Magic Mushrooms May Be the Safest Drug in the World

 Psilocybin, a hallucinogenic mushroom, may be the safest drug in the world, according to a new survey.

According to a new survey (note, that said ‘survey’, not study), psilocybin hallucinogenic ‘magic’ mushrooms are possibly the safest drug in the world.

For anyone still reading (or coming back to finish after a trip to the cow pasture for a basket of shrooms), the key word again is ‘survey’. The data comes from the Global Drug Survey 2017, which has a lot of interesting information if you can get past the mushroom news. According to its web site, GDS is an independent research company based in London whose mission is “to make drug use safer, regardless of the legal status of the drug, by sharing information with individuals, communities, health and policy organisations.” GDS does this by producing reports and “a range of drug education materials for health and legal professionals, the entertainment industry and the general public.” Read more

Remarkable Johns Hopkins Magic Mushroom Research

A Johns Hopkins University study found long-term health benefits from taking the mushroom psilocybin, which, of course, is illegal.

In 2002, at a Johns Hopkins University laboratory, a business consultant named Dede Osborn took a psychedelic drug as part of a research project.

She felt like she was taking off. She saw colors. Then it felt like her heart was ripping open.

But she called the experience joyful as well as painful, and says that it has helped her to this day.

"I feel more centered in who I am and what I'm doing," said Osborn, now 66, of Providence, R.I. "I don't seem to have those self-doubts like I used to have. I feel much more grounded (and feel that) we are all connected."

Scientists reported Tuesday that when they surveyed volunteers 14 months after they took the drug, most said they were still feeling and behaving better because of the experience. Read more