International journal of medicinal mushrooms
January 1, 2025
Marcel Nogueira, Solimary García-Hernández, Gleicy Sotéro Roberto et al.
2 citations
Psilocybin mushrooms pose a very low risk to public health in Brazil compared to other drugs, with no deaths reported over 15 years. Among over 112,000 people seeking medical help for drug-related events, only 13 cases involved psilocybin mushrooms, leading to 6 hospitalizations (0.02% of all drug-related hospitalizations) and no fatalities. Alcohol was the most common agent, and most deaths were linked to cocaine. The findings suggest that current drug policy, which classifies psilocybin as having high abuse potential, overlooks its therapeutic properties and should be re-evaluated for evidence-based regulation to allow safe clinical and ceremonial use.
medRxiv
July 12, 2024
Marcel Nogueira, Solimary García-Hernández, Gleicy Sotéro Roberto et al.
1 citation
preprint
Psilocybin mushrooms pose a very low risk of adverse events requiring medical attention in Brazil. Analyzing over 112,000 drug-related reports from 2007 to 2022, only 13 involved psilocybin mushrooms, with no deaths and a hospitalization rate of 46.2% (6 cases), representing just 0.02% of all hospitalizations. By contrast, alcohol accounted for 49.2% of toxic agent reports and 45.0% of hospitalizations, while cocaine was linked to 33.3% of deaths. The findings suggest current drug policy, which classifies psilocybin as high abuse potential, may not reflect its actual public health risk, supporting evidence-based regulatory discussions for clinical and ceremonial use.
International Journal of Drug Policy
February 18, 2026
Marcel Nogueira, Solimary García-Hernández, Gleicy Sotéro Roberto et al.
The legal status of psilocybin mushrooms in Brazil is ambiguous, creating legal uncertainty and arbitrary enforcement despite growing global interest in their therapeutic and ceremonial use. This commentary argues that a coherent regulatory approach must integrate scientific evidence, Indigenous knowledge, and ethical governance. It draws on academic literature, media reports, jurisprudence, and insights from ayahuasca regulation. The authors emphasize the need for Indigenous leadership in decision-making and protection of traditional knowledge, consistent with international frameworks like the World Health Organization's Global Traditional Medicine Strategy and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. They call for formal deliberative spaces by ANVISA and CONAD to develop evidence-based, culturally sensitive policies.