Sarah Brown
Psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms, shrooms, or simply mushrooms, is a hallucinogenic chemical found in certain mushrooms. Psilocybin is converted by the body into psilocin, which is the chemical with psychoactive properties. Psilocybin has been used for thousands of years in religious and spiritual rituals, and modern medical research is now exploring its potential therapeutic applications. While the drug is mostly illegal in the US, some cities have decriminalized its possession in small amounts. Recent studies have found that psilocybin may have the potential to treat various mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. To overcome the challenges associated with oral administration, such as nausea, companies like Tioga Research are developing transdermal patches for the sustained delivery of psilocybin. These patches aim to provide a safe and effective way to harness the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin while minimizing the risk of adverse effects.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Are mushrooms transdermal? | Yes, psilocybin transdermal patches are being developed by Tioga Research. |
| What are transdermal patches used for? | To deliver psilocybin, the active component of "magic mushrooms", to treat mental health disorders. |
| What are magic mushrooms? | Mushrooms that contain psilocybin, a hallucinogenic chemical. Also known as shrooms. |
| How are magic mushrooms consumed? | Eaten fresh, cooked, brewed into tea, dried and powdered, or in capsules. |
| What are the effects of magic mushrooms? | Euphoria, hallucinations, altered thinking, sensory distortion, mystical experiences, and changes in perception. |
| What are the risks of magic mushrooms? | Bad trips, disturbing hallucinations, anxiety, panic, flashbacks, poisoning from picking the wrong type of mushroom, unpredictable behavior. |
| Are magic mushrooms addictive? | Current research suggests psilocybin is not addictive, and there are no physical withdrawal symptoms. |
| What are the potential benefits of magic mushrooms? | Treatment for psychiatric and behavioral conditions, depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. |
| Are magic mushrooms legal? | Psilocybin mushrooms are Schedule I drugs in the US, making them illegal to possess or sell. However, some cities have decriminalized possession in small amounts. |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Magic mushrooms are mostly illegal in the US
Magic mushrooms, or psilocybin mushrooms, are naturally occurring psychedelic drugs that can cause hallucinations and alter a person's thinking, emotions, and sense of time. While they have been used for spiritual experiences and self-discovery, there are also risks associated with their use, including the potential for a "'bad trip" that can lead to anxiety, paranoia, frightening hallucinations, and psychosis.
In the United States, the legality of magic mushrooms varies across different states and jurisdictions. At the federal level, psilocybin is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, indicating that it has "no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse." As a result, the use, sale, and possession of psilocybin are generally illegal under federal law. However, there have been some recent changes and ongoing discussions regarding the decriminalization of magic mushrooms in certain states and cities.
As of 2025, a few states and cities in the US have taken steps towards decriminalizing or regulating the use of magic mushrooms. Oregon was the first state to decriminalize psilocybin and legalize its supervised use through a ballot measure passed in 2020. However, much of this measure was repealed in 2024, effectively recriminalizing it. Colorado followed suit in 2022, becoming the second state to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms, and in 2025, they issued the first sets of licenses for medical-assisted use. Other states, such as California, have had bills pass through the state legislature, but they have not become law.
At the city level, several municipalities have made moves to decriminalize or deprioritize enforcement of laws related to magic mushrooms. Cities like Denver, Oakland, Ann Arbor, Santa Cruz, and Seattle have all taken steps to reduce the priority of law enforcement efforts towards possession, cultivation, and personal use of psilocybin. Additionally, some cities in Massachusetts, such as Cambridge, Northampton, and Somerville, have also decriminalized possession. These local reforms indicate a growing trend towards recognizing the potential therapeutic benefits of magic mushrooms and redirecting law enforcement resources to other priorities.
