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Article by: Dylan Suzuki 

Magic mushrooms, also known as shrooms, psilocybe cubensis, are a psychedelic species of mushrooms. This means that they will get you high and lead you on quite the cognitive journey.

The primary compound responsible for the impacts of the magic mushroom plant is called psilocybin. There are around 200 species of fungus known to produce psilocybin. The effects of this compound include:

• Euphoria
• Visual and mental hallucinations
• Changes in perception
• Distorted sense of time
• Spiritual experiences

Psilocybin is a classic tryptamine hallucinogen that has similar properties to LSD and mescaline but a different chemical structure than either of those. Amongst the many neurobiological targets of psilocybin, the most well-known would be the strong agonist activity at 5-HT2A, a primary serotonin receptor.

The actions of psilocybin result in a cascade of neurobiological changes that can lead to increased wonder, awe, and self-awareness. With enhanced sensations and perceptions, individuals experience acute and vibrant blasts of sounds, tastes, sights, and smells. 

While the effects are potent, consumers generally report a tangible sense of control and focus throughout the trip. Just make sure you stay within your tolerance levels to avoid a bad trip. 

It is through these spiritual experiences that many people find insight through their psychedelic journey. Researchers have determined that psilocybin has the potential to help with a variety of mental health conditions. While most of these studies are small and will need more extensive replication trials, we can illuminate some of the lessons learned.

Combined, all of the studies demonstrate that psilocybin has minimal safety concerns lower addiction potential than many other drugs of abuse. Furthermore, there are potentially positive benefits for those plagued by:

• Suicidal thoughts
• Anxiety disorders
• OCD
• Alcohol use disorder
• Tobacco use disorder
• Specific symptoms

Ultimately, the researchers concluded that we badly need more research to determine how magic mushrooms can be used for a variety of mental health disorders. While we await this research, let’s switch to why we are all here: growing shrooms.

The cultivation of magic mushrooms has traditionally occurred in nature, where wild growing mushrooms are harvested. There is a strong community of magic mushroom pickers who also work hard to spread spores and create more significant future mushroom growth. For those who don’t live in the areas where mushrooms grow in the wild, growing magic mushrooms at home are the next best option.

The advantages of growing your own shrooms include:

• You can have a year-round supply.
• The low-cost advantage compared to buying shrooms.
• It’s fun and rewarding to grow mushrooms.

We’ll make sure you know everything you need to know about how to grow shrooms with this step-by-step guide. 

Alternatively, you can buy ready-to-use mushroom grow kits, which contain a living mycelium foundation for growth. 

With these kits, you generally only need to pay attention to humidity. But, there are several advantages to avoiding the cultivation kit. 

Creating your mycelium substrate produces more consistent results, lower odds of contamination, and overall similar price points compared to these kits.

If you want to learn how to grow mushrooms from scratch, we have all the information you need to avoid buying a grow kit. We’ll explore these steps one step at a time. You’ll learn all about fungi spores and mushroom cultivation. Before we get to the steps, we’ll answer a few key questions to help you start.

• Spore syringe, 10-12 cc
• Drinking water
• Organic brown rice flour
• Vermiculite (medium/fine)

• Hammer and small nail
• Measuring cup
• Mixing bowl
• Strainer
• Tin-foil
• 12 shoulderless half-pint jars with lids (canning jars, ball or Kerr jelly)
• Large cooking pot (with a tight lid)
• Small towel (or paper towel)
• Micropore tape
• Mist spray bottle
• Perlite
• Drill with a 1/4-inch drill bit
• Clear plastic storage box (around 50-115L) 

• Air sanitizer
• Surface disinfectant
• Rubbing alcohol
• Butane/propane torch lighter
• Latex gloves (optional)
• Surgical mask (optional)
• Still air or a glove box (optional)

Lucky for us all, the process is relatively straight-forward. All you got to do is prepare your mix, divide it up in the jars, introduce the spores, and wait for the mycelium growth to occur.

