Psilocybin, the compound behind the effects of magic mushrooms, is in clinical trials for depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders. Drug companies are expected to bring it to doctors as prescription pills. A pill gives an exact dose. Raw mushrooms cannot, because their strength varies widely.
Summary: Humans have used magic mushrooms in religious rituals and as a drug of abuse. But science has found unique benefits for mental health, including opioid addiction treatment. Psilocybin is the substance behind the mind-altering effects. It may give fast and lasting relief for mental health disorders. Drug companies may soon bring out magic mushroom pills. People have long used mushrooms to treat health problems. Even the ancient Egyptians did.
Mushrooms are fungi that have existed for billions of years. They come in many kinds. Some are toxic, others are nutritious, and some are superfoods. People have long used mushrooms to treat health problems. But some mushrooms are unique, like magic mushrooms. In Mesoamerica, people used them for divine visions, healing, and religious rituals. There is evidence that even ancient Egyptians used these mushrooms and called them “foods of gods.”
There is a reason people used magic mushrooms in religion for divine visions. Science now knows these mushrooms cause hallucinations. People who take them have a unique kind of experience. Some call it one of the most amazing experiences of their lives. Of course, these psychedelic mushrooms are now also a drug of abuse. Science also knows what causes these mind-altering effects. It is a substance called psilocybin.
Magic mushrooms have long been a drug of abuse, but things are changing fast. They are now used more and more in clinical studies. Many clinical trials now show that magic mushrooms may help manage mental health disorders. Most current drugs take days to start working and help only a small number of people. Magic mushrooms, used with psychotherapy (talk therapy), may help fast. They may also help rewire the brain. That way they may cure many disorders, like depression, anxiety, bipolar and many others.
Drug companies first started looking at magic mushrooms in the 1950s and 60s. They found that the psychedelic effect came mainly from a compound called psilocybin. In fact, a drug of abuse, LSD, which closely resembles psilocybin, was first made by Swiss drug company Sandoz in 1963. The drug industry could make synthetic psilocybin more than half a century ago. Yet until recently, doctors found no use for psychedelics in the clinic. Now the evidence is piling up that psychedelics work very well for mental health problems.
Of course, some people criticize using psychedelics for mental health disorders. They worry it may lead to more misuse of these drugs. They also worry these drugs will cost a lot. Psychedelics are cheap and easy to make. So many people wonder why drugs made from them should cost so much. A few grams of magic mushroom would barely cost $10. So why are synthetic psychedelics expected to cost several thousand US dollars?
There are many reasons these drugs will cost a lot. First, they will be safer, because they are much purer and free of harmful impurities. Second, testing drugs in the clinic costs a lot. Clinical studies cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Getting FDA approval also costs a huge amount. Some may ask, why not just use magic mushrooms, then? That will not work. Doctors cannot rely on magic mushrooms to treat health problems. They need to know the exact dose they give their patients. But the strength of magic mushrooms varies a great deal.
So if we want to see wider use of magic mushrooms in the clinic, they must come as pills. That is just what is expected to happen in the coming years. There is a good chance that magic mushroom pills will become prescription drugs for mental health disorders.
Frequently asked questions
What is psilocybin?
Psilocybin is the chemical compound in magic mushrooms that causes their mind-altering effects, including hallucinations. Drug companies found it in the 1950s and 1960s. They learned to make it in the lab more than half a century ago. Clinical studies now use it, along with psychotherapy, to treat mental health disorders.
Can psilocybin help with depression and anxiety?
Clinical trials show psilocybin may help manage depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other mental health problems when it is used with psychotherapy. Many current drugs take days to start working and help only some patients. Psilocybin may act fast and help rewire the brain. It is still being studied in clinics.
Why can’t doctors just prescribe magic mushrooms?
The strength of magic mushrooms varies a great deal from one mushroom to the next. Doctors need to know the exact dose they give a patient. Raw mushrooms cannot promise that. A pill made from purified psilocybin gives the same dose every time. It is also free of harmful impurities.
Why will psilocybin pills cost more than mushrooms?
Prescription psilocybin will be much purer than mushrooms and free of harmful impurities. Drug companies also have to pay for clinical trials, which cost hundreds of millions of dollars. They pay for the FDA approval process too. Those costs are built into the price of the pill, even though the mushrooms are cheap to grow.
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