Magic Mushrooms in Britain Liberty Cap

Magic Mushrooms in Britain

Illegal Class A Drug | Drying | Warning | Psilocybin & Treatment of Depression

The most common type of magic mushroom found in the UK in early-late autumn is the Psilocybe semilanceata or the liberty cap noted for the “nipple” at the top of the head.

These mushrooms, photographed at Cadbury Castle, grow on grassy meadows where cows and sheep have grazed and appear between September and November.

Magic Mushrooms in Britain

Illegal Class A Drug

Magic mushrooms are an illegal Class A drug in the UK since the Drugs Act of 2005 closed the loophole where fresh ones were legal but dried ones were not. The effects of a trip on dried mushrooms or shroom tea can be described as giggly and mildly trippy. Side effects can include paranoia and a bad stomach.

Drying

Magic mushrooms are normally dried out at room temperature over 24-48 hours on a sheet of newspaper or a clean towel or put them in a closed plastic container with some silica gel. Cracker dry is the usual description for the shrooms to be ready to ingest. Fresh magic mushrooms only stay fresh for a little over 3 days.

Warning

Magic mushrooms contain the psychedelic chemicals psilocybin and psilocin and should always be taken with great care, preferably not alone and in small quantities.

If you begin to feel unwell or upset eat something and drink a fresh juice like orange juice to bring you down.

Should you want to give them a try, remember it is illegal. Test first by taking only one and slowly build up from there to make sure you don’t have any bad reactions. Check the gills too for identification (not just the cap shape/colour) as lots of mushrooms look alike.

And if unsure of the mushroom, don’t touch – Amanita Phalloides (Destroying Angel / Death Cap) will kill you in a couple of days just by touch alone, slowly destroying your organs.

Psilocybin & Treatment of Depression

Recent clinical trials found that doses of psilocybin along with courses of therapy can aid in the treatment of depression. The most recent trials took place in the UK, the US, and also in Europe. Interestingly, the most significant results were in those patients taking the highest dose of 25mg of psilocybin.

In the body, psilocybin breaks down into psilocin, which releases waves of neurotransmitters in the brain. As a result, the brain becomes more flexible. Thus the patient becomes more responsive to therapy and healing.

Amanita Phalloides (Destroying Angel / Death Cap)