sense of euphoria, connection, and a distorted sense of time.
Medical Use
Can shrooms help with medical conditions?
As a Schedule 1 drug, psilocybin cannot be prescribed for medicinal use.
If its classification is changed, psilocybin mushrooms could then potentially be available by prescription.
Microdosing
Shrooms are also sometimes utilized in a practice known asmicrodosing.
Microdosing involves taking very small amounts of a drug to test its benefits while minimizing unwanted side effects.
Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy
Some psychedelic agents are currently being investigated for their benefits when used in combination withpsychotherapy.
This therapy may work, in part, through its effects on certain personality traits.
Additional research is ongoing.
In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted breakthrough-therapy status to psilocybin-assisted therapy.
Are Psilocybe Mushrooms Legal?
In 2019, Denver became the first city to decriminalize mushrooms.
Oakland became the second city less than a month later.
Other U.S. cities have followed suit, including Santa Cruz in California and Ann Arbor in Michigan.
However, in 2020, Oregon became the first state to establish a legal framework for receiving psilocybin therapeutically.
In some cases, magic mushrooms have even been known to cause seizures.
Mushroom poisoning can cause severe illness, organ damage, and even death.
It’s also common for magic mushroom products to be contaminated.
One older study of 886 samples alleged to be psilocybin mushrooms were analyzed by Pharm Chem Street Drug Laboratory.
Long-Term Effects of Shrooms
More research is needed on magic mushrooms' long-term, lasting side effects.
But it has been reported that people can experience long-term changes in personality and flashbacks long after taking mushrooms.
Dont wait for symptoms to occur.
They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
These are also known as “flashbacks” and can be mistaken for neurologic conditions.
Like many other drugs, shrooms can be found in hair follicles for up to 90 days.
Addiction
Psilocybin isnot generally considered addictivenor does it tend to lead to compulsive use.
At this time, its also important to emphasize that you are there to help and support them.
If you have been misusing shrooms, treatments are available that can help.
Talk to your doctor or mental health professional about the best strategies for you.
Psychotherapy is often recommended and may includecognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)andmotivational enhancement therapy (MET).
Support groups and lifestyle changes can also be essential in long-term recovery.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
Frequently Asked Questions
No.
Some people have reported much more intense and frightening hallucinations on magic mushrooms than on LSD.
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