The Global Drug Survey (GDS) of 120,000 people across 50 countries ranked recreational drugs from safest to most dangerous.
It found magic mushrooms to be safest by some distance – far safer than alcohol, which placed eighth, just above the once legal synthetic cannabis.
“Magic mushrooms are one of the safest drugs in the world,” notes consultant addiction psychiatrist and founder of the Global Drug Survey, Adam Winstock. “Death from toxicity is almost unheard of with poisoning with more dangerous fungi being a much greater risk in terms of serious harm.”
Mushrooms remain illegal in many countries, including Aotearoa, Australia, the UK, and the USA – though some American states have in recent years loosened laws around them owing to their potential in treating mental health issues thanks to their main psychoactive compound, psilocybin, which can also induce hallucinations.
According to the 2017 GDS, more than 81% of the 28,000 people that had taken magic mushrooms said they were seeking a “moderate psychedelic experience”. But more recently, there has been a rise in microdosing, a sub-hallucinogenic experience that requires around a tenth of the regular recreational dose. Research by UK insurers LifeSearch found that the number of people microdosing during the pandemic increased more than 40%, with nearly a fifth of 18- to 34-year-olds continuing the habit. No longer simply associated with hippy types, studies show microdosing to be especially popular within creative circles, Silicon Valley, and even some stressed-out parents looking for a wee pick-me-up.
Robin Carhart-Harris, head of psychedelic research at Imperial College London, tells Grazia that the “brain can easily get stuck in unhealthy patterns, but psychedelics shake things up”. By stimulating serotonin-sensitive components of neurons, microdosing can promote “broader and richer communication styles”. According to US-based professional microdosing coach Paul Austin, mushrooms allow us to “face difficulties without numbing the pain” opening channels that allow us to “better understand ourselves and our behaviour”.
And for those not wanting to risk breaking the law – or, worse, accidentally poisoning themselves by picking the wrong fungi – functional mushrooms are said to offer some of the positive mental benefits of their psychedelic cousins, without the (illegal) psilocybin. And as with most edible mushrooms, they may help lower cholesterol, improve gut health, boost the immune system, protect against cancer, and more.
Used by a variety of ancient cultures for millennia, some (brilliantly) named functional mushrooms include: reishi, said to alleviate stress and help with sleep; lion’s mane, known for its meaty texture, and nerve-supporting and creativity-enhancing properties; turkey tail whose fan-like, chewy structure harbours prebiotics and antioxidants; and tremella, famed for its beautiful, sponge like appearance which aids in its ability to hold hundreds of times its weight in water, and is said to boost skin health.
Functional mushrooms are said to offer some of the positive mental benefits of their psychedelic cousins, without the (illegal) psilocybin.
As well as being able to be enjoyed the good old-fashioned way, functional mushrooms are available in all manner of imaginative forms including supplements, chocolate bars, and drink powders. I opted for an all-organic spiced cacao blend that comprised lion’s mane and reishi mushrooms mixed with the likes of ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, chilli, and cocoa, and nicely packaged in a compostable pouch. It’s prepared by mixing a couple of heaped teaspoons with hot water to make a creamy paste to then be topped up with hot milk, just like a hot chocolate. The smell is divine and the taste is probably best described as an earthy chai latte – and one that requires a little acquiring – greatly aided by some much appreciated, spectacular spiciness.
Though I was half-hoping to feel as though I was floating in a boat on a river with tangerine trees, and marmalade skies, that wasn’t quite the case. Rather than offering an instant hit like microdosing – or even a caffeine shot – functional mushrooms are said to be most effective when ingested over time, becoming part of a long term, daily ritual. Mine didn’t arrive until the busy – and most stressful – end of the publishing month (and a couple of weeks before my wedding). So perhaps not the best time of timing. Or maybe it was? I was inspired to pen, unsolicited, this issue’s editor’s note just a few hours after imbibing my first brew…
