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Psilocybe mushrooms

المؤلف:  Sue Jickells , Adam Negrusz (Editors)

المصدر:  Clarkes Analytical Forensic Toxicology

الجزء والصفحة:  56

2026-09-17

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Psilocybe mushrooms

The hallucinogenic substances psilocin and its phosphate ester psilocybin (Fig. 1) occur in a number of fungi, particularly those of the genus Psilocybe. These are small, brown/grey mush rooms that grow wild over large areas, although they are commonly cultivated under controlled conditions for abuse purposes. After ingestion, psilocybin is rapidly converted in the body to psilocin, which then acts as an agonist at the 5-HT_2A serotonin receptor in the brain where its effect is similar to that of 5-HT. Psilocin is also a 5-HT^1A and 5-HT_2A/2C agonist. The control for psilocybin varies between jurisdictions. Until recently in the UK, cultivation and possession of Psilocybe was not considered an offence, only the deliberate drying or processing of the mushroom constituted the preparation of a controlled drug. This situation has now changed, with cultivation and possession of Psilocybe considered an offence. In the US cultivation and possession of non-dried material are offences.

Figure 1 (A) Psilocin and (B) psilocybin.