20/06/2025
Today is world psychedelics day! There are many different kinds of psychedelics but of course, being a mushroom forager, I would prefer to talk about mushrooms. Today is the day to ask me questions because I normally avoid this topic in favor of gourmet mushrooms.
Psychedelic mushrooms have been banned in the United States since president Richard Nixon ousted them in 1970 with the controlled substances act. Many countries still celebrate and allow the usage of magic mushrooms for both recreational and religious purposes. Recently studies have been done utilizing psilocybin mushrooms to help people in the United States who struggle with major depression and PTSD as well as other disorders. Oregon specifically is the place in the United States that has changed the legality of these mushrooms for mental health purposes which passed by vote in 2020. Legislation is still pending in other places such as California and I believe Colorado is on its way as well. Even in Oregon though you cannot buy recreational magic mushrooms, you must be supervised in a therapeutic setting to utilize these chemicals for your mental health. I personally am pro legalization of medical magic mushrooms and I think that the science behind their ability to help those with PTSD and depression is amazing. However, I do not help people figure out where to find magic mushrooms. That is one of the first questions many people ask me when they learn that I am passionate about mycology. I can't help you find your shrooms but whatever you're doing today I hope you have a very happy world psychedelics day. Be safe no matter how you spend it wherever you are!
A bit of lovely science recently in the realm of hallucinogens and mushrooms is the scientific discovery of a specific fungi on morning glory flowers that precipitates the hallucinogenic effects of L*D by creating compounds that aid in the conversion of LSA to L*D. So L*D was powered by a magic mushroom all along apparently! Thank you to Corinne Hazel from West Virginia University for her discovery of Periglandula clandestina fungi June 2025!
Elusive L*D Fungus Finally Discovered on Flower : ScienceAlert https://share.google/GNq3ACaNDBpwqbP5G
What a fascinating science to have something that provides food, poison, medicine, and magic...all in one beautiful topic. I love Mushrooms!
You won't see this topic on my page very often so I hope you enjoy my random art and this bit of info.