Can you smoke mushrooms

And, unlike psilocybin, spores that survive the burn may reproduce inside of your lungs. Ew — good luck with that. So, there you have it. Recently, advocates have been pushing for decriminalization of psilocybin, the active compound in mushrooms that produces their hallucinogenic effects.

However, in most of the United States, they remain illegal to sell. Possession and consumption have been decriminalized in small amounts in some jurisdictions, and in the case of Oregon, a bill passed recently to establish a medical model of legalized psilocybin.

Unfortunately, an unregulated industry means that people may be using them incorrectly. Some users think that it may be safe to smoke them; after all, people smoke a range of psychoactive substances, such as cannabis , Salvia Divinorum , and DMT.

However, it is an unsuitable consumption method for many other psychedelics, including magic mushrooms. The most common way of ingesting magic mushrooms is by eating them fresh or dried or brewing them into tea. However, many people find their taste and texture unpalatable. Therefore, some individuals are seeking alternatives. In early , a man nearly died after injecting himself with mushroom tea.

He spent several weeks in hospital, where doctors treated him for bacterial and fungal infections and multiple organ failure. While this is an extreme and isolated case, it highlights the fact that people are interested in other consumption methods, which may be dangerous. One reason smoking mushrooms is inadvisable is that psilocybin is thermally labile , meaning it breaks down at high temperatures.

Therefore, it is unlikely to produce the desired effects. Moreover, the practice is associated with several risks and side effects, which we will discuss below. There is currently no research available on the effects of smoking psilocybin. However, anecdotal reports suggest that those who smoke shrooms derive little benefit. In fact, it appears that the practice could even be harmful in some cases.

According to reports posted on forums such as Reddit, the effects of smoking shrooms are mild to non-existent. Most others, however, report it as being a waste of time with little or no effects at all, apart from nausea. The absence of any psychoactive effects may very well be related to temperature.

At high temperatures, psilocybin breaks down, so lighting up this substance effectively reduces the potency of the primary ingredient responsible for the high it would otherwise provide. Because of a process called incomplete combustion, all smoke contains at least trace amount of toxins and particulates that can cause damage to lung tissue and blood vessels and increase the risk of developing lung cancer.

If you smoke shrooms laced with tobacco, you are exposed to all the risks associated with tobacco or nicotine use as well. Smoking shrooms also carries additional risk for your lungs via mold spores. Also, for those with a mold allergy, pre-existing lung condition, or compromised immune system, inhaling certain mold species can result in severe health consequences.

If a person does experience any of the intoxicating effects of psilocybin after smoking, bad trips are possible anytime shrooms are ingested. A bad trip can include disturbing or frightening hallucinations, panic, and difficulty distinguishing between hallucinations and reality. Mushrooms are most commonly ingested orally, either fresh or dry. Some people swallow them as-is, while others combine them with other foods or steep them boiling water or tea.

Some people get creative by dipping the fungus in chocolate or mix them into soups, milkshakes, or smoothies. Although not as common, some individuals grind dried shrooms into powder and snort them intranasally.

However, keep in mind that this can sometimes lead to a horrible trip that will ruin the experience, especially if you are not used to mixing different substances. In other cases, people ingest mushrooms and smoke them at the same time to reach their desired results.

Regardless, how you go about enjoying them will depend entirely on your preferences. Now, when it comes to whether you should smoke shrooms in the first place, it is highly recommended that you do not. The problem lies in the spores inside the mushrooms. When you smoke these spores, they can potentially get stuck in your lungs. This can cause various problems, such as inflammation, choking, and other respiratory-related issues that can be difficult to treat.

As such, ingestion might be the better route if you want to experience the psychedelic feelings, especially if you intend to take mushrooms to improve your mental health. Additionally, another good reason you should eat shrooms is that their effects are much more powerful when eaten. As mentioned earlier, the hit can last quite long if ingested. This, however, does not eliminate the chances of running into a bad trip.

Fortunately, the likelihood of that happening is not as high compared to smoking it. In other words, for the sake of your health and sanity, eat your shrooms instead of smoking them. With the proper dosage, mushrooms can produce various positive effects. They can enhance your mood, induce general feelings of happiness, increase your sense of creativity, and decrease any feelings of depression you might have.

Just keep in mind that if you want to take mushrooms, it is generally better to eat them than to smoke them. Also, remember to keep your dosages in check.

Keeping to the proper dose can lead to noticeable improvements in your mental health, such as an increase in your happiness and a decrease in anxiety levels. On the other hand, taking too much will lead to unwanted experiences that can, in some cases, be life-altering in a bad way.