Psylocybin is an organic chemical compound that is still controversial. But is it, surely rightfully so? After all, it has not been said since today that what is natural cannot be harmful. Our great-grandmothers often used natural medicine precisely, and nowadays more and more people adhere to the principle that it is the best and also the most effective. And this organic compound is found in hundreds of psilocybin species. So it's time to learn more about this very magical substance.
Psylocybin - the facts
Psylocybin is an organic compound that acts in the prefrontal cortex and activates serotonin receptors. So it affects the part of the brain that is responsible for perception, cognitive function, but also mood. It is worth knowing that when psilocybin begins to be absorbed in the intestine, the body converts it into a psilocin. Thus, the first effects in the form of changes in sensory perception or perception of the world usually appear 30 minutes after use and last from 4 to 6 hours. Interestingly, there are some people in whom these changes last even a few days. The effects of psilocybin use are similar to those induced by LSD. They depend on the individual, but also on the amount of the compound contained in the product. Among the most common are those described as spiritual experiences, euphoria, calmness, joy, but also derealization, i.e. the feeling that the surroundings are not real, or depersonalization, i.e. a dreamy sense of detachment from the environment. On top of this, there can be dizziness, concentration problems, drowsiness, unusual bodily sensations, and in some cases vomiting, yawning or paranoia. In rare cases, there may be a feeling known as psychological distress, which is an adverse reaction. It can be experienced as extreme anxiety, but can also take the form of short-term psychosis.
Psilocin, and psilocybin
Psilocin is an organic chemical compound and a derivative of tryptamine. In the environment, it is often found together with psilocybin and baeocystin. It is a product of the metabolism of psilocybin, and it is highly likely that it is responsible for all of the effects caused by the ingestion of psilocybin mushrooms. Thus, psilocybin, under the influence of the acidic environment in the stomach, undergoes a natural process of defosphorylation precisely to psilocybin. The history of this compound is not very distant at all, because along with psilocybin it was isolated from psilocybin mushrooms in 1959 by Albert Hofmann and Hans Tscherter. It is still worth knowing that it is soluble in both water and alcohol.
Psylocybin, and depression
The number of people suffering from severe forms of depression or other depressive disorders is growing every year. Despite a wide range of medications, the effects of treatment are not always what doctors would expect. Unfortunately, even a combination of pharmacotherapy and therapy is not effective. When medicine fails, people start looking for other solutions. Not so long ago, in 2018, a certain Aurelii Brouwers from the Netherlands euthanized herself at the age of 29, although she was not struggling with a terminal illness, but with a mental disorder. So, it probably doesn't take anyone to convince how severe and insidious such diseases are. That's why doctors are working on new drugs and, interestingly enough, just psilocybin shows great effectiveness in the treatment of even depression, although of course the research is still ongoing, nevertheless the current results are cause for optimism. A 2021 study under controlled conditions led by Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris and funded by the Alexander Mosley Charitable Trust and the Imperial College London Center for Psychedelic Research shows that psilocybin is more effective in treating depression than Escitalopram, which is an organic chemical compound considered the most selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. More and more psychiatrists are giving theses that psilocybin treatment will be a veritable revolution, and on a large scale. Comparisons to Prozac can often be heard. The effectiveness is also confirmed by last year's results of a study conducted by Dr. Hopkins and published in JAMA Psychiatry. They showed that psilocybin therapy was four times more effective than traditional antidepressants. Interestingly, more than 66% participants showed a 50 percent reduction in depressive symptoms and this after just one week of use, while after one month, more than half went into remission. There is a good chance that psilocybin will be recognized as a drug as early as 2024 and in the US, but it is to be combined with psychotherapy and taken under certain conditions.
Kristen Bell and magic mushrooms - about the actress' struggle with the disease
Many people struggle with depression, and like any other illness it can take different courses. One person struggling with the disease is actress Kristen Bell, who revealed that treatment was not working in her case. Looking for different solutions, she tried the so-called magic mushrooms, which have a high content of psilocybin, and interestingly enough, she already felt significantly better after eating them once. Of course, there is still some controversy surrounding psilocybin, although more and more doctors are noticing its effectiveness, as confirmed by patients participating in clinical trials.
About history a few words or sentences
Mushrooms containing psilocybin were known as early as 6,000 years ago and used in religious rituals, after all, it was believed that eating them allowed one to connect with a higher power and understand the incomprehensible.
