| Magic Mushrooms: scientific background |
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Drug information - Magic mushrooms What are magic mushrooms? Magic mushrooms typically refer to ‘psilocybe’ mushrooms, a genus that grows wild around the world, including in the UK. By far the most prevalent species of psilocybe mushrooms in the UK are Psilocybe semilanceata, better known as ‘liberty caps’. They contain psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-dimethyltryptamine). This is a relatively stable molecular precursor of the more unstable ‘psilocin’ (4-hyrdroxy-dimethyltryptamine), meaning that your body makes psilocybin into the psilocin when you eat the mushrooms. Psilocin is a drug with hallucinogenic properties. Psilocybe mushrooms have a history of use in spiritual and religious contexts. After psilocybin was identified and isolated from its natural source in the 1950s, it was used in psychiatry to assist the treatment of a wide range of conditions including alcohol dependence, anxiety and depression. Public and political concern led to the withdrawal of production and the introduction of significant restrictions on research. Human research into psilocybin/psilocin recommenced about 15 years ago and there have been some important studies in recent years. How does psilocin work in the brain? It is not properly understood how psilocin works in the brain, but it binds to and stimulates serotonin receptors. Serotonin (also known as 5-hydroxy-tryptamine, 5HT) is a major neurotransmitter in the brain that is involved in many functions including regulation of sleep and mood. Psilocin acts on the 1A, 2A and 2C serotonin receptors and its action at the 2A receptor accounts for its hallucinogenic effects. Stimulation of the 2A receptor increases the excitation of pyramidal cells in the cortex. Normally, information from the cortex is fed back to a region of the brain called the thalamus. The thalamus is a hub-like structure in the centre of the brain that receives information from the sensory organs and from the cortex. Stimulation of 2A receptors in the cortex may alter communications between the cortex and the thalamus and this may account for the hallucinatory effects of psilocin. Why do people take magic mushrooms? As with most drugs, people take magic mushrooms because they like their effects;- however, the effects of psilocin are not always pleasant. For some people the experience can be frightening and overwhelming. The psilocin experience is often described as ‘interesting’, ‘meaningful’ and ‘insightful’ rather than simply pleasurable. Consistent with the ceremonial use of magic mushrooms in ancient cultures, modern research is showing that psilocin can produce mystical-type experiences. What are the potential harms of psilocin? Relative to other recreational drugs such as alcohol, tobacco and heroin, psilocin does not appear to be especially harmful to health, although some find the experience regrettable. Psilocin acts in the brain in a similar way to the hallucinogenic drug LSD but for a shorter time, and has a similar harm profile to LSD. In a systematic assessment of the harms of 20 different recreational drugs, a range of drugs experts rated LSD less harmful than alcohol, tobacco and cannabis (magic mushrooms were not rated). A replication of this study, using the same rating criteria but with recreational drug users performing the ratings found highly consistent results. Importantly, while these studies refer to relative harms, they do not imply that psilocin is harmless. Contrary to some sensationalist reports, serious accidents under intoxication are extremely rare but high dose psilocybin can induce states of confusion and anxiety. Negative experiences induced by hallucinogenic drugs are often referred to as ‘bad trips’. The risk of someone having a bad trip is increased if the drug is taken without preparation or if it is taken in a less-than-ideal setting, like a busy, loud party full of strangers. There is also a risk of making mental illness worse or even triggering it if the person taking the drug has a pre-existing vulnerability to this. However, the risk of long-term psychological disturbance is very low. Another potential harm associated with psilocin is the occurrence of subtle perceptual changes (e.g. faint visual ‘trails’ streaking from objects as the eye moves) lasting beyond the acute effects of the drug. This condition is referred to in diagnostic terms as ‘hallucinogen persisting perceptual disorder’ (HPPD). The occurrence of subtle but enduring perceptual changes may actually be quite high but very few who report this say that it seriously troubles them. Related to HPPD are ‘flashback’ phenomena. Flashbacks are spontaneous re-occurrences of hallucinogenic-like effects, positive or negative, without the involvement of a drug, usually in the days following a dose. The prevalence of flashbacks appears to be lower than that of long-term perceptual changes. What is the current legal status of psilocin, psilocybin and magic mushrooms? Psilocybin and psilocin were made Schedule 1 drugs in 1971 by the UN which means that possession or selling of the chemicals is illegal. However, until 2005, possession of fresh psilocybe mushrooms themeselves was legal in the UK. In July 2005, the British government made possession of psilocybe mushrooms Class A under section 21 of the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971). Possession of Class A drugs is punishable by up to seven years imprisonment and dealing or importation can result in life imprisonment. |