Shrooms
Shrooms are a class of natural mushrooms containing psilocybin that produce hallucinations when you eat them. Early Native Americans used these mushrooms in their religious rituals thousands of years ago. Today shrooms are one of the most commonly used hallucinogens. Eating shrooms causes a person to experience a distorted sense of reality that is commonly referred to as "tripping."
People generally use shrooms because it makes them
- have pleasant feelings of relaxation and happiness
- see or hear things in an intensified or distorted way
- see or hear things that don't really exist
- have intense spiritual or religious feelings
Other behaviors produced by shrooms may include
- feeling that the passage of time has slowed
- decreased appetite
- tiredness
Common street names: magic mushrooms, magics, mushies, boomers, liberty cap, liberties, purple passion
How are shrooms used? Shrooms are usually dried and eaten raw, but they may also be ground into a dried powder that is sold in capsules.
Risk of addiction: Shrooms do not have the addictive properties of other drugs. When people use shrooms repeatedly for a long period of time, the effects of the drug gradually become smaller and smaller. As a result, few people are long time users of shrooms.
Effects on the body: The physical effects of shrooms on the body may include
increased heart rate
enlarged (dilated) pupils
Overdose: It is nearly impossible to overdose on shrooms and they do not pose any serious physical risks. However, they can cause dizziness, cramps, and nausea. The greatest danger occurs when people attempt to pick their own mushrooms growing in nature. Many mushrooms are poisonous, and some of these can be easily confused with hallucinogenic shrooms. Eating one of these look-alike mushrooms can kill you.
Another danger of shrooms is that people can have a "bad trip" in which the pleasurable feelings of a shroom trip change into something frightening. Bad trips are characterized by intense feelings of anxiety, fear, paranoia, and even the sensation of dying. These feelings may be accompanied by scary hallucinations involving things like insects, skulls, monsters, and blood. The best way to calm down a person having a bad trip is through a reassuring "talk down" from a friend who understands the effects of hallucinogens.
How are shrooms produced? Shrooms grow naturally all over the world. After being picked, they can be eaten either fresh or after being dried. The substance responsible for the hallucinogenic properties of shrooms is a chemical called psilocybin.
Can shrooms be used legally? Possession and use of shrooms for anything other than scientific research is against the law in many countries, including the United States. Some research suggests that shrooms may be useful in treating certain mental disorders.
How long do shrooms act? The effects of shrooms are generally felt in about 30 minutes and last for several hours.
Drug tests for shrooms: Standard drug tests do not detect shrooms, but special tests can be used. These tests can identify the presence of psilocybin and related molecules in the urine for up to 3 days after a person has used shrooms.
How many students use shrooms? About 5% of high school seniors have used shrooms within the past year.