Psilocybin mushrooms
Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic agent that can be obtained from some varieties of mushrooms
found in Europe, South America, Mexico, and the United States.
What is Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms)?
psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-no, N-dimethyltryptamine) and psilocin are chemical compounds
found in Mexico's, South American, southern and northwest regions in dried and fresh
hallucinogenic mushrooms. The indole-alkylamine psilocybin is known as (tryptamine). They
exploit these compounds for their hallucinogenic and euphoric effects to induce a "trip," and they
have a structure similar to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). The activity on serotonin (5-HT)
receptors in the central nervous system cause hallucinogenic (psychedelic) effects.
The chemicals psilocybin or psilocin are used in over 180 species of mushrooms. Hallucinogenic
mushrooms, including peyote (mescaline), have been used in native or religious rituals for
decades. Both psilocybin and psilocin can be synthesized in the laboratory. There have been
rumors that psilocybin sold on the street are probably LSD-laced mushrooms from other fungi.
Psilocybin mushrooms in Canada
Canada has been one of the few countries that allow people with depression and other mental
illnesses to consume psychedelic mushrooms. The active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms is
psilocybin, which is illegal to manufacture, possess, or sell in Canada, except for licensed
research purposes.
People with terminal diseases were given exemptions by Health Canada, allowing them to
possess and eat mushrooms.
A 67-year-old woman from Victoria, British Columbia, was recently granted permission to take
psychedelic mushrooms. According to a VICE study, she was given an exemption from the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, enabling her to use the hallucinogenic medication to treat
her continuing trauma.
Psilocybin is illegal to possess, sell, or manufacture in Canada. The government is now
considering making exceptions to the law under some circumstances.
Mona Strelaeff is one of those that have been granted an exception to the drug laws.
According to TheraPsil, a non-profit that campaigns for psychedelic therapy in end-of-life
treatment in Canada, this opens the door for more mushroom-based therapies. TheraPsil CEO
Spencer Hawks well-told VICE World News, "Our goal is to help Canadians in need access
medicinal psilocybin.” “For a variety of factors, we began with palliative Canadians. The first is
that in Canada, you have the right to die, so you should have the right to try psilocybin as well.
They didn’t have time to wait, for the second reason. We had found several Canadians who were
dying and only had a few weeks or months to live. Foremost, we had to assist them.”
People with terminal diseases were given exemptions by Health Canada,