Magic Mushrooms
Name It
Shrooms, mushies
Know It
- Several types of magic mushroom grow wild in the U.K. The main type is the Liberty cap mushroom (Psilocybe Semilanceata)
- There are also species that look similar to magic mushrooms but which are poisonous
- Magic mushrooms are eaten raw, dried, cooked in food or stewed in tea.
- While it isn’t illegal to possess raw magin mushrooms, it is an offence to possess any preparation of them (e.g. when they’re dried or stewed)
- Magic mushrooms, when prepared, are Class A drugs.
The effects
- Magic mushrooms have a similar effect to LSD, but the trip is often milder and shorter.
- Magic mushrooms can make users feel very relaxed and “spaced out”. The effects depend on the user’s mood, where they are and who they’re with.
- Magic mushrooms may cause hallucinations- objects, colour and sound become distorted.
- A trip tends to last about 4 hours.
The risks
- Magic mushrooms often cause stomach pains, sickness and diarrhoea.
- Eating the wrong kind of mushrooms can also cause serious illness and even fatal poisoning.
- If users feel sick they should go straight to hospital with a sample of the mushroom and explain what’s happened.
- Bad trips can happen and be very frightening. Once the trip has started, there’s no going back.
- Like any hallucinogen, magic mushrooms can complicate mental problems.