Mycelium creates a network of filaments that provide the environment for mushroom growth. It takes about 4-5 weeks to colonize your substrates, and then you transfer them to a fruiting chamber to begin the magic mushroom growth.

Hygiene is a significant concern that you should pay close attention to before and during the growth process. Use the air sanitizer, disinfect equipment and surfaces, and keep yourself clean (have a shower, brush your teeth, and wear clean clothes). 

The process only needs a small amount of space, but the environment must be as sterile as possible. None of us want bacteria and mould to grow and ruin our harvest.

Prepare your jars: with a disinfected hammer and nail, punch four holes evenly distributed through each lid.

Prepare your substrate: combine 2/3 cup vermiculite and 1/4 cup water in a mixing bowl for each jar. Use a disinfected strainer to drain excess water. Then, add 1/4 cup brown rice flour per half-pint jar to the mixing bowl and combine with the moist vermiculite.

Fill your jars: Without packing them tightly, fill the pots within a half-inch of the rims. Sterilize the remaining top half-inch of the jar. Top the jars with a layer of dry vermiculite to provide insulation from contamination.

Steam sterilize: Tightly screw the jars shut and cover the sides with tin foil. Make sure the tin foil completely covers the sides without blocking the holes. Loose edges can gather condensation, so avoid leaving any of these. Place the small towel inside your large cooking pot and place the jars on top of it without touching the pot base.

Fill the pot with tap water to halfway up the jars. Then bring the water to a boil while watching to ensure jars remain upright. Place the tight-lid on the pot and leave it to steam for 75-90 minutes. Add more water if the level gets low. Afterward, allow the jars to cool overnight or until room temperature.

Sanitize and Prepare Syringes: Heat your syringe with a lighter until the length of it glows red hot. Let it cool and then wipe it with alcohol (careful: it will be HOT). Pull back the syringe just a bit, and shake the syringe to spread out the spores. Use sterile gloves if needed, keep the area clean.

Inject Spores: Remove the tin foil from the jars and insert the syringe as far as it can go through one of the holes. Ensure the needle touches the side of the pot and inject about 1/4 cc of the spore solution. 

Repeat this process for each hole in the jar lid, wiping the needle with alcohol between each hole. Cover the holes with micropore and set them aside without tin foil. Repeat this process for each jar, continue to use the lighter to sterilize the needle, and wipe with alcohol.

Wait for the mycelium: Place the jars in a clean space. Avoid providing any direct sunlight to the jars and maintain a room temperature of around 70-80 °F. Between 7 and 14 days, you should see white and fluffy mycelium appear. If you note any signs of contamination, then play it safe and dispose of the jar safely.

Consolidation: After 3-4 weeks, you should have at least six jars successfully colonized. Provide another week of growth to ensure the mycelium is healthy. 

Make a fruiting chamber: drill 1/4 inch holes around 2 inches apart all over your plastic storage container, including the sides, base, and lid. 

The best way to avoid cracking is by drilling outward into a wooden block. Set the box on four objects to raise it above the ground. To prevent leakage moisture, you may want to cover the surface under the box.

Add perlite: run your perlite under cold tap water within a strainer. Let it drain until it stops dripping. Spread the perlite over the base of the grow chamber. Repeat this process until you have a 4-5 inch layer.

Birth your colonized substrates: Open the jars and remove the dry vermiculite layer. Turn each jar upside down and tap down onto a disinfected surface to release the intact cakes.

Dunk the cakes: Use cold tap water to rinse the cakes to remove loose vermiculate without damaging them. Fill a cooking pot with tepid water and place your cakes inside. Use another pot or object to submerge the cakes. Leave this pot at room temperature for about 24 hours.

Roll the cakes: Remove the cakes from the water onto a disinfected surface. Fill a mixing bowl with dry vermiculite and roll your cakes one at a time to thoroughly coat them.

Transfer to grow chamber: For each cake, cut out a piece of tin foil large enough to avoid contact with the perlite. Space these evenly inside the fruit chamber. Place the cakes on top of each tin foil and mist them with a spray bottle. Before you close the lid, fan the chamber with the cover a bit.

