Who Can Benefit from Psilocybin?

Who Can Benefit from Psilocybin?

Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic drug found in mushrooms, and it is believed to have several health benefits, especially mental health. It is part of a group of drugs known as psychedelics. According to some archeological evidence and an NIH review, psilocybin has been around for thousands of years and has been used for medicinal and ceremonial purposes by some indigenous communities. For instance, some cultures in Central America believed that mushrooms possessed divine properties. As a result, they used mushrooms (also called magic mushrooms) during coronation and other important events until the 1500s.

Psilocybin is capable of causing changes in perception, mood, and thoughts. Consequently, around the 1950s and 1960s, scientists became more interested in how individuals experiencing mental illness may benefit from these effects. This was how research into psychedelics for the purpose of treating conditions like depression, anxiety, alcohol dependence, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) began. However, the United States banned all psychedelics, including psilocybin, in the late 1960s, which suddenly ended scientists’ research in the 1970s despite its prospects.

Modern research into the benefits of psychedelics and decades of advocacy is now changing the common perception of psilocybin as an illicit drug. Recent studies have revealed the potential use of psilocybin as a treatment for some behavioral and mental health conditions in individuals who are terminally ill. As research intensifies, various organizations in the United States are advocating the removal of long-established legal restrictions on mushroom possession and psilocybin use.

The Oregon Psilocybin Services Act (Measure 109), codified in Section 475A of the state’s Revised Statutes, was passed in November 2020 to establish a regulatory and licensing framework for psilocybin services. This Act is the first in the United States that establishes a legal framework for receiving psilocybin.

Under the Oregon Psilocybin Act, psilocybin products are administered in controlled settings. Hence, no individual may purchase psilocybin products and take them off-site for personal consumption. Only clients aged 21 and older may legally consume psilocybin products in Oregon. According to state law, a client must have a preparatory session with a licensed facilitator before using psilocybin products at a licensed service center.

Potential Health Benefits of Psilocybin

While the list of medical conditions that psilocybin may treat or manage keeps growing, various studies have focussed on its potential for treating depression. One study has examined the ability of psilocybin to lessen depression symptoms without suppressing emotions, and the outcome was fantastic. The results revealed that psilocybin products may help in treating or managing depression and anxiety with some psychological support. In addition, psilocybin can potentially treat certain substance use disorders like cocaine and alcohol addiction, especially when administered under medical supervision in controlled conditions.

Furthermore, there have been studies on psilocybin regarding its usage with PTSD patients, and the results were positive. Due to the manner in which it interacts with the brain, psilocybin is said to help with PTSD symptoms. Typically, it changes neural networks to affect perception, increase feelings of openness and connection, and change how the brain processes fear. As a result, psilocybin facilitates certain emotional breakthrough experiences that challenges the symptoms of PTSD.

Risks of Using Psilocybin

Using psilocybin/magic mushrooms recreationally or unsupervised comes with several risks. People who use it unsupervised may experience continuous, distressing alterations to their perception of things. This happens in the form of a visual flashback of an intensely upsetting experience. Other risks include confusion, psychosis, agitation, delirium, and fear.

The following are some of the potential side effects of using psilocybin without medical supervision:

• Distorted thinking
• Yawning and drowsiness
• Impaired concentration
• Lack of coordination
• Frightening hallucinations
• Dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• High blood pressure
• Visual alteration and distortion
• Dilated pupils
• Muscle weakness
• Unusual body sensations

Ingesting highly potent psilocybin products or large psilocybin dosage can cause an unpleasant experience, or bad trip, which may result in scary hallucinations, feelings of intense fear, and difficult changes to a person’s psychological state. A longer, intense bad trip from psilocybin use may lead to psychotic episodes and even death.

Do I Need to Visit a Licensed Service Center to Take Psilocybin in Oregon?

Yes. Clients may only buy and use psilocybin from licensed psilocybin service centers during supervised sessions in Oregon. They must remain there for the period of the administration session, which is the only time a client may buy and consume psilocybin products in the state. The duration of each session is based on the psilocybin dosage they consume.

