Psilocybin mushroom
Psilocybin mushrooms, or psilocybin-containing mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms or as shrooms, are a type of hallucinogenic mushroom and a polyphyletic informal group of fungi that contain the prodrug psilocybin, which turns into the psychedelic psilocin upon ingestion. The most potent species are members of genus Psilocybe, such as P. azurescens, P. semilanceata, and P. cyanescens, but psilocybin has also been isolated from approximately a dozen other genera, including Panaeolus, Inocybe, Pluteus, Gymnopilus, and Pholiotina.
Amongst other cultural applications, psilocybin mushrooms are used as recreational drugs. Psilocybin mushrooms were used ritualistically in pre-Columbian Mexico, but evidence of more widespread ancient use is limited.
Natural occurrence
In a 2000 review on the worldwide distribution of psilocybin mushrooms, Gastón Guzmán and colleagues considered these distributed among the following genera: Psilocybe, Gymnopilus, Panaeolus, Copelandia, Pluteus ''Inocybe, Pholiotina and Galerina. Guzmán increased his estimate of the number of psilocybin-containing Psilocybe to 144 species in a 2005 review.Many of them are found in Mexico, with the remainder distributed throughout Canada and the US, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia and associated islands. Generally, psilocybin-containing species are dark-spored, gilled mushrooms that grow in meadows and woods in the subtropics and tropics, usually in soils rich in humus and plant debris. Psilocybin mushrooms occur on all continents, but the majority of species are found in subtropical humid forests. P. cubensis is the most common Psilocybe in tropical areas. P. semilanceata, considered the world's most widely distributed psilocybin mushroom, is found in temperate parts of Europe, North America, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand, although it is absent from Mexico. In 2023, two new Psilocybe species, P. ingeli and P. maluti, were described from southern Africa.
Psilocybe cubensis grows naturally in tropical and subtropical conditions, often near cattle due to the ideal conditions they provide for the growth of the fungus. The cow usually consumes grains or grass covered with the spores of P. cubensis'', and the fungus will begin to germinate within the dung.
Composition
Magic mushroom composition varies from genus to genus and species to species. Its principal component is psilocybin, which is converted into psilocin to produce psychoactive effects. Besides psilocin, norpsilocin, baeocystin, norbaeocystin, and aeruginascin may also be present, which might result in an entourage effect and modify the effects of magic mushrooms. Animal studies suggest that the effects of pure psilocybin or psilocin and psilocybin mushrooms may be different and support the possibility of such an entourage effect with psilocybin mushrooms. Panaeolus subbalteatus, one species of magic mushroom, had the highest amount of psilocybin compared to the rest of the fruiting body.Certain mushrooms are found to produce β-carbolines, such as harmine, harmane, tetrahydroharmine, and harmaline, which inhibit monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that breaks down tryptamine alkaloids, and have other actions. They occur in different genera, such as Psilocybe, Cyclocybe, and Hygrophorus. Harmine, harmane, norharmane, and a range of other β-carbolines were discovered in Psilocybe species. β-Carbolines in psilocybin mushrooms may inhibit the metabolism of psilocybin and other constituents and thereby potentiate their effects.
Uses
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms may be used in whole form, for example consumption of dried or fresh mushrooms, or may be turned into extracts or food products such as mushroom edibles or mushroom tea. Psilocybin-containing mushrooms and products, as well as products containing related compounds like 4-AcO-DMT, may be purchased at smart shops like psychedelic mushroom stores in some jurisdictions. Another related psilocybin-containing fungus is magic truffles, which are not technically mushrooms themselves but are the sclerotia or mycelium of psilocybin-containing mushrooms.Dosing
The dose of psilocybin-containing mushrooms depends on the psilocybin and psilocin content, which can vary significantly between and within the same species. Psilocybin content is typically around 0.5% to 1% of the dried weight of the mushroom, with a range of 0.03% to 1.78%. Psilocin is also often present in the mushrooms, with a range of 0% to 0.59%, and can be on par with or an order of magnitude lower than psilocybin levels. Psilocybe cubensis, the most popular species, has been reported to contain 0.63% psilocybin and 0.6% psilocin, or about 1.2% of psilocybin and psilocin combined. However, there is significant variation in different P. cubensis strains. The 'Penis Envy' strain of P. cubensis is considered to be more potent than other strains. Psilocybin levels appear to be highest in P. cyanescens and/or P. azurescens.Recreational doses of psilocybin mushrooms are typically between 1.0 and 3.5–5.0g of dry mushrooms and 10 to 50g of fresh mushrooms. This corresponds to a dose of psilocybin of about 10 to 50mg. Usual doses of the common species P. cubensis range around 1.0 to 2.5g, while about 2.5 to 5.0g dried mushroom material is considered a strong dose and above 5.0g is considered a heavy dose. A 5.0g dose of dried mushroom is often referred to as a "heroic dose". In terms of psilocybin dosing, subthreshold or microdoses are <2.5mg, low doses are 5 to 10mg, the intermediate or "good effect" dose is 20mg, and high or ego-dissolution doses are 30 to 40mg. A 20mg dose of psilocybin is equivalent to about 100μg LSD or about 500mg mescaline. With regard to psilocybin and psilocin equivalence, psilocin is about 1.4-fold more potent than psilocybin, which is the same difference as the molecular weights of the two compounds.
Microdosing has become a popular technique for many users, which involves taking <1.0g of dried mushrooms for an experience that is not as intense or powerful, but recreationally enjoyable, or fully non-hallucinogenic, and potentially alleviating for symptoms of depression. A microdose of psilocybin mushrooms is about 10% of a recreational dose, and may be 0.1 to 0.3g of dry mushrooms, taken up to three times per week.
"Lemon tek" or "lemon tekking" is a method sometimes used by recreational psilocybin users. It involves soaking psilocybin-containing mushrooms in citric acid-containing lemon juice to supposedly convert their psilocybin content into psilocin prior to administration. This is claimed to hasten their onset, cause a sharper and more intense peak, and shorten their duration.
Effects
The effects of psilocybin mushrooms come from psilocybin and psilocin. When psilocybin is ingested, it is broken down by the liver in a process called dephosphorylation. The resulting compound is called psilocin, responsible for the psychedelic effects. Psilocybin and psilocin create short-term increases in tolerance of users, thus making it difficult to misuse them because the more often they are taken within a short period, the weaker the resultant effects are. Psilocybin mushrooms have not been known to cause physical or psychological dependence. The psychedelic effects appear around 20 minutes after ingestion and can last up to 6 hours. Physical effects may occur, including nausea, vomiting, euphoria, muscle weakness or relaxation, drowsiness, and lack of coordination.As with many psychedelic substances, the effects of psychedelic mushrooms are subjective and can vary considerably among individual users. The mind-altering effects of psilocybin-containing mushrooms typically last from three to eight hours, depending on dose, preparation method, and personal metabolism. The first 3–4 hours after ingestion are typically referred to as the 'peak'—in which the user experiences more vivid visuals and distortions in reality. The effects can seem to last much longer for the user because of psilocybin's ability to alter time perception.