We’ve already discussed the Psilocibe in depth; of the psychoactive mushrooms in the world, the family psilocybe is the safest to eat and most illegal to possess. So what do you do if you want a mind bending trip without the chance of getting caught? A dispensary in Florida has the solution for you.
Amanita muscaria, or the fly agaric, is the quintessential mushroom. Seriously. When you think of a cottage in the woods, a red domed, white speckled, ringed mushroom (probably next to an old fence) is the one that pops into your mind. Not only is it incredibly popular in art, but it is also extremely hallucinogenic, albeit with a small twist. The twist being that you might get seriously sick or die upon ingesting it. Some side effects include vomiting, dizziness, severe confusion, distorted vision, seizures, and even comas. That’s where the Florida based Chillum Mushroom and Hemp Dispensary comes in. They sell Muscaria in edible or smokable forms, and ship their product around the US. And wouldn’t you know it! There have already been problems. Seizures, comas, and other serious known side effects of Muscaria were documented in people who bought products containing the mushroom. However, far from a dangerous, despicable organism, the Muscaria mushroom has a long and important past, and is even safe when used correctly.
While the was the mushroom worshiped in south and central America, the Muscaria was the favored mushroom of native tribes in Siberia and other northern latitudes. Its symbiotic relationship with pine trees is conducive to the dark forests of the north, and it’s much more easy to see and identify than the Psilocibe. Native shaman would ingest the mushroom, then their followers would drink their urine; sounds strange, but there is some science behind it. Remember the twist from earlier? Depending on how the mushroom interacts with you and how much you ate, you could be seeing stars or having a seizure on the ground. When a shaman who knows the correct dosage for their body ingests a mushroom, they suffer few ill side effects, and their urine contains enough hallucinogenic compounds for their followers to drink and have a psychoactive experience from. In this way, risk is mitigated through multiple screens; Ancestral knowledge and the shaman protect the users from possible negative side effects, and everyone has a good time.
The modern products made from Muscaria have none of the safety associated with traditional methods. As with all gummies, it’s impossible to know how much product you get when you eat one. You could get enough to give you a mild high, or enough to kill you. And with the gray area of regulation that Muscaria falls under, it’s unlikely that the government will do anything more than ban it in the US. For now, it’s better to leave Muscaria alone. As Paul Staments, the father of mushrooms, attests that it’s “…one of the most dangerous mushrooms,” causing “temporary insanity.” But, if you want to roll the dice on your health, Muscaria is completely legal in the US. I wouldn’t recommend it though.