While the trend towards decriminalization and regulated use of magic mushrooms is gaining momentum in some parts of the US, it is important to note that the majority of states still consider the possession, sale, and use of psilocybin mushrooms illegal. The ambiguity in the legal status of psilocybin mushrooms has led to selective enforcement in some areas, and the specific laws can vary depending on the state and local regulations. As research continues to explore the potential therapeutic applications of psilocybin, the legal landscape surrounding magic mushrooms in the US may continue to evolve.
Mushrooms: Building New Pathways in the Brain
You may want to see also
Shrooms can be eaten, brewed into tea, or cooked
While there is research into the potential use of transdermal patches for administering psilocybin, the current methods of consuming shrooms involve eating, brewing into tea, or cooking them.
Shrooms, or magic mushrooms, are fungi that contain psychoactive compounds called psilocybin and psilocin. These compounds are responsible for the mind-altering effects that users experience when consuming shrooms. The effects of magic mushrooms can vary depending on the individual, the dose, and the type of mushroom. It's important to note that the use of any drug, including magic mushrooms, carries risks and can affect everyone differently.
When eaten fresh, the effects of shrooms typically begin within 30 minutes to 45 minutes and can last for approximately four to six hours. However, when shrooms are cooked or brewed into a tea, the effects may appear sooner, within 5 to 10 minutes, due to the faster absorption of the compounds. Cooking or brewing shrooms can also help to mask their bitter taste, making them more palatable.
It is important to exercise caution when consuming shrooms, as they can cause both short-term and long-term mental and physical effects. In the short term, shrooms can induce hallucinations, heightened emotions and senses, nausea, anxiety, and excessive yawning. In some cases, individuals may experience a ""bad trip,"" which can include paranoia, loss of boundaries, distorted sense of self, and terrifying thoughts. The risk of a bad trip may be influenced by an individual's mood, personality, expectations, and previous encounters with psychedelic drugs.
Long-term effects of shrooms are less understood, but some people who regularly use them may experience flashbacks involving previous mushroom trips, which can be disturbing. Additionally, consuming large amounts of shrooms or particularly strong batches may lead to the development of a long-term mental health condition known as psychosis. It is also important to be aware of the potential risks of consuming poisonous mushrooms, as they can resemble magic mushrooms and cause serious health issues.
Mushrooms: A Surprising Source of Protein?
You may want to see also
Transdermal patches could be the next big thing in psychedelics
Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in some mushrooms, has the potential to treat certain medical conditions like depression. However, one of the challenges with psychedelics is managing the peak experience, where people may experience adverse effects. This has prompted the development of transdermal patches as a safer and more effective way to deliver therapeutic psychedelic drugs.
Hawaii-based psychedelic medicines startup Ei.Ventures has engaged Tioga Research to develop a transdermal patch for the sustained delivery of psilocin, the active component in "magic mushrooms." John M. Newsam, CEO of Tioga Research, stated that his company will address key psilocin formulation issues such as delivery and stability. A transdermal delivery route can also avoid issues with oral administration, such as nausea.
Tyler Strause, a project development specialist at Ei.Ventures, added that the transdermal patch may make psychedelics a more viable treatment option for many people while extending the duration of the threshold effects. The goal is to provide mental health professionals with a range of transdermal psychedelic products to help individuals overcome their mental health challenges.
Research into the potential health applications of psilocybin continues, with studies suggesting its effectiveness in treating psychiatric and behavioral conditions. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy has been found to be a quick-acting and effective treatment for major depressive disorder, and it has also shown substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer. As more evidence of the potential health benefits of psilocybin mushrooms becomes available, there is advocacy for removing longstanding legal restrictions on mushroom possession.
Enoki Mushrooms: Carb Content and Health Benefits
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Psilocybin is converted to psilocin in the body
Psilocybin, also known as 4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (4-PO-DMT), is a naturally occurring tryptamine alkaloid and investigational drug found in more than 200 species of mushrooms. Psilocybin is the key ingredient in magic mushrooms and is consumed for its hallucinogenic effects. When psilocybin is ingested, it is converted in the body to psilocin, which is the chemical with psychoactive properties.
