Post: Magic Mushrooms, Teens, and Young Adults

Key points

Magic mushrooms, or "shrooms," are increasingly popular among young adults and teens.

Psilocybin, an illegal drug, is the psychoactive substance in hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Emergency rooms and poison control centers bear the brunt of increasing use of illicit magic mushrooms.

Recreational use of psilocybin may cause severe permanent harm to developing brains.

“We are in the middle of a rapidly evolving cultural, media, and legal landscape when it comes to psychedelics,” says Nora D. Volkow, M.D., director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Psilocybin is the hallucinogenic substance found in “magic mushrooms” and the subject of many studies as a potential psychiatric medicine. Research suggests that psilocybin is the most-consumed plant-based psychedelic drug in the United States, with 11.3% of individuals aged 12 or older using psilocybin in 2022 .

Most mushrooms containing psilocybin come from four species: Psilocybe , Pluteus, Panaeolus , and Gymnopilus . The substance was deemed illegal based on the Controlled Substances Act. Some states and cities have decriminalized magic mushrooms, leading some people to believe these drugs are now safe to use recreationally. They aren’t. Magic mushrooms, or "shrooms have hallucinogenic effects when eaten, often resulting in nausea, headache, visual distortions, hallucinations, and rapid heart rate. Some Potentially Good Aspects of Shrooms

It’s important to note that taking psilocybin in a clinical setting under the control of researchers is nothing like buying and u sing shrooms from some random person. Nevertheless, the positive research findings on psilocybin may be a reason people may erroneously assume shrooms are safe,

Data supports psilocybin’s efficacy and safety in treating depression , particularly in people who have not responded to other treatments. Multiple trials have demonstrated significant, rapid, and sustained reductions in depression symptoms. Research as also found magic mushrooms effective against anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer. Linda B. Cottler, PhD, MPH Source: University of FloridaPsilocybin is being tested against post- traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ), alcohol use disorder, and smoking cessation. But these are controlled studies. As Professor Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D., M.P.H, senior author on a widely referenced 2024 […]

Magic Mushrooms, Teens, and Young Adults