Monitor conditions: Mist the chamber four times per day to maintain humidity. Continue to use the lid to fan the chamber after misting and up to 6 times a day in total. While minimal light is needed, some prefer to use a fluorescent light on a 12-hour cycle. Ambient lighting will often get the job done.   

Watch for fruit growth: Once you see tiny white bumps, give the chamber 5-12 days to grow.

Pick your shrooms: Once they appear ready, cut the mushrooms off close to the cake. You do not need to wait for the end of growth, as this reduces potency slightly. Generally, the best time to harvest is right before the veil breaks. You should see the light cone-shaped caps with covered gills.

Mushrooms will only last a few weeks while stored in the fridge. If you want to store them for longer, drying is needed. This process will help keep them shrooms potent for 2-3 years in a cool dark place. They can last even longer in the fridge.

The cakes you’ve created can be used up to three times. All you need to do is let them dry out for a few days and then start the process from the dunking stage. Contaminants may begin to appear after the third time using them and dispose of them properly.

You can do this yourself by letting a mushroom grow until its cap has opened up, and edges turn upward. Look for dark purple deposits around the base. Remove the cap with a sterilized scalpel and place the gills down on a sterile paper sheet. 

Leave the cap for 24 hours while covered with a disinfected glass or jar. Store this cap in a plastic bag in a dark place. When you want to load a spore syringe, scape some of the spores into a glass or sterile and distilled water. 

Fill your syringe and then empty it back into the glass several times to distribute the spores. After your final fill, place the syringe in an airtight plastic bag.

After a few days spent at room temperature, the spores should be hydrated and ready to use. You can store the syringe in the fridge for up to two months.

The process might be a bit long-in-the-tooth, but learning how to grow magic mushrooms at home pays fantastic (and cheap!) dividends. 

With our guide, you’re prepared to hit it out of the park with your batch of homegrown shrooms.

Article by: Dylan Suzuki 

Shrooms, also known as magic mushrooms, have garnered a considerable amount of interest. 

From the Liberty Cap to the Golden Top — magic mushrooms can be found almost anywhere in the world. Hunted for their psychedelic effects and medicinal potential, both the public and scientific community have a renewed interest in the power of magical mushrooms; more commonly referred to as shrooms. 

These little fungi’s (pun intended) have a very strong impact on the body, and when taken in volume, it could lead to a bad “trip.” That said, those who’ve had a successful experience with the drug describe an intense outpouring of amazing thoughts and vivid imagery that circulate their consciousness. 

Despite how you feel about hallucinogenic shrooms, we wanted to provide a reference to give you all the information you’ll need about them, and how to safely dose them. 

Magic mushrooms can be either wild or cultivated, and contain a naturally-occurring hallucinogenic and psychoactive compound known as psilocybin; which is one of, if not the most well-known psychedelics. Classified as a Schedule I drug in the United States, a Schedule III in Canada (high risk for misuse) and a strong hallucinogen, it currently has no accepted medical uses in the United States, however, some cultures are known to use mushrooms for centuries. 

Western audiences, such as Gwyneth Paltrow’s personal staffers, have used psychedelic mushrooms to go on spiritual retreats. Their objectives ranged from self-exploratory to improving mental health, with some simply wanting to just feel more creative. 

They are prepared by being dried out, then eaten by themselves, or being mixed with food or drink. Magic mushrooms are known by many names including shrooms, blue meanies, mushies, golden tops, agaric, liberty caps, philosophers stones, and amani. 

The term itself is a generic one that is referencing any type of fungi that contains the chemical compound psilocybin, that when it gets digested into psilocin — it produces an altered state of consciousness and psychedelic experiences. 

Considering the fact that shrooms are a hallucinogenic drug, it can cause you to see, feel, and hear things that seem real, but aren’t. The overall effects of mushrooms will vary depending on several factors, but it’s believed one of the biggest impacts is one’s environment and headspace.

