Are magic mushrooms safe to use?
A research paper ranked psilocybin mushrooms as the third safest drug (Nutt et al). All drugs can still be harmful under certain circumstances. 7 A separate study also found that magic mushrooms were the drug with the lowest rate of emergency room visits after use, lower than alcohol, and even marijuana. 8
Do mushrooms cause bad trips?
The rates of fear and anxiety (“bad” trips) in research are surprisingly low at certain dosages. This indicates that by following certain guidelines for who should take mushrooms and how they take them, we can significantly reduce the incidence of bad trips. From the page on how to take shrooms.
What are the risks of mushrooms?
A risk of mushrooms is doing something unsafe to yourself or someone else while you’re under the influence. The risk of this is reduceable to near zero by only taking shrooms (“tripping”) with a trusted and sober guide who has experience supporting psychedelic sessions.
There are, however, still potential risks associated with tripping on these psychedelic fungi. Further, it’s important to note that the limited studies done on magic mushrooms, or psychedelics in general, are done in a controlled environment with a controlled dosage and those using the drugs recreationally likely will have different outcomes.
I am also keen to point out that there is a big risk of accidentally taking the wrong kind of mushroom – psilocybin mushrooms are safe, but others, such as Amanita muscaria, are toxic and can destroy your kidneys or can even be fatal.
Should young people stay away from mushrooms?
The effect is different, he says, to when people unknowingly take these drugs. And while mushrooms are illegal for everyone, young people in particular should stay away. “They are not for teenagers,” he warns. “They make you psychologically vulnerable and you need the capacity to make sense of the experience.”
Is it possible to overdose on magic mushrooms?
Yes, it is possible to overdose on magic mushrooms. Overdoses do not, however, directly lead to death. Shutterstock. There’s a common misconception that taking magic mushrooms carries no risk of overdose. However, that’s actually not the case. ” Overdosing on mushrooms is entirely possible, but it is rare.