The use of magic mushrooms in the U.S. has been significantly increasing due to the therapeutic and mood benefits, despite the fact that there are health risks, and the drug is illegal in most states.

Article by Isabel Cantor, Associate Medical Reporter

WASHINGTON - Magic mushrooms are naturally occurring mushrooms that contain psilocybin, a psychoactive compound that has hallucinogenic effects when consumed. Also referred to as “shrooms,” the use of magic mushrooms as drugs in the U.S. has been significantly increasing in recent years.

There is a “psychedelic renaissance” happening in the country now, according to Dr. Joshua Siegel, a psychiatrist at Washington University in St. Louis, and there are multiple studies to support this. A study published in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal found that magic mushroom use drastically increased from 2017 to 2022. In this time frame, the amount of mushrooms seized by law enforcement went from 500 to 1,800 pounds. The most seizures of the drug were in the West, with the Midwest following closely behind. "What I think the results indicate is that shroom availability has likely been increasing," said Dr. Joseph Palamar, an epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health, and the main author of this study.

Additionally, another study published in the Addictive Behaviors Reports journal in 2022 discovered that magic mushroom use surged between 2002 and 2019, mainly by users ages 26 and over. Also, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration published data showing that over 11% of people aged 12 and older have used psilocybin in 2022, suggesting that it is the most popular psychedelic in the nation.

Due to the rising use of this drug, it is important to understand the effects of magic mushrooms on users. In an ABC News segment on the national growing usage of magic mushrooms, Dr. Darien Sutton, ABC News Medical Contributor, explained that psilocybin stimulates and activates serotonin receptors in the brain, resulting in changes to mood and cognition. "There's been an enormous amount of attention for the potential use of psychedelic drugs, for the treatment of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, [and] for the treatment of addictions," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

However, there are some risks that come with using these mushrooms. Psychosis, a mental disorder characterized by a disconnection from reality, is a fairly common and potentially dangerous result of psilocybin. In addition, muscle weakness, exaggerated reflexes, increased blood pressure, and increased heart rate are more risks that come along with using this drug.

Protestors advocating for the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. have largely inspired the movement to decriminalize magic mushrooms. Decriminalization would mean that psilocybin will remain illegal, but a person will not be prosecuted for possession.

However, the decriminalization of this psychedelic intends to make it safer, easier, and more accessible for mushrooms to be used therapeutically. Oregon and Colorado have decriminalized the use of psilocybin, and allow the use of the drug for therapeutic purposes.

On Tuesday, February 6th, a bipartisan bill was introduced by two California lawmakers that has the possibility of making California the third U.S. state to decriminalize the use of magic mushrooms. This follows Democratic Governor of California Gavin Newsome vetoing legislation that would essentially do the same thing this bill aims to do. As of now, San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Cruz have decriminalized the use of psilocybin.

“We know that Californians are struggling with mental health and addiction challenges, and we know that psychedelics, particularly when combined with therapeutic support, can be a powerful tool to help people get their health back,” said Senator Scott Wiener at a news briefing, one of the lawmakers responsible for the creation of the bill. “We know that California veterans and first responders have particularly benefited from these substances, and we know that many more people can as well.”

According to Wiener, California already has many underground operations of magic mushroom therapy, but this new bill can bring them out in the open. Similarly, Juliana Mercer, a Marine Corps veteran and board member of the Heroic Hearts Project, a nonprofit that helps veterans treat post-traumatic stress disorder, stated, “Through education and through regulation, we’ll be able to take people from doing this underground, where it may not be safe, into a place where they can do it safely.”

The future of magic mushroom use, decriminalization, and legalization is heavily debated on. It is fair to predict that psilocybin use will continue to rise, especially after seeing the numbers to support the current trend.