John C.m. Brust

Psilocybin and Psilocin

March 9, 2000 John C.m. Brust

Psilocybin and psilocin are psychoactive compounds found in certain mushroom species, including Central American Psilocybe and US Panaeolus species. Mexican Native Americans have used these mushrooms ritually for thousands of years for their hallucinatory and psychedelic effects. In the 1980s, recreational use became popular among American adolescents. Surveys indicate 15% of American college students had used psilocybin mushrooms, compared to 5% who had used LSD. In California, 3.4% of seventh graders and 8.8% of eleventh graders reported using psilocybin-containing mushrooms. Mail-order catalogues sell spores for home cultivation. Cooking does not destroy the psychoactive compounds.