Stones with motifs depicting mushrooms have also been found in Guatemala, and these finds date to 200 AD. The Aztecs also used them in their religious practices. With the conquest of the empire by Spain, Aztec traditions began to be considered idolatrous and mushroom consumption was banned. In contrast, the first mention of magic mushrooms in European medical literature can be found in the London Medical and Physical Journal in 1799. Years passed, and people continued to take the substance in the form of mushrooms, and so Valentina Pavlovna Wasson and R. Gordon Wasson actively participated in the local mushroom ceremony. Timothy Leary, inspired by the experiences of Mr. and Mrs. Wasson, traveled to Mexico to experience psilocybin mushrooms himself. After returning to Harvard in 1960, he and Richard Alpert began researching psilocybin, and although they were able to prove the substance's positive effects on the nervous system, their work was interrupted and they themselves were fired. In the 1970s, psilocybin became a fashionable substance that was considered safe, and by taking it, one could experience a unique spiritual experience.
It's still worth referring to the 2018 survey conducted by SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the results of which were surprising, as it turned out that the number of children aged 12 and older who said they had used or tried mushrooms is growing every year. In 2018, that number was 5.6 million, almost half a million higher than in previous years.
Psylocybin where to buy?
Psilocybin is listed in Schedule I, so under the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances it is treated as a drug, or as a drug with a high potential for abuse or one that does not yet have proven efficacy. However, it is worth noting that psilocybin has had medical applications over the years, and interestingly the risk of side effects or abuse is low in this case. At the same time, psilocybin is not subject to control under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. This means that the law in different countries may be different. In the US, UK or Canada, the use of the substance is illegal despite strong opposition from the public, but also from doctors, who stress that it has good therapeutic potential. It has shown effectiveness in treating depression, PTSD, anxiety or even cluster headaches, and the medical risks are low. That's why more and more people believe that taking it in its natural form, meaning mushrooms, should be legal. It is worth noting that the possession, but also the use or cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms is severely punished throughout the United States, except in New Mexico, where a court ruled that their cultivation does not qualify as the manufacture of a controlled substance. The state of Oregon, on the other hand, legalized "magic mushrooms" for the treatment of certain mental illnesses on February 1, 2021, but this must be done under supervision.
In Austria, possession and cultivation is legal, while sale and transportation is illegal. In Belgium and Belize, the sale, purchase and possession is illegal, as is cultivation, with no penalty. In contrast, mushrooms containing the substance are completely legal in Brazil, Jamaica, Nepal, the Netherlands, and Samoa. Most countries do not prosecute cultivation for personal use. Here one can mention: Spain, Slovakia, and South Africa.
It is also worth finding out what the situation is in Poland. Well, psilocybin is considered illegal, while the species of mushrooms that contain it are no longer. So you can easily buy mushroom spore kits and mycelium or liquid spore kits... of course, you can't use them for cultivation - you can only collect them and look at them, for example, under a microscope.
In Iceland you can meet a lot of lanceolate coots and is popular with younger and older Icelanders - but is banned as in Poland. Collection and possession is illegal.
Harmless, yet banned
Well, it is still worth referring to a study conducted by David Nutt a British psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist and professor at Imperial College London. It concerned the harmfulness of a selection of 20 psychoactive substances, and these included alcohol, tobacco and 18 representative drugs. Mushrooms containing psilocybin were found to be the least harmful.
The lethal dose for humans is believed to be 6g (of pure psilocybin, not mushrooms), and interestingly such an amount represents a thousand times the typical dose taken for non-medical purposes. In theory, fatal poisoning is possible, but it is rather rare and there are few confirmed cases.
Psylocybin in tablets, dried mushrooms, powder?
Psilocybin mushrooms - are sold on the black market usually as dried - sometimes dried in powder form. They can be made into a tea or infusion. Dried mushrooms are increasingly being prepared in the form of capsules, this makes their consumption more convenient. There are also people who add mushrooms to chocolate and thus can get rid of the unpleasant bitter taste. Another way is to grow your own.
All of this is, of course, illegal in Poland and we provide this information only as a curiosity. We do not encourage the consumption of any psychoactive substances - including nicotine and alcohol, of course.
Thus, one can risk the thesis that psilocybin will soon be considered a drug, especially since the effects it brings in the treatment of depression or anxiety are very large. At the same time, its use is not burdened with large side effects, because, although they occur, they are minor. The most common are slight dizziness, but also muscle and facial cramps or diarrhea. Occasionally there is an accelerated heartbeat.