Substance Abuse during Pregnancy
“Bert” Bertis Britt Little in Drugs and Pregnancy, 2022
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring hallucinogenic alkaloid present in several species of psychedelic mushrooms belonging to the genus Psilocybe. P. mexicana is the classic source of the drug and is known as the magic mushroom. It is most commonly found in Mexico, particularly in the Valley of Oaxaca, and southern Texas. However, other species occur north of Mexico in the southern United States and elsewhere, particularly in dairy pastures in the spring. Psilocybin typically grows in highly organic media, such as cow feces (cow patties) and usually in the springtime. Psilocybin mushrooms are eaten, used as a food additive, a tea, or a drink additive for hallucinogenic effects. The hallucinogenic effects usually last six to eight hours, although some sources quote times as short as an hour. Ingestion of these hallucinogenic mushrooms has become a popular form of substance abuse among some adolescents and young adults (Schwartz and Smith, 1988). The effects of psilocybin ingestion include hallucinogenic visions, altered states of consciousness, and a pronounced pyrogenic effect. Several surveys have indicated that mushroom use is more prevalent among high school and college students than is the LSD use.
Fungi and Water
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy in Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Species of genus Psilocybe are known due to their psychedelic effects caused by psilocybin (96–97). Some mushrooms containing psylocibin are: P. semilanceata, P. Mexicana, P. bohemica, P. cubensis, and P. baeocistis (96–97). They are commonly known as ‘magic mushrooms’. Magic mushrooms are hallucinogens, but cannot cause addiction. The symptoms of intoxication occur 30 minutes after ingestion of fresh or dried mushroom and start with anxiety, nausea, vertigo, and asthenia. Neurosensorial symptoms consist of visual problems (mydriasis), disorientation, motor incoordination, tachycardia, and hypertension (96–97). Recovery is complete 4 to 12 hours after ingestion. The need of hospitalization is rare and in exceptional cases myocardial infarction may occur in adult patients, while children may present hyperthermia, seizures, and coma (96–97).
Hallucinogens, CNS Stimulants, And Cannabis
S.J. Mulé, Henry Brill in Chemical and Biological Aspects of Drug Dependence, 2019
An unusual compound within the dialkyltryptamine family is the 4-hydroxy analog, psilocin, and its pharmacologically equivalent phosphate ester, psilocybin (Figure 8, R1 = OH or OPO(OH)2, R2 = H, R3 = CH3). These orally active hallucinogens have been isolated from, and completely account for, the central activity of the Mexican sacred mushroom, Teonanacatl.26 These mushrooms were found to be of the Genus Psilocybe,21 but recently a number of other fungi have been identified as sources of these alkaloids.28 Synthetic modifications of these basic structures have indicated that the diethyl homolog of psilocin (SZ-74, Figure 8, R1 = OH, R2 = H, R3 = CH2CH3) is somewhat less potent than psilocin, but acts more rapidly, quite the opposite action of DET compared to DMT.29 There are no reports of studies in humans of the higher homologs.
Typology of Users of Psychedelics and Alike Psychoactive Substances in Czechia: Results of the National Online Survey
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2023
Filip Kňažek, Miroslav Horák, Tereza Ocetková, Kristína Somerlíková, Barbora Bláhová, Michaela Plevková, Viktor Mravčík, Pavla Chomynová, Rita Kočárová
Evidence confirming the effects on mental well-being and therapy of mental diseases with ayahuasca, LSD, MDMA, or Psilocybe mushrooms is rapidly increasing (Carhart-Harris et al. 2021; Davis et al. 2021; Domínguez-Clavé et al. 2019; Gasser et al. 2014; Griffiths et al. 2016; Sessa and Fischer 2015; Siegel et al. 2021; Watts and Luoma 2020). However, our respondents tend to use psychedelics and alike psychoactive substances “secretly” (e.g., cannabis usually at home; LSD and Psilocybe mushrooms in nature; entactogens in the party crowds) as they may fear the penalties, because of their illegal status. Due to this, they also risk not using a pure substance, as they acquire them illegally. Focusing more on each group defined by this study may help to lessen these and other “side-effects” connected with the use of psychedelics and alike psychoactive substances, improve the overall well-being of the users, and raise the helpful potential of the substances. Other ways to reach this goal could be focusing on the most common substances that occurred throughout every group. For example on cannabis, as many of users and our respondents expressed interest in the use of social cannabis clubs (Decorte and Pardal 2020), where they could use cannabis in a safe space and have support or legal services if needed. LSD and Psilocybe mushrooms were both used (lifetime) by many of our study respondents and similar clubs for classical psychedelics may be welcomed.