Supervised use of psilocybin in the controlled environment of a licensed service center or facilitator has many benefits. For instance, the preparation session helps to determine if a client is eligible to receive psilocybin services. Any client found ineligible for services is not permitted to participate in any administration session at a licensed service center.

Using psilocybin products under a medically supervised condition in Oregon typically prevents overdosing and abuse of the drug. Furthermore, a licensed psilocybin facilitator will follow up with a client who participated in an administration session within 72 hours of the session to offer an integration session. During this session, the client can review their support and safety plans regarding psilocybin usage.

How Do I Choose Psilocybin Products?

In Oregon, a client can use the Psilocybin Product Potency Information Document to choose psilocybin products. The document is primarily designed to support client decisions on choosing the type of product that aligns with their intention. Popular psilocybin edibles include tea, chocolate, and gummies. Psilocybin may also be consumed in its traditional form as fresh or dried herbs.

What is a Safe Dose of Psilocybin?

To ensure safe and effective use of psilocybin, it is important to understand what a safe and appropriate dosage is. Generally, psilocybin transforms into psilocin in the body after ingestion, which may cause sensory experiences, altered perception, and changes in consciousness. While a safe dose of psilocybin varies by individual, several factors can help determine a person’s safe dosage and influence its effects on the body. These factors include the following:

• Tolerance - Regular consumers tend to develop a tolerance and may need higher doses for the same effect
• Body Weight - Individuals with heavy weight may need higher doses of psilocybin to achieve the same effects as people with lighter weight
• Sensitivity - Some people are more sensitive to psilocybin than others, and this can influence the required dosage
• Metabolism - A person’s metabolic rate affects how long psilocybin works in the body and how quickly it is processed
• Age - The older a person is, the longer psilocybin tends to stay in their system

Psilocybin is generally believed to be safe in low dosages. It is important to approach its use with caution by considering mental health history, medical conditions, and the availability of a supportive environment. The only way a person can maximize the benefits of psilocybin and minimize the risk associated with using it to understand what dosage is safe for them.

How Long Does Psilocybin Stay in the Body?

Generally, psilocybin users may experience effects like anxiety, disturbing hallucinations, panic, euphoria, intense mood swings, and changes in perception after taking the drug. While the time it takes for these effects to kick in depends on the ingested product form, psilocybin typically kicks in between 20 to 30 minutes after use. Acute effects like mild visual hallucinations and euphoria usually peak 35 to 50 minutes after psilocybin ingestion and may last between 2 to 6 hours, depending on the dose, user’s tolerance, and the mushroom species.

Psilocybin may stay in the body system for up to 24 hours or more, depending on the body composition, consumer’s age, product dosage, and several other factors. Typically, the liver converts some of the psilocybin in magic mushrooms into psilocin (the compound that causes the psychoactive effects) after ingestion. According to one study, the majority of psilocin is excreted within 8 hours, but a small amount may remain in a user’s fatty tissues before being excreted in urine one week after ingestion. Also, small amounts of psilocybin and its metabolites are usually stored in hair follicles for up to 90 days before they are eliminated.

What is Psilocybin Microdosing?

Microdosing is the process of taking very small doses of a hallucinogenic substance, low enough to prevent users from experiencing hallucinogenic effects. Psilocybin microdosing is the practice of using small amounts of psilocybin on a fixed or regular schedule. This practice of microdosing psilocybin may help users achieve subtle effects without the typical intense effects associated with higher doses of the drug.

The potential benefits of microdosing psilocybin include the following:

• Reduced anxiety
• Improved energy
• Improved mood
• Improved focus
• Increased sense of well-being
• Physiological enhancement

While there is not enough scientific evidence yet on whether psilocybin microdosing is safe, it is generally believed to have a low risk of adverse side effects. The idea behind microdosing the drug is that ingesting very small doses may make similar changes to the brain as psilocybin therapy. However, such changes happen while the user is fully aware and conscious, without experiencing any hallucinogenic effect, with the hope that their sense of well-being will improve over time.

Like psilocybin therapy, some studies have suggested that microdosing psilocybin may help treat mental conditions like depression and work for cluster headaches and migraines. However, concrete scientific evidence to ascertain these remains limited.