Magic mushrooms, or “shrooms,” are commonly used as psychedelics or, in simple words, are hallucinogenic drugs. People usually consume them by either eating them raw, adding them to food, or by soaking them in lemon juice (lemon tek). However, lately many people have started smoking them. But one may wonder, Can you smoke magic mushrooms or not? Well, smoking them is neither safe nor effective. In fact, it can lead to serious health risks. So, let’s take a closer look at the effects and dangers of smoking magic mushrooms.
What Are Magic Mushrooms?
Let’s begin with the basics and see what these mushrooms are. Now these are fungi, just like the normal edible mushrooms but they contain psilocybin and psilocin compounds. These create mind-altering effects. When you eat these mushrooms, the psilocybin is converted into psilocin, which interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain. As a result, people feel effects like euphoria, hallucinations, and altered time perception.
The most common types of magic mushrooms include:
- Psilocybe cubensis
- Psilocybe semilanceata
- Psilocybe cyanescens
Why Do People Use Magic Mushrooms?
People choose smoking mushrooms for several reasons. A few of them can be:
- Recreation: First, many individuals experience altered perceptions and unique experiences after smoking these mushrooms.
- Spiritual Practices: Moreover, in some cultures, they are also used in rituals as they believe it can help in gaining spiritual insights.
- Potential Health Benefits: Additionally, they are also used in some medicines to treat mental health conditions like depression and PTSD.
What Happens When You Smoke Magic Mushrooms?
Well, technically, yes, you can but it’s not as effective as eating them in any form. This is because both psilocybin and psilocin are heat-sensitive compounds. When you smoke these mushrooms , the heat destroys the psilocybin and psilocin. This drastically reduces their effects and consequently, you won’t experience the usual psychedelic effects. Moreover, smoking magic mushrooms has many ill effects on your health. Let’s check them out.
Health Risks of Smoking Magic Mushrooms
Normally, those who smoke mushrooms do so by crushing them into a pipe or rolling them into a joint with cannabis or marijuana. However, it is not at all recommended!. This is because the smoke produced by these mushrooms can be very dangerous for health. Check out what it can do to your health:
- Not So Intense Psychedelic Effects: First, when you smoke mushrooms, it kind of messes with the psilocybin and psilocin present in them. Therefore, you might not feel those typical trippy effects that you want.
- Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Changes: Next, smoking shrooms can increase your heartbeat and the blood and can even damage your blood vessels. This is obviously not good for your heart and moreover, you must be extra conscious if you already have any such issues.
- Gastrointestinal Problems: Furthermore, if you smoke these mushrooms, you might end up feeling nauseous, puking, stomach ramps, or even diarrohea. Evidently, it is worse than if you just ate them.
- Neurological Issues: Additionally, smoking these mushrooms might make you feel dizzy, weak, or off balance, so thinking straight or moving around could be a challenge.
- Lung Health Risks: Most importantly, when you smoke them, it throws the mold spores into your lungs. This will eventually create breathing problems and even infect your lungs severely.
- Mental Health Woes: In addition, you might feel more anxious, paranoid, confused, or may even panic. This can be extremely dangerous if you already have some mental health conditions going on.
- Allergic Reactions: Now magic mushrooms are fungi, so anyone allergic to mushrooms will naturally have allergic reactions if they consume them
- Hot and Sweaty: Finally, you might find yourself feeling really warm and sweating more than usual. This increased body temperature can dehydrate you.
How to Recognize the Signs of Mushroom Overdose?
If someone has taken too many mushrooms, there can be a bunch of noticeable and concerning effects that might need quick help. The physical signs will appear within 20-50 minutes and can last for 6 hours. You might see things like really big dilated pupils and very odd behavior. On top of that, people could also feel:
- Nauseousa
- Throwing up
- Super anxious
- Panic or feeling paranoid
- Weak muscles
- Bad coordination
- Crazy flashbacks
- Going through a “bad trip”
If you catch these signs early, it can make a big difference in getting the right help and support.
Health and Legal Advisory on Smoking Magic Mushrooms?
It is always good to be aware of any legalities before consuming any hallucinogenic drug. So check out what the law and health department say about these mushrooms.
Legal Status of Magic Mushrooms
In the U.S., psilocybin is labeled as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Basically, this means it’s seen as having no medical benefits and is considered to be pretty risky in terms of abuse. However, there are a few exceptions. Following states have changed their stance on psilocybin:
- Oregon: Back in 2020, Oregon made the move to legalize psilocybin for use in therapy under supervision and also decriminalized having it.
- Colorado: Next in 2022, Colorado got on board and passed a law that lets adults access psilocybin in a regulated way.
- Municipalities: Moreover, places like Denver, Oakland, Santa Cruz, and even Washington D.C., have decriminalized psilocybin, which means they’re not really cracking down on it anymore.
Note: Just to make things clear, decriminalization is not the same as legalization. Even if the penalties are lighter or gone, it’s still technically illegal on a federal level.
Health Advisories
Experts advise against smoking magic mushrooms. Here’s what they say:
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): NIDA confirms that psilocybin can bring on side effects like a racing heart, feeling sick, vomiting, hallucination, anxiety, etc.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The CDC reminds us that smoking anything can pump harmful toxins into your lungs, increasing the chance of breathing problems and long-term diseases, even if they’re not specifically calling out magic mushrooms.
Although you must not smoke mushrooms, if you have to, then it’s much safer to munch on them or brew them in tea. This will help to keep things low-risk.
Conclusion
Although the answer to can you smoke magic mushrooms, is yes but it’s neither safe nor effective. Heat destroys their active compounds, and smoking can harm your lungs and overall health. If you’re thinking about using magic mushrooms, it’s crucial to understand the risks and legal implications. Therefore, always prioritize your safety.
FAQ
- What should I do if I have a bad experience while using magic mushrooms?
If you experience a bad trip, try to remain calm, find a safe environment, and have a sober person nearby for support. Breathing exercises can also help
- Can smoking magic mushrooms interact with other substances?
Yes, combining magic mushrooms with other drugs or alcohol can amplify negative effects and increase the risk of dangerous experiences.
- Can smoking magic mushrooms lead to addiction?
These mushrooms are not considered physically addictive, but psychological dependence can develop in some individuals, especially if used it frequently or to escape reality.