Psilocybin is a prodrug of psilocin. In other words, psilocybin itself is biologically inactive but is quickly converted by the body into psilocin. Psilocybin is transformed into psilocin by dephosphorylation mediated via phosphatase enzymes. Psilocybin is dephosphorylated into its active form, psilocin, in the body and is, therefore, a prodrug. Psilocybin is metabolized in the intestines, liver, kidneys, blood, and other tissues and bodily fluids.
Psilocin is chemically related to the neurotransmitter serotonin and acts as a non-selective agonist of the serotonin receptors. Psilocybin and psilocin are the two main hallucinogenic compounds of magic mushrooms and act as agonists or partial agonists at 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)2A subtype receptors. Psilocybin's effects can be subjectively perceived at a dose as low as 3 mg per 70 kg body weight. Microdosing involves the use of subthreshold psilocybin doses of less than 2.5 mg.
Research into the potential health applications of psilocybin continues. A study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy was a quick-acting and effective treatment for a group of 24 participants with major depressive disorder. Separate research published in 2016 determined that psilocybin treatment produced substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer.
Psilocybin transdermal patches are being developed to address the issue of oral administration, which can cause nausea. Transdermal patches may make psychedelics a more viable treatment option for many people while enhancing the duration of the threshold effects.
Freezing Mushroom Risotto: A Smart Choice?
You may want to see also
Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years
Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in some mushrooms, has been used for thousands of years for ritual, religious, medicinal, and recreational reasons. It is the primary chemical agent behind the psychedelic effects of magic mushrooms. When psilocybin is ingested, it is broken down by the liver and converted into psilocin, which is responsible for the psychedelic effects.
The use of magic mushrooms in ancient civilisations is well-documented. Rock art from c. 9000–7000 BCE from Tassili, Algeria, is believed to depict psychedelic mushrooms and the transformation of the user under their influence. Prehistoric rock art near Villar del Humo in Spain suggests that Psilocybe hispanica was used in religious rituals 6,000 years ago. The hallucinogenic species of the Psilocybe genus have a history of use among the native peoples of Mesoamerica for religious communion, divination, and healing, from pre-Columbian times to the present day.
In addition to their psychedelic effects, mushrooms have also been used for their medicinal properties for thousands of years. The Greek physician Hippocrates, circa 450 BCE, classified the amadou mushroom (Fomes fomentarius) as a potent anti-inflammatory and for cauterizing wounds. The alchemist Tao Hongjing, from the 5th century, described several medicinal mushrooms, including ling zhi (Ganoderma lucidum) and zhu ling (Dendropolyporus umbellatus), some of which were reportedly used by Shennong many centuries before. Ötzi, the Ice Man, who lived nearly 5300 years ago, carried amadou and a birch polypore in a pouch to help him survive in the Alps of northern Italy. The First Peoples of North America used puffball mushrooms (Calvatia genus) as wound healers.
Modern science has only recently begun to rediscover the medicinal properties of mushrooms that ancient civilisations knew about for thousands of years. Mushrooms are nature's miniature pharmaceutical factories, rich in a vast array of novel constituents and active molecules that are worthy of medical investigations.
Mushrooms: Prokaryotes or Eukaryotes?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Magic mushrooms are mushrooms that contain psilocybin, a psychedelic compound. They are typically consumed dried, powdered, brewed into tea, or cooked.
Magic mushrooms have a wide range of effects, including hallucinations, euphoria, and sensory distortion. They can also cause adverse effects such as disturbing hallucinations, anxiety, and panic. The effects of magic mushrooms usually begin within 30 minutes when eaten, or within 5-10 minutes when taken as a soup or tea, and can last approximately 4-6 hours.
Magic mushrooms are generally not considered addictive, and there are no physical symptoms associated with stopping their use. However, they are illegal in many places and can cause mild to moderate adverse side effects that may require medical treatment. There is also a risk of poisoning from picking and consuming the wrong type of mushroom.
