A rough guide to drugs
Legal Status Class A: From July 2005 it became an offence to sell, possess or supply magic mushrooms in all forms - whether dried, packaged or fresh - as section 21 of the Drugs Act 2005 came into force. Magic Mushrooms are a Class A drug, and that means possession can get you up to seven years in jail and an unlimited fine. Supplying someone else with magic mushrooms can get you life imprisonment and an unlimited fine. |
There are two main types of magic mushroom, the most common form is a species called psilocybe, the other more potent variety is amanita muscaria.
Psilcybin mushrooms are small and tan coloured and bruise blue when they’re touched. Amanita Muscaria are more like the red and white spotted toadstools you see in fairytale books.
After picking, either can be eaten raw or dried out and stored. The amount used depends on the variety of mushroom, for example, about 25 ‘liberty caps’ would be considered a full dose, but one ‘fly agaric’ would be needed for the same effect.
Effects & Risks
Both types of mushroom give you a ‘trip’, which can be good or bad. Any sort of trip can have quite random and sometimes very frightening effects, as they feed off a person’s imagination. One person can spend six hours in a very happy place while someone else who’s taken the same mushrooms can spend six hours lost in their own fears and paranoia; the kind of trip you have depends on how you’re feeling and your environment.
The effects for both types of mushroom can take between 30 minutes to two hours to take effect.
The strongest part of the trip takes 4-10 hours and the after-effects usually last a further 2-6 hours. The more you take, the longer the effects can last.
• Both types of mushroom can distort colour, sound and objects and appear to speed up and slow down time and movement.
• Both types of mushroom can make you feel more emotionally sensitive. Some people feel more creative.
• Amanitas can give an ‘out of body’ experience.
• Both mushrooms can make you feel sick, tired and disorientated.
• Amanitas can make you nervous, twitchy and cold.
• Magic mushrooms can complicate any mental health issues you may have.
Overdose
Eating the wrong kind of mushroom can make you seriously ill and even kill you.
