NAMES
'shrooms, mushies
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE/HOW IT'S TAKEN
- Several types of magic mushroom grow wild in the UK. The main type is the Liberty Cap mushroom (Psilocybe Semilanceata}.
- There are also species that look similar to magic mushrooms but which are poisonous.
- Magic mushrooms are eaten raw, dried, cooked in food or stewed into a tea.
- While it isn't illegal to possess raw magic mushrooms, it is an offence to possess any preparation of them (e.g. when they're dried or stewed).
- Magic mushrooms, when prepared, are Class A drugs.
THE EFFECTS
- Magic mushrooms have a similar effect to LSD, but the trip is often milder and shorter.
- Magic mushrooms can make users feel very relaxed and 'spaced-out'. The effects depend on the user's mood where they are and who they're with.
- Magic mushrooms may cause hallucinations - objects, colour and sound become distorted.
- A trip tends to last about 4 hours.
THE RISKS
- Magic mushrooms often cause stomach pains, sickness and diarrhoea.
- Eating the wrong kind of mushroom can also cause serious illness and even fatal poisoning.
- If users feel sick they should go straight to hospital with a sample of the mushroom and explain what's happened.
- Bad trips can happen and can be very frightening. Once the trip has started, there's no going back.
- Like any hallucinogen, magic mushrooms can complicate mental problems.
THE LAW
Class A when prepared.
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