| Magic Mushrooms: Harm Reduction Advice |
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Drug Information - Magic Mushrooms Magic Mushrooms are hallucinogenic. They grow wild although larger species can be home-grown from spores sold online. For most people who take mushrooms, it is a one-off or occasional experience. They tend to be shared between friends. Very few people take large amounts regularly, partly because wild mushrooms have only a short season. Mushrooms are sometimes sold at festivals and clubs but it is not a big market compared to other drugs like ecstasy. This is because there is little organised production. Appearance and Effects The season for British mushrooms is autumn. They tend to grow on grazing land but can turn up in surprising places like suburban lawns when manure has been used as a fertiliser. The British magic mushroom is called the ‘liberty cap’ (Psilocybe semilanceata). They are 3-8 cms tall. They have a very thin light brown stem, the conical cap is pale brown on the outside and almost black on the inner and there is a distinctive ‘nipple’ on the top of the cap. It is very dangerous to eat wild mushrooms if you are not 100% sure they are the correct species; the description here is not a sufficient guide! A ‘dose’ of around 20 liberty caps is typical. This dose might be equivalent to just one or two mushrooms of some of the types that people cultivate, or 1-3 grams of dried mushroom material. Such doses would usually give you an experience of accentuated and modified sensations, loss of time perspective, and mild to medium hallucinations. Subjective experiences vary from the very negative to the very positive; some people report finding mushroom trips to be spiritually enhancing and meaningful. It is important to note that the strength of mushrooms is hugely variable, and as with all drugs, different people may respond very differently to the same dose. Taking mushrooms bit-by-bit, and waiting for the effects minimises the chance of an overwhelming and frightening trip. Magic mushrooms are unpleasant tasting and often nauseating, so many people put them into food or brew them into a sweetened tea to make them easier to consume. They do not begin to work immediately and it can vary quite a lot from 10 mins to over an hour before the full effects are felt. A moderate dose will be wearing off after about 4 hours - they are not as long-lasting as LSD (acid) which may last for 8-10 hours. The effects mean you will prefer to be in a ‘chilled’ environment with friends. An inappropriate setting improves the chances of a bad trip. You will not wish to be on mushrooms at work or whilst studying. You should not even consider driving which would be illegal and could cost you your licence. Chances are, you would not even want to. Harms Mushrooms are not addictive and it is virtually impossible to take an overdose of them. However, it is not rare for people to have unpleasant experiences such as experiencing paranoia. Particularly high doses (50-100 liberty caps) are much more likely to be overwhelming and regrettable. Any hallucinogenic drugs can be very unsettling to some people. Like any drug, mushrooms can worsen an existing mental health problem. Some say that after a few mushrooms, alcohol can be consumed without feeling much effect, which could be potentially hazardous to yourself and others. Suggestions that users of magic mushrooms suffer terrifying ‘flashbacks’ are largely mythological. Police and the Law It is illegal to possess any kind of magic mushroom whether raw and just picked or dried or prepared into a ‘tea’. Even though they are a lot less harmful then drugs like cocaine or heroin they are still Class A drugs. (A significant number of scientists and drug experts have said that these mushrooms should be downgraded to Class B or C drugs.) If you are caught with a bag of mushrooms, the police may consider prosecuting. If you go to court you may get a big fine and possibly community service. It is unlikely you will be sent to prison even though the law allows for a sentence of seven years for possession or a life sentence for dealing. The police may chose to give a caution instead and let you go. But this means you have admitted the offence – you will have a criminal record and your details will be on the Police National Computer Other Facts • The main active ingredient of magic mushrooms is psilocybin. • A few years ago there was quite a big market in imported mushrooms (from Holland) but it has been severely diminished by a change of law in 2005. • It is still legal to purchase fly agaric mushrooms (Amanita muscaria) because they contain different active chemicals from the liberty cap. Fly agaric is not likely to made illegal any time soon because very few people choose to take it, and even fewer take it twice! The effects have been described as disorientating and intoxicating. The chemicals in fly agaric also cause vomiting, sweating and shivering. |