Mushrooms
Often known as ‘magic mushrooms’ or just ‘shroomz’, these plants are not addictive.
Magic mushrooms is the popular term for mushrooms or toadstools that contain psychoactive drugs. There are numerous such species; in the UK, the Liberty Cap mushroom or psilocybe semilanceata is the plant to which the name usually refers. It contains the compound psilocybin, a hallucinogen.
The Liberty Cap grows in many parts of the UK, preferring south-facing grasslands. This species of mushroom does not grow on dung, though some do. It is small cream to brown toadstool with a nipple at the peak of the cap. Psilocybin content varies greatly, and thus so does the dose- typical dose being about 30-40 mushrooms. Liberty Caps can be eaten raw. They also can be dried out and stored. When dried, they can be smoked in a joint or a pipe. They are often ingested by brewing them in a cup of tea.
The effect usually begins in about an hour, and can last from 4 to 6 (maximum 8) hours. As with all psychedelics, the kind of experience is mediated by the individual, their state of mind and the setting. ‘Trips’ can be ecstatic experiences of oneness with the cosmos, or paranoid nightmares.
Any fungus which contains psilocin is a class A, schedule 1 drug.
Possession of Class A drugs carries a maximum of 7 years imprisonment and/or fine. Supply of mushrooms carries a maximum of life imprisonment and/or fine.
No offence is committed if the fungus is growing naturally without being cultivated, and if it has not been picked.
Free, confidential information and advice is available by calling the Release Drugs Helpline on
