Wait, can you smoke magic mushrooms? What happens when you do this?

Psilocybin is all the rage these days. Found in species of “magic mushrooms,” this amazing compound is consumed by everyone from young adults for recreation to moms, burned-out entrepreneurs, and everyone in between. After all, its health benefits are nothing short of miraculous; It can treat a number of diseases that Big Pharma couldn’t treat.

Psilocybin, whether in small or large doses, can be used to treat depression, anxiety, and PTSD, to name a few. You can take it even without serious mental disorders just for general well-being. And many consumers appreciate the myriad ways you can consume psilocybin: in pre-dosed capsules, raw, in edibles, tea, packaged edibles, and more.

But some people wonder if one can smoke magic mushrooms, since smoking is a common way to consume many other psychedelic substances.

What could happen if you smoke magic mushrooms

Smoking is not currently an accepted method of consumption for magic mushrooms. It could even cause serious damage. Don’t smoke magic mushrooms!

When psilocybin is exposed to high heat, it breaks down quickly and doesn’t get you high. In addition, magic mushrooms can be extremely hard on the throat when smoked. It will be an uncomfortable, potentially painful, and even dangerous experience to smoke altogether.

There are risks involved. You can get aspergillosis, a respiratory disease caused by exposure to fungi that causes damage to your blood vessels. The only treatment for aspergillosis is antibiotics, or in extreme cases surgery may be required. Other side effects of smoking magic mushrooms include shortness of breath, wheezing, lung damage, fever, and inflammation. Also, remember that in addition to the risks involved, you can also accidentally inhale mold spores when you smoke magic mushrooms – a condition called lycoperdonosis.

Individuals who already have a compromised immune system can suffer from another problem called histoplasmosis, especially if you smoke mushrooms containing mold. This can lead to pneumonia and lung infections. Severe cases can lead to chronic diseases of the liver, nervous system and mouth.

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In short, nothing good can come of trying to smoke magic mushrooms. Even if it’s safe, you probably won’t get high, since psilocybin requires an interaction in the digestive tract to convert it to psilocin. The psilocin triggers the serotonin receptors to boost serotonin production, causing you to feel elated after consuming the shrooms.

So you’re unlikely to get high, and you’re at pretty high risk of getting seriously ill. It’s just not worth it.

Photo by Artur Kornakov via Unsplash

The safest way to consume magic mushrooms

There are proven ways to safely consume magic mushrooms. Below are a few ways you can do this:

• Capsules: Pre-dosed psilocybin capsules are widely available, especially in cities that have decriminalized it. It’s a discreet delivery method and has the benefit of being pre-measured so you already know exactly how much you’re getting in each capsule. Those who are a fan of microdosing can take capsules of 0.5 or 1 gram each, while macrodosing requires consuming more.

If you want to make your own psilocybin capsules, simply grind the raw mushrooms until you have a fine, powdery consistency. Place them in empty capsules, whether manual or with a machine, and enjoy.

• Tea: Ingesting mushroom tea is an old, reliable way of consuming mushrooms. This method is safe and recommended even for people with sensitive stomachs. Drinking mushroom tea also has a faster effect time.

To prepare a tea, first use a grinder to grind the mushrooms into a fine powder form at the desired dose. Pour hot water over it, steep for about 10 minutes and get ready for your journey. If you don’t particularly like the taste of mushrooms in tea, you can flavor it with honey or even another tea bag.

• Edibles: You can add mushrooms to just about any type of edible treat. This can be sweets, omelettes, chocolate, pizza and much more. This is an effective way to get rid of the unpleasant taste. Just remember not to expose the shrooms to excessive heat – over 190F for more than 30 minutes to sustain the high.

Photo by eskymaks/Getty Images

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Raw or dried magic mushrooms always work best if you’re concerned about potency. Treat them like other types of edible mushrooms.

• Raw: If you don’t mind the taste of mushrooms, eating mushrooms is an easy and straightforward way to get high. Simply put the mushroom in your mouth, chew and swallow. It doesn’t need more!

• Lemon tekking: Lemon tekking is a fairly new practice that’s gaining popularity for its refreshing way of consuming magic mushrooms. With Lemon Tekking, the magic mushrooms are placed in freshly squeezed lemon juice and left to rest for 20 minutes. This increases the intensity of the experience while masking any unpleasant mushroom taste.

According to experts, soaking mushrooms in the citric acid found in lemons causes a chemical reaction that breaks down the psilocybin beforehand. What you get is a faster onset of action from a delicious, refreshing drink.

Conclusion

Whatever you do, don’t smoke magic mushrooms. There are so many other ways you can safely consume shrooms without worrying about adverse side effects, such as the methods discussed above. Always do your research and plan for an appropriate, comfortable setting before dosing.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.