They have a long history of being associated with self-discovery and spiritual experiences— leaving many to believe that naturally occurring drugs like weed and mushrooms are sacred; enabling people to attain a high sense of spirituality. 

Some take mushrooms so they can feel a superior sense of connection, euphoria, and a disconnect with time. It does this by influencing serotonin levels and takes about 20 to 40 minutes to kick in, and the trip can last up to 6 hours. 

Several factors should be taken into consideration that determine the effects including age, weight, dosage, emotional state, personality, and environment. 

Now we know the compounds in mushrooms give users a feeling that is mind-melting, but according to research, it does the opposite; it technically boosts the connectivity in the brain. 15 volunteers were asked to undergo brain scans using an fMRI machine after ingesting a dose of mushrooms, and after taking a placebo.

The brain scans showed that under the influence, the brain synchronized activity in areas that aren’t usually connected. 

Like anything in life, we have to take the good with the bad.

Shrooms are known to cause yawning, drowsiness, yawning, feelings of euphoria, nervousness, paranoia, hallucinations, and psychosis.

As you can see, hallucinogens carry the risk of triggering emotional or mental issues or influencing accidents while under the influence. The actual amount of psilocybin in any variety of magic mushrooms or shrooms is unknown, with many of them varying greatly in their psychoactive constitution, which makes it near impossible to determine the length and intensity of a trip. 

With so many varieties of shrooms and magic mushrooms available out there, the “strain” itself can have a wide variety of effects. Some can be more mild and introspective while others shrooms could have the potential to take you for a wild ride if you’re not well prepared!

Popular strains of mushrooms can include Mexican Cubensis, Golden Teachers, and Mazatapec Mushrooms.  No matter the strain, these psychedelic mushrooms all have the following effects:

Physical effects:

• Drowsiness
• Headaches
• Dilated pupils
• Increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure
• Nausea
• Muscle Weakness
• Lack of coordination

Mental effects:

• Euphoria
• Hallucinations
• Distorted sense of place, reality, and time
• Spiritual experience
• Paranoia
• Panic
• Psychosis

Before we begin, we need to preface that no drug use is 100% safe, and this article was created to reduce harm. That said, magic mushrooms are illegal in most countries, and if you choose to use shrooms or buy shrooms Canada, please use caution.

There is no set dose in terms of mg, it is determined by weight in grams. It’s important to note that different strains have varying levels of psilocybin, and each mushroom will have different amounts in it. This is why it’s strongly recommended to start small and go slow. 

You’re most likely to have a good experience in a clinical setting with low doses, in fact, studies have found that users who take small doses are more likely to see long-lasting changes in behavior and attitude compared to users that started with high doses. 

For beginners, we recommend starting with 0.8 grams

For intermediate users, we recommend 1.6 grams to 3.2 grams

For experienced users, we advise you to stick to a maximum of 4.8 grams. 

It may be wise to start with a dose lower than 50% of what you normally take if you’re new to a certain strain, or one you don’t know the potency of as different strains have different potencies. Although weight can impact how much you should take, it doesn’t vary by much.

Magic Mushrooms aka Shrooms have a long history of use and with that, a lot of documented experiences — good and bad. The potential therapeutic benefits that are currently being studied by the scientific and medicinal communities are worth noting, and the recreational and spiritual aspects of it are worthy of respect. 

This includes using it with caution and using it wisely. 

Article by: Editorial Team

If you’re wondering what the best answer is on how to take shrooms, you’ve come to the right place.

The experience of magic mushrooms, also known as shrooms and psilocybin mushrooms, is a difficult one to describe. Many will describe the experience as spiritual and magical, and many more will go on to say that they’ve come out of the experience a better person.

At the same time, there’s a small percentage of users who have had a negative experience with the substance. So negative, in fact, that they swear off mushrooms entirely after suffering from one “bad trip.”

And if we’re being honest, we can’t entirely blame them. The effects felt from a bad trip can be incredibly unnerving and disorienting, leaving many to suffer from panic and anxiety attacks that can persist for hours.

