By: Katie Burke
The main psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, psilocybin, has been found in recent studies to effectively treat depression. For years mushrooms have had a large stigma in our society as they are a schedule 1 controlled substance. Magic mushrooms have been recorded as being used as early as the Stone Ages. Shamans and medicine men of Africa have used ‘shrooms in religious practices and as rite of passage.
Mushrooms are known in circles as a recreational drug, giving people a euphoric, altered thinking processes, with eye opening visuals. However, recently they have been tested to treat depression and anxiety. Some studies have included reports sending both, obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) and clinical depression in complete remission immediately for up to months at a time. The studies done at Imperial College in London and Hopkins School of Medicine, conclude when used properly psilocybin acts as an antidepressant. Dr Jeffrey Lieberman, the former president of the American Psychiatric Association wrote that these studies are a model for revisiting criminalized compounds of interest in a safe and ethical way.
Psilocybin has been been banned in the U.S for over 40 years. The scientists were only allowed to use it in these studies. They do not suggest self medicating with shrooms because the dosage needs to be controlled. Psilocybin may also have opposite effects for people with schizophrenia or young adults. The current studies are published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
