Psilocybin is a chemical that occurs in certain mushroom varieties. Consumption can lead to symptoms such as euphoria, hallucinations, and sensory distortion. After several days of psilocybin use, individuals might experience psychological withdrawal and have difficulty adjusting to reality.

Thus there is undeniably a financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to develop synthetic drugs they can patent and profit from, rather than explore more natural remedies. All of this research is promising, but one group of patients has especially high hopes for psilocybin. Cluster headaches are a rare ailment that consist of severe headaches on one side of the head, often around the eye. The pain has been described as worse than childbirth (Shaw 2010), and Cake Disposable carts the suicide rate for cluster headache sufferers is 20 times the national average according to a report published by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). The headaches come in groups, or clusters, and these clusters can last from days to weeks to months and medicine is generally not very effective. Now patient groups across the country are turning to illegal magic mushrooms to cure their headaches, and many claim they have tried everything out of desperation, and psilocybin is the only thing that works (Panne 2014).

Practise with tools, tips and resources to help build your skills and improve your wellness in the way that feels best for you. Learn how to identify your strengths, communicate thoughts and feelings, overcome obstacles and connect with support. Current prime minister Boris Johnson recently stated that he will examine the latest advice on the legalisation of psilocybin. Watch the October 2021 parliamentary debate for the rescheduling of Psilocybin. Campaigners want Psilocybin to be moved from Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Act to Schedule 2, i.e. the same category as medical cannabis, legalised in 2018.

One mushroom may have different concentrations of the active ingredients compared to another and, consequently, the effects of the magic mushroom can depend on the dose and type of mushroom used. Liquid psilocybin is made by extracting psilocybin, the naturally occurring psychedelic drug found in mushrooms like liberty caps. Amongst other cultural applications, psilocybin mushrooms are used as recreational drugs. They may be depicted in Stone Age rock art in Africa and Europe, but are more certainly represented in pre-Columbian sculptures and glyphs seen throughout the Americas. Scientists have been studying the effects of psilocybin on mental-health disorders for years. Professor David Nutt, head of the neuropsychopharmacology centre at Imperial College London, is another expert who says the illegal status of magic mushrooms in the UK has prevented serious research on the topic of microdosing.