Unlike weed and alcohol, learning how to take shrooms has a lot of factors that need to be taken into consideration. With psilocybin mushrooms, everything from the setting, the people you’re with, the dose you’re taking, and the method of consumption itself can all serve to impact the experience.

If you want to learn how to take magic mushrooms without suffering a bad or negative experience, keep on reading and we’ll give you the 411 on the best practices of shrooms consumption.

Shrooms is a nickname that’s short for a variety of mushrooms that contain the compound psilocybin. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring compound that’s present in over 180 different varieties of mushrooms, with may varying effects and degrees of potency.

These mushrooms have been used for centuries by many cultures around the world for religious and spiritual purposes, with some instances going as far back as 10,000BCE! In the west, this trend is starting to gain traction as well. Gwyneth Paltrow, for example, is reportedly using magic mushrooms to go on spiritual retreats with her staff.

While more research needs to be done on the topic, some studies attest to the therapeutic and mental health benefits that magic mushrooms are able to provide for its users.

For first time users, there’s a lot that needs to be taken into consideration before you embark on your first mushroom experience.

Depending on how much of the dried mushrooms you end up eating, you could either be in for a metaphorical walk in the park or a dive off the deep end.

As with any new substance (like edibles and weed concentrates), it’s important to never bite off more than you can chew. For first-timer and novice users, less is really more.

As a general guide, here’s how much you should be taking depending on your skill level:

Novice: 0.8 – 1 grams

Intermediate: 1.6 to 3.2 grams

Advanced: 3.2 grams and up

Similar to weed strains, the variety of mushrooms you choose to take has a huge effect on the kind of experience you’ll end up getting. Some variety of mushrooms, such as the Albino Penis Envy strain, are more potent than usual.

A gram of these might actually end up being the equivalent to a 3 grams or more of something milder, such as Golden Teacher Mushrooms.

For your first time, it’s best to go with a variety of mushroom that are milder such as:

Golden Teacher Mushrooms

Mexican Cubensis Mushrooms

Brazilian Cubensis Mushrooms

All 3 of these varieties are geared towards beginner psychonauts and are a good introduction into the realm of psychedelics.

This is another important element to consider when it comes to going on a psilocybin trip. Whether you eat your mushrooms raw, in a tea or smoothie, or as an edible can impact the onset time, the duration of the trip, and the side effects that come with it.

While you could definitely eat the mushrooms as they are, many prefer to either make a tea with it or to have it in a more palatable form in the way of candies and chocolates.

Brewing a mug of mushroom tea and adding lemon, ginger, or any of your other favourite accoutrements can actually serve to reduce nausea and discomfort that can accompany shrooms.

Having them in candy form, pictured above, can also get over the strong, pungent taste and slightly gummy texture that dried mushrooms tend to have.

In fact, shroom edibles might even prove for a more precise and controlled experience as you’re able to make sure exactly how much psilocybin you’re actually ingesting into your system. Mushroom edibles will tend to make use of psilocybin extract so it’s incredibly easy to find out how much you’re consuming with each dose or square.

Just like with weed edibles, biting off more mushrooms than you can chew will only serve to cause a bad trip.

Shrooms Edibles Could Provide a Better and More Palatable Experience Than Eating Dried Mushrooms Themselves. 

Allow yourself to wait anywhere from a half-hour to a full-hour after eating a dose before taking another. How much food you’ve eaten, your unique physiology, and how much water you’ve drunk can all influence the onset time of mushrooms.

If you’re not feeling anything after a few minutes, chances are yours shrooms need a bit more time to activate. Shrooms can keep up to a year when stored properly it’s unlikely that the batch you’ve gotten is bad or ineffective.

As with any substance, it’s important that you make the proper preparations before consumption, and that you’re ready to fully immerse yourself in the experience.

Beyond the dosage and the strain, we argue that the mood, setting, and company that you keep during your trip will a much larger impact on your overall experience than anything else. Make sure to surround yourself with people you trust, be in a safe setting – whether that’s inside your apartment or outside in a forest – and to let yourself lose control.