What Are Shrooms? Magic Mushrooms Decoded

Many people discover the world of natural intoxications through cannabis, but weed is only one type of natural drug. Magic mushrooms or shrooms are a family of fungi that impact human brain function, spiritual perceptions, and understanding of the world. 

What are shrooms? This question has many different answers, depending on how you want to use these organisms. Let’s explore what magic mushrooms are, including the basic biology behind shrooms, typical reactions, the range of strains, and uses for these substances.

A Natural History Of Magic Mushrooms

Mushrooms grow worldwide, but magic mushrooms tend to flourish in Latin America and Mexico. Shrooms have been used for their traditional medical, religious, spiritual, and social applications for thousands of years. Different cultures have known what shrooms are for millennia.

Today’s magic mushrooms can be identified because they contain psychoactive compounds, including psilocybin and psilocin. If you’re asking what psilocybin mushrooms are, you’ll find something very different from the mushrooms in your pasta or salad. Psychoactive ingredients aren’t found in standard mushrooms but are common in special shrooms. Shrooms also share physical characteristics, including long stems, wide heads or caps, and spores.

Some people have compared the effects of psilocybin and THC, which is the active ingredient in cannabis. The two drugs create similar effects, such as giving a feeling of euphoria and exposing users to new thought avenues. However, some reactions are very different. For example, THC slows or stops new memories from being created. Psilocybin, on the other hand, produces even more conscious reactions in its users.

The Effects Of Psilocybin Mushrooms

Now that we have a basic understanding of what magic mushrooms are let’s explore their impacts on the body. The main psychoactive compound found in shrooms is psilocybin. Psilocybin creates powerful hallucinogenic effects that are stronger than you’ll find with cannabis. Shrooms are closer to LSD and other hallucinogens.

When you eat a mushroom, your body converts psilocybin into psilocin using the dephosphorylation process. Psilocin isn’t often found in shrooms, but once it’s present in the body, it binds to your brain’s 5-HT2A serotonin receptors.

Once psilocin is active in your brain, a range of neuroplastic events take place. Your brain’s neurons reorganize themselves and forge new bonds when you use shrooms. This transformation explains why people often experience extreme spiritual events, have breakthroughs, and feel like their consciousness has been altered while on shrooms. 

 

Shroom Strains And Species

If you want to know what is psilocybin mushrooms, you’re probably also curious about the types of mushrooms you can enjoy. Shrooms are natural and grow in around 100 different varieties. Unlike cannabis, shrooms can’t be crossbred to create new strains. Legal, research, and biological issues all prevent this experimentation from taking place. That’s one reason why it’s so important to more about what shrooms are. 

Shroom varieties contain vastly different amounts of psilocybin. Some types are full of psychoactive compounds, while others only offer a small amount. Mushrooms such as psilocybe azurescens, psilocybe bohemica, and psilocybe semilanceata have some of the higher concentrations of psilocybin. These families have between .5% and 1.5%.

 

The Look, Feel, Taste, And Smell Of Shrooms

People who enjoy cooking common mushrooms in their food are already familiar with the taste and texture of these organisms. However, if you’re not a culinary mushroom fan, the experience might take some getting used to.

Shrooms usually have tall white stems and large golden caps. If you’re growing your own mushrooms or specifically sourcing fresh shrooms, this is the appearance you can expect. However, most dispensaries carry dried shrooms. These might look shrivelled, smell intensely musty, and taste earthy. This might not sound like the best combination, but these characteristics help you know that you’ve found potent and effective shrooms.

 

Are Magic Mushrooms Legal?

What are shrooms as far as the law is concerned? Unfortunately, psilocybin is in a legal grey area. Shrooms are illegal in Canada and the United States in most circumstances. In addition, the United States has classified psilocybin and psilocin as Schedule 1 drugs, which groups them with some of the most dangerous substances known to society.

However, both Canada and the US are seeing major decriminalization movements. Shrooms are non-toxic, non-addictive, and offer proven medical uses. Some regions have chosen not to enforce shroom bans. Magic mushrooms still aren’t legal to possess, sell, or use, but no one is looking for this activity. You may be able to find shrooms at your neighbourhood dispensary in many parts of Canada, thanks to this wiggle room.

Additionally, medical patients and people with terminal illnesses may access shrooms in Canada and the US under specific programs.

 

Therapeutic Purposes Of Shrooms

Since mushrooms directly impact the brain, scientists, researchers, and medical companies are very interested in learning more about these compounds. What are shrooms used for in clinical tests? Psilocybin is known to alter brain structures and functions, so researchers are tracking whether these reactions can be used to treat various issues. Depression, addiction, PTSD, and other concerns can be improved or relieved thanks to neuroplasticity from shrooms.

When it comes to these studies, what are shrooms being used for? One area of research focuses on depression. A John Hopkins University research team found that magic mushrooms led to improvements in every test subject. This experiment followed  27 patients with depression as they were treated with either psilocybin or traditional pharmaceutical medication. It’s incredible to think that natural mushrooms can deliver such powerful effects. So keep an eye on magic mushroom research projects to see other beneficial uses as they’re discovered.

 

In Conclusion on What Shrooms Are

Now that we know a bit about what magic mushrooms are, maybe you are wondering where you can buy top-quality shrooms online in Canada. You can find a wide selection of some of the best magic mushroom products at Daily Marijuana. This selection includes a wide range of dried shrooms, shroom gummies, shroom chocolates, shroom capsules, and more! Not only do we specialize in cannabis, but we have an extensive background in the shroom industry as well. Get 20% off your first orders, complimentary gifts, and earn rewards points now! 

 

References: 

Johnson, M W. (2017, June 5). Potential Therapeutic Effects of Psilocybin. US National Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5509636/

Hartney, Elizabeth. (2021, June 19). What to Know About Magic Mushroom Use. Verywell Mind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-magic-mushrooms-22085

Weed Delivery Vancouver. (2021, September 25). Same-Day Weed Delivery in Vancouver. Available at: https://weeddeliveryvancouver.io/

Hartney, Elizabeth. (2021, June 19). How Psychedelic or Hallucinogenic Drugs Work. Verywell Mind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-psychedelics-22075

John Hopkins Medicine. (2020, November 4). Psychedelic Treatment with Psilocybin Relieves Major Depression, Study Shows. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/psychedelic-treatment-with-psilocybin-relieves-major-depression-study-shows