Canadian University Granted License to Study Psilocybin Mushrooms

dr Max Jones and Dr. Gale Bozzo, two professors at UG’s Ontario Agricultural College (Department of Crop Production), received a “dealer’s license” from Health Canada on Oct. 25. The license allows for the cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms and is one of the first universities in Canada to be authorized to do so.

“We are very excited about this approval as it will allow us to study these psychedelic mushrooms to better understand their biology and genetics, examine what other functional compounds they might contain, and provide well-characterized and chemically consistent material for provide the pre-clinical and possibly clinical evaluation,” Jones said. He had previously received a license to study cannabis in November 2018.

According to Jones, there are more than 200 species of mushrooms that can produce psilocybin. “These species are not that closely related; they are diverse,” Jones said in a press release. “So scientists like me are wondering: what else are these fungi producing? If you have 200 species that produce a compound that affects the human brain, chances are they also produce other interesting compounds.”

Psilocybin therapy has become a popular treatment for conditions such as depression, addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. according to dr Melissa Perreault, a professor in Ontario Veterinary College’s Department of Biomedical Sciences, and other researchers involved in the study, there is one specific feature they hope to study. “Many are already working with psilocybin, but we are interested in the potential biological activity of some other compounds in these fungi and whether they have therapeutic value alone or in combination with psilocybin,” Perreault said.

Perreault’s experience previously included studies of the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with conditions such as depression or autism spectrum disorders. Her plan is to study the signaling pathways that psilocybin might affect. “If these compounds have potential therapeutic value, we would then bring them into some of the models I work with, such as those used to study specific aspects of depression or autism, to examine their therapeutic effects,” Perreault said .

In conclusion, Jones said he believes improved access to mushrooms will allow more studies to be conducted. “There is a real need for a public supply of these fungi,” Jones said. Our goal is to create a stockpile of mushrooms for pre-clinical and perhaps clinical trials, where the genetics and cultivation methods will be fully disclosed to researchers and the public.”

The press release also notes that the researchers plan to develop a synthetic mushroom cultivation method in order to be able to reproduce them easily. Typically, mushrooms are grown on grain or manure.

Psilocybin mushrooms continue to grow with interest in the medical community. Earlier this year in January, an organization presented evidence of the therapeutic qualities of mushrooms and announced its intention to include the substance in the United Nations’ 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. In August, a study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry showed how psilocybin has the potential to treat alcohol addiction. In mid-September, the University of Copenhagen began studying the effects of psilocybin as a treatment for obesity. Just last week, Johns Hopkins University announced a study to analyze how psilocybin can help patients quit smoking. The substance has even become the muse of numerous high-profile musicians such as Björk, Ellie Goulding, Kid Cudi and Lil Nas X.

The state of Oregon plans to finalize its rules regulating psilocybin by December 2022, while a few other states are proposing psilocybin supplements in the November vote.