OH: US should legalize psychedelic shrooms
When you ask someone to describe what a mushroom looks like, they will most likely imagine those funny-looking brown-capped vegetables that can be found in some of our favorite dishes.
But there was once a time when people used mushrooms for therapeutic purposes. These are not the kinds of mushrooms available at your local grocery store because these mushrooms are considered psychedelics.
Since most people have never even tried these psychedelic mushrooms before and there are so many varieties of psychedelic mushrooms, I feel it is best to explain the differences between typical mushrooms and psychedelic mushrooms.
Psychedelic mushrooms (magic mushrooms) contain psilocybin, which is the main ingredient in these psychedelic mushrooms that produce psychoactive effects.
There are more than 200 different species of psychedelic mushrooms, and some species have unique physical features.
But according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), psilocybin mushrooms share some general characteristics with each other. They have long, slender stems, topped off with caps which are typically dark brown around the edges and light brown or white at the center. If dried properly, the psychedelic mushrooms are rusty brown with isolated off-white areas.
It is hard to describe what it feels like to be tripping on psychedelic mushrooms to someone who has never experienced it, but there are a few benefits to the user psychologically, including treating depression, substance abuse and cancer-related psychological distress.
There is a documentary on Netflix called "Fantastic Fungi," which details the experience of tripping on psychedelic mushrooms and the overall benefits of using psychedelic mushrooms, as well as how psilocybin changed some people's perspectives on life.
This documentary is probably the best way to experience tripping on mushrooms without having to actually ingest them. In addition to all of the benefits I listed above, this documentary does a very good job of addressing common concerns regarding psychedelic mushrooms.
So, why are psilocybin mushrooms illegal? Similar to cannabis and every other drug banned by the DEA, former President Richard M. Nixon classified psilocybin mushrooms as Schedule 1 drugs — drugs with high potential for abuse with no currently accepted medical use.
I have listed my complaints in a previous article explaining why the scheduling of these drugs does not make sense. Like cannabis, the fact that psilocybin can be compared with heroin and Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (more commonly known as roofies) just does not add up.
One, psilocybin does not have addictive properties. The human body rapidly develops tolerance to the drug.
Second, there are no physical symptoms linked with withdrawal from psilocybin.
That does not mean magic mushrooms do not have adverse effects. People ingesting magic mushrooms may experience muscle spasms and confusion. In addition, for some, mushrooms may lead to paranoia, nausea or psychosis.
The most common way to ingest mushrooms safely is to either make a tea or create a lemon tek (lemon technique). This is a practice of soaking psilocybin mushrooms in lemon juice before ingesting them.
One reason why some people prefer lemon teks over consuming mushrooms raw is that lemon juice helps break down the cell walls of psilocybin mushrooms, which is the cause of nausea and vomiting when ingesting these mushrooms. The other reason is that the effects apparently become more potent than when ingested in any other form.
All this is not to undermine the experiences of others who have tried psychedelic mushrooms. A couple of people I know do not like psilocybin because they had a bad trip.
Now, there are many conspiracy theories, such as Jesus being a psychedelic mushroom. I do not subscribe to those theories, nor do I believe that magic mushrooms are the key to solving all of our problems. But I do believe that psychedelic mushrooms can help people who are suffering from an unhealthy state of mind.
I would love to see a future where these mushrooms are fully legalized, but unfortunately, it is kind of hard to imagine at the moment. There are many false narratives surrounding psychedelics, like how psychedelics will put a hole in your brain.
But we should realize the problematic source of these criticisms and legalize psychedelic shrooms.
Jesse Oh is a senior in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Communications and Information majoring in economics and journalism and media studies. Oh’s column, "What's Going On Outside of Rutgers?" runs on alternate Tuesdays.
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