WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...PSYCHEDELIC MUSHROOMS

Peyote and psilocybin ("Magic mushrooms") are both hallucinogens. and produce effects similar to LSD

Peyote (pay-o-tee) The peyote cactus has been used by Native Americans for centuries as part of their religious practices and still is. It is normally dried and smoked but can also be eaten. The active ingredient in peyote is mescaline, which can produce extreme visual hallucinations. The effects of the drug lasts about 12 hours. According to the laws of the United States, the religious use of peyote by Native Americans is the only legal use of the drug.

Psilocybin (sil-o-sigh-bin) and Psilocyn (sil-o-sin) are chemicals obtained from certain mushrooms found in Mexico and Central America. Like peyote, the mushrooms have been used in native rites for centuries. Psilocybin and psilocyn can be produced synthetically and their effects can last up to six hours.

What do psychedelic mushrooms do to your body/mind?

The effects of mushrooms on the body are far less dangerous than the effects the drug has on the mind.

On a physical level, psychedelic mushrooms can cause:

• Nausea and vomiting

Mentally, psychedelic mushrooms affect the brain in so many ways that nothing about their effects can be predicted. Being on a mushroom induced "trip" increases heart rate and blood pressure. Visual perceptions are distorted and so is the user's perception of time. Mushrooms can also cause:

• Dilated pupils
• Sweating
• Mood and behavior changes
• Acute anxiety
• Depression
• Psychotic (mental) breakdown

ARE THEY ADDICTIVE?

No. Psychedelic mushrooms are not addictive. But they are potentially very dangerous as they can create permanent mental illness.

Find out more about Peyote,
Psilocybin and Psilocyn