Why Psychedelic Shrooms Should be Legalized

Psychedelic mushrooms, known as psilocybin or shrooms, should be legalized since they provide so many benefits when consumed safely.

New Jersey is making progress in legalizing medical psilocybin. The NJ Senate Budget Committee recently passed a law that would set up a medical psilocybin industry.

What are Psychedelic Shrooms?

Most people have never even tried these psychedelic mushrooms before. But there was once a time when people used mushrooms for therapeutic purposes. These mushrooms are considered psychedelics. They aren’t the kinds of mushrooms available at your local grocery store.

There are so many varieties of psychedelic mushrooms. Psychedelic mushrooms (magic mushrooms) contain a psychoactive ingredient called psilocybin.* It is the main ingredient in these psychedelic mushrooms that produce psychoactive effects. 

That’s why they want to call shrooms psilocybin, like how weed became cannabis.

How to identify Psychedelic Shrooms

There are over two hundred varieties of psychedelic mushrooms, and some species have unique physical features. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), psilocybin mushrooms share some general characteristics with each other. They all have long slender stems, topped off with caps underneath. The caps are typically dark brown around the edges and light brown, if not white, at the center. If dried properly, the psychedelic mushrooms are partially rusty brown with isolated areas of off-white. 

How Tripping on Shrooms feels  

 It can be hard to describe what it feels like to be tripping on psychedelic mushrooms to someone who has never experienced it. But there are a few benefits to the user psychologically, like treating depression, substance abuse, and cancer-related psychological distress. 

There is a documentary on Netflix called The Fantastic Fungi, which details the experience of tripping on psychedelic mushrooms, the overall benefits of using psychedelic mushrooms, as well as how psilocybin changed one’s perspective on life. This documentary was probably the best way to experience tripping on mushrooms without having to consume them. It does a very good job of informing common concerns regarding psychedelic mushrooms. 

How to Consume Mushrooms Safely

That does not mean these magic mushrooms do not have their adverse effects. According to Medical News Today, people on magic mushrooms may experience muscle spasms and confusion. In addition, if not administered properly, mushrooms carry harmful toxins that may lead to paranoia, nausea, or psychosis. 

The most common way to ingest mushrooms safely is to either make a tea, or the method I prefer using, creating a lemon tek. Lemon Tek (Lemon Technique) is made by soaking psilocybin mushrooms in lemon juice for 15 to 20 minutes before consuming. 

One reason why some people prefer lemon Tek over consuming mushrooms is because lemon juice helps break down the cell walls of psilocybin mushrooms. That is the cause of some nausea and vomiting when ingesting magic mushrooms. The other reason is that the effects are said to be a lot stronger. I cannot validate if this is true. 

Not everyone likes psilocybin after consuming it. They might have had a bad trip by not addressing set and setting, one’s mindset, and physical location. 

Why are Psilocybin Mushrooms Illegal?

Like every drug ban enforced by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in the 70s, ex-President Richard Nixon classified psilocybin mushrooms as Schedule I drugs. Schedule I drugs are labeled with high potential for abuse, with no accepted medical use at this time. 

However, the scheduling of these drugs does not make sense. Psilocybin does not have addictive properties. According to Mushmagic, the human body rapidly develops tolerance to the drug. They recommend at least a minimum of two weeks before using it again. Secondly, there are no physical symptoms linked with withdrawal from psilocybin. Like cannabis, the fact that psilocybin can be compared with heroin and roofies does not add up. 

I would love to see a future when these mushrooms are fully legalized. Sure, there would have to be some regulation of the drug. However, with states choosing to regulate legal cannabis, legalizing psilocybin mushrooms should be possible.