Psilocybin Mushrooms in Newport Beach

Psilocybin Mushrooms in Newport Beach

Psychedelic mushrooms, or magic mushrooms, belong to the genus Psilocybe. These fungi are capable of producing psilocybin, a compound associated with psychedelic effects.

But how much psilocybin is actually found in the most common Psilocybe species, and how should you think about dosing dried magic mushrooms or psilocybin-containing products?

What is the active drug in magic mushrooms?

Psilocybin is not the active drug in magic mushrooms. It is what’s known as a prodrug: A biologically inactive compound that can be metabolized by the body to produce an active drug. If you consume magic mushrooms, psilocybin is metabolized into psilocin.

Psilocin is the active compound that causes psychedelic effects. These effects come from psilocin’s resemblance to a neurotransmitter in the brain, serotonin.

How much psilocybin is in magic mushrooms?

Like cannabis plants, the chemical content of magic mushrooms varies. Two randomly selected Psilocybe mushrooms, even from the same species and harvest, can have different psilocybin levels. Lab testing is the only way to know precisely how potent a given mushroom is.

Most magic mushrooms people encounter have not been lab tested due to the absence of a legal, regulated environment for doing so. However, there is some published data on the psilocybin content of common Psilocybe mushroom species and we can use this to inform dosing guidelines.

The most common species of magic mushroom is Psilocybe cubensis. Published research on the psilocybin content of Psilocybe mushrooms has shown they can contain roughly 0.5 – 1.0% total psilocin, averaging around 0.7% by weight; 0.7% total psilocin equates to about 1% psilocybin.

But remember: Psilocybin content varies a lot from sample to sample within the same species. It also varies between species.

What effects will different doses of psilocybin have?

Let’s assume you have some type of magic mushrooms containing 1% psilocybin. How much mushrooms, by weight, might you consume to get weak, medium, and strong effects?

For each level of effects, we’ll estimate the psilocybin content and describe potential effects, from what experienced psychedelic consumers report and also results published in human clinical trials.

Low dose
Amount: 1 gram

One gram of magic mushrooms is commonly considered a low dose that still produces noticeable effects. These usually aren’t full-blown psychedelic effects with overt visuals or a break from consensus reality; you’re more likely to report euphoria and an enhancement of the senses, such as seeing more vibrant colors.

At 1% psilocybin content, this would be 10 milligrams (mg) psilocybin. Note: This should not be considered a microdose; it is a low, noticeable dose.

Medium dose

Amount: 1.75 grams

If you have an eighth-ounce of magic mushrooms—a common quantity—and consume half of it, that would be 1.75 grams, or about 17.5 mg total psilocin.

You will likely experience some psychedelic effects, including open- and closed-eye visuals, synesthesia (blending of the senses), and a heavier euphoria. However, you may not experience a complete dissolution of your normal sense of self, or the truly mind-blowing effects people report from higher doses.

High dose

Amount: 3.5 grams (an eighth-ounce)

An eighth-ounce, or 3.5 grams of dried mushrooms, will have around 35 mg psilocybin content.

Ready or not, you’re going to have a full-blown psychedelic experience that will include heavy perceptual and cognitive distortions. You may or may not be able to hold a conversation or accurately perceive your surroundings, especially at the peaks, which often come in waves.

No two trips are exactly alike, but you’re pretty much guaranteed to look back on this as a stand-out experience of your life. It is not advisable to take a high dose unless you have a safe, supervised setting to take them in.

Ultra-high dose

Amount: 5 grams

The late Terrence McKenna famously described the “heroic dose,” his preferred way of diving into the full depth of the mushroom experience: Five dried grams of mushrooms in silent darkness. At 1% psilocybin content, five grams will contain about 50 mg of psilocybin.

At this dose, there’s not much you can do but lay down somewhere comfortable and let the experience wash over you. “You” won’t really be there once it hits. It will most likely be overwhelming, perhaps bizarre, and indescribable.

Taking a dose this large is rare. Few people, even experienced psychonauts, ever take this much. It is not advisable to take even close to this dose without significant experience and an ultra-safe, comfortable setting.

Clinical trial results

How do the doses and descriptions above compare to what has been observed in controlled, human clinical trials? In some of the pioneering psilocybin studies done at Johns Hopkins University, controlled doses of psilocybin were administered to patients.

The studies gave people a range of psilocybin doses and generally found that high doses often induced a “mystical-type experience,” the formal research definition for what we might call a “full-blown psychedelic experience.”

The doses given to induce such effects were in the 20-30 milligram range for psilocybin, or between the medium and high doses in the dosing guide above.

In other words, a full eighth-ounce, or 3.5 grams, of dried P. cubensis is likely to contain more psilocybin than the doses given to reliably induce mystical-type experiences in controlled human studies.

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