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33. Hallucinogenic Psilocybin Mushrooms
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Summary
For thousands of years indigenous Americans have used hallucinogenic mushrooms in religious ceremonies as entheogens. These mushrooms are now known to contain psilocybin, a small molecule with profound mind-altering properties. While many cultures have understood the therapeutic potential of psilocybin for thousands of years, most modern countries are only now accepting psilocybin’s potential as medicine.
Morbidity and Mortality
The profound mind-altering effects of psilocybin should not be under-estimated and have led to many fatal accidents. However, psilocybin is very safe from a purely toxicological standpoint. The LD50 (dose at which half of people die) is estimated to be 6g or 1000 times the normal recreational dose. Most all reported psilocybin fatalities have involved significant co-ingestions.
Story
The Aztecs called hallucinogenic mushrooms “tonanacatl” meaning “God’s Flesh”. In 1519 when Spain conquered the Aztec Empire, they banned cultural practices like the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Years later, in 1970 the United Nations required all member nations to ban psilocybin. However, this attitude is finally changing. Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin in 2020. However, it remains federally illegal.
Key Points
1. Psilocybin is a small molecule found in the fruiting bodies (mushrooms) of hundreds of species of fungi around the world
2. It is very similar to the neurotransmitter serotonin and is an agonist at various serotonin receptors, most importantly 5HT2A.
3. Though it is currently DEA schedule 1, psilocybin has numerous potential health benefits, most notably in the treatment of multiple psychiatric disorders like depression and substance abuse.
4. Those who have ever used psilocybin are probably less likely to commit violent crimes and often report enduring beneficial effects. Feeling of interconnectedness with other people, nature, and the universe are regularly reported by users.
5. Some things I forgot to say in the podcast:
- Make sure you get psilocybin from a trustworthy source. Fake and adulterated products are very common.
- Calling a friend or loved one can be a great way to get through a "bad trip"
- Everyone has a different metabolism. Some will get profound effects from a small dose while other may need larger doses.
- Micro-dosing (taking about 1/10 a normal dose) is often done on an almost daily basis to help with depression, anxiety, and to improve creativity. Think about it like a daily antidepressant. This is a sub-hallucinogenic dose.
References
- Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2017). Potential Therapeutic Effects of Psilocybin. Neurotherapeutics:14(3), 734–740.
- Hendricks PS, Crawford MS, Cropsey KL, Copes H, Sweat NW, Walsh Z, Pavela G. The relationships of classic psychedelic use with criminal behavior in the United States adult population. J Psychopharmacol. 2018;32(1):37-48.
- Neavyn MJ and Carey JL. Hallucinogens. GoldFrank’s Toxicology. 2019.
- Wikipedia. Psilocybin, Psilocin, Serotonin, Psilocybin Decriminalization in the United States.
- https://www.dea.gov/drug-scheduling
- Mandrake K. The Psilocybin Mushroom Bible: The Definitive Guide and Growing and Using Magic Mushrooms. 2016.
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