A Proposal to Study the Safety and Efficacy of Psilocybe cubensis in Preclinical and Clinical Studies as a Therapeutic Alternative for Major Depressive Disorder
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2023
Raul Escamilla, María Eva González-Trujano, Jesús M. González Mariscal, Jesús Martín Torres-Valencia, Héctor Guzmán-González, José Luis Vega, Anja Loizaga-Velder
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recently granted breakthrough therapy designation to psilocybin-assisted therapies. Psilocybin is a psychotropic alkaloid naturally produced in Psilocybe mushrooms (Strumila et al. 2021). It has been researched for a variety of disorders, among which major depressive disorder stands out in its different variants, including depressive syndromes (accompanied by anxiety) in patients with terminal cancer (Griffiths et al. 2016; Vargas et al. 2020) or chronic medical diseases (Anderson et al. 2020), the major depressive disorder of moderate-non resistant severity (Carhart-Harris et al. 2021; Davis et al. 2021; Dawood Hristova and Pérez-Jover 2023; Ko et al. 2023), and patients with depression resistant to conventional treatment (Carhart-Harris et al. 2016, 2018; Goodwin et al. 2022). The investigation has included different research designs (the most common cross-over design), several fixed dosage modalities, and intervals for its administration, consistently showing encouraging results. A recent trial comparing outcomes of psilocybin-assisted treatment with escitalopram found no significant differences (Barba et al. 2022; Carhart-Harris et al. 2021). Unlike the current pharmacological antidepressant treatment of a long-term daily dosage, the proposed therapeutic scheme for psilocybin requires administration (dosage at specific times) within a set and setting protocol accompanied by a therapist specifically trained in this modality, which also includes psychotherapeutic preparation and follow-up sessions (Modlin et al. 2023; Yu et al. 2022). The long-term clinical effect of psilocybin-assisted therapy remains to be determined (Gukasyan et al. 2022; Rosenblat et al. 2023).
The Association of Classic Serotonergic Psychedelic Use and Intention of Future Use with Nature Relatedness
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2023
Marcio S. C. Longo, Bheatrix Bienemann, Marco Multedo, Marco Aurelio Negreiros, Eduardo Schenberg, Daniel C. Mograbi
Changes in attitudes are also mediated by certain aspects of the acute psychedelic experience. Prior research shows that higher ego dissolution inventory (EDI) scores during the experience predicts higher subsequent increases in NR-6 (Kettner et al 2019). Higher EDI scores can be interpreted as a proxy for the intensity of the experience since it is dose-dependent (Nour et al. 2016). In our sample, most participants took ayahuasca in a religious/ceremonial context, while there is no formal ceremonial context with psilocybe mushrooms or LSD for which participants reported most often taking it with friends in other settings or with friends in music festivals. Individuals who report LSD use in the survey might not have taken LSD since the substance is not easily identifiable and most often there is no quality control. Psilocybe mushrooms, however, are more easily identifiable even when ground and capsulated because of their distinctive smell, but reported experiences with mushrooms might include low or micro doses, which are less prone to induce substantial and long-term changes. Ceremonial ayahuasca use can help elicit more intense and immersive experiences since it has a safer setting with sitters that supervise the participants and usually involves use of a fully psychoactive dose. Brazilian ayahuasca ceremonies usually take place in a natural setting (Santos, 2007) and prior evidence indicates that taking psychedelics in nature also contributes to increases in NR (Gandy et al. 2020). Other aspects of the ritual setting such as addressing the plants as “healers,” “teachers” or “embodiments of wisdom,” and a cultivation of a sense of humility and connectedness could provide a particular framing of such experiences, which potentially impacts participants’ environmental relations (Harms 2021). These factors, among others, could explain why ayahuasca was more positively correlated with NR than other psychedelics. Future studies should take into account effects of setting and expectations as moderators of nature relatedness and other long-term subjective changes.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Psilocin
- Psilocybin
- Psychedelic Drug
- Molecular Phylogenetics
- Polyphyly
- Clade
- Psilocybe Semilanceata
- Basal
- Psilocybe Fuscofulva
- Psilocybe Fimetaria