When a human eats a psilocybe mushroom, the psilocybin compound is rapidly converted into psilocin that then floods the brain, Glo Extracts interacting with serotonin receptors which mediate moods, emotions and other neurological processes. The owner of a fungi lab in downtown Portland, he’s also a forager, specimen collector and even one-time tour guide for National Geographic demonstrating the abundance of psychedelic mushrooms in neighborhood mulch. Determination of the frequency of hallucinogenic mushroom toxicity is limited by the lack of a national reporting system or registry for mushroom poisoning and by the likelihood that many affected individuals may never seek medical attention. However, estimates based on small studies or surveillance systems using self-reporting are available.
One small-scale study involving subjects with treatment-resistant depression found that, after engaging in psilocybin therapy, their neuroticism scores decreased while their scores in extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness increased. Clinical trials protect patients by providing a framework so that a potential treatment is administered in accordance with national and international ethical, medical and scientific standards. They also must be approved by a research ethics board, which provides additional oversight to ensure that patients’ health and safety are protected. There is little evidence that people can become physically or psychologically dependent on magic mushrooms.
“What was surprising was the extreme homozygosity of some cultivars of magic mushroom,” says lead author and mycologist Alistair McTaggart of the University of Queensland in Australia. The naturalized population in Australia showed far more diversity, including unique gene variants that control production of the mushroom’s active ingredient, psilocybin. Commercial cultivars showed a dramatic lack of genetic diversity, the researchers report, likely owing to the effects of domestication. The research has the potential to change the way psychiatrists treat complex cases of OCD and other mental illnesses.
Psilocybin is considered one of the most well-known psychedelics, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Psilocybin is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning that it has a high potential for misuse and has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. The production, sale and possession of magic mushrooms are illegal in Canada. Drugs that affect a person’s mental state (psychoactive drugs) can also have different effects depending on a person’s mood (often called the ‘set’) or the environment they are in (the ‘setting’). Some people who regularly use magic mushrooms may experience flashbacks involving a previous magic mushroom experience.
Current research suggests psilocybin is not addictive, and no physical symptoms occur after stopping use. Most accidental mushroom ingestion results in minor gastrointestinal illness, with only the most severe instances requiring medical attention. However, more research is necessary for experts to understand exactly how this mechanism works and if there is a way to achieve it without hallucinogenic side effects. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 7.4 million Americans ages 12 and older used hallucinogens, including psilocybin, in 2021.
According to the Texas Penal Code, which is the book of criminal laws in Texas, it is illegal to possess, distribute, carry, use, or grow magic mushrooms. The Texas Controlled Substance Act classifies mushrooms as a controlled substance in the “Penalty Group 2-A” category, similar to other serious drugs such as MDMA, ecstasy, and most illegal amphetamines. With a potential multibillion-dollar global market, there’s also a huge financial incentive. Wake is just one of a growing number of for-profit startups backed by private investment money staking a claim in this psychedelic treatment space. They and others hope to open treatment centers or sell the drugs in the U.S. and Canada eventually. Magic mushrooms are illegal to produce, sell, or possess in Canada.