Psychedelic Mushroom Chocolate: A Dangerous Delicacy

What Is Mushroom Chocolate?

Magic mushrooms – also known as shrooms, mushies, Amani, and philosopher's stones – are cultivated mushrooms. These mushrooms contain a psychoactive and hallucinogenic compound called psilocybin, which was first isolated in 1958 by Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann, who also discovered LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide).

Shrooms often look like dried ordinary mushrooms with long, thin stems that are whitish-gray. They usually have dark brown caps that are light brown or white in the center. Dried mushrooms tend to be a rusty color with certain off-white areas.

These magic mushrooms can be eaten, mixed with food, or brewed as tea for drinking. Mushrooms tend to create the strongest high or “trip” when eaten, but the reported poor taste has resulted in thousands of recipes like mushroom chocolate.

Mushroom chocolate refers to chocolate recipes that contain mushrooms. Mushroom chocolate bars are especially common shroom-related desserts that make it easier for users to consume them. Despite these new recipes, many users fail to realize the dangers of psychedelic mushrooms.

Many users don’t understand their potential for abuse and their ability to affect brain function. People with mushroom dependence often require detox and other forms of care, like our Philadelphia substance abuse programs, to recover both physically and mentally.

How Does Magic Mushroom Chocolate Work?

Magic mushrooms are hallucinogenic drugs, meaning they make users see, hear, and feel sensations that seem real but aren't. Mushroom chocolate, or magic mushrooms, contains psilocybin, which is modified in the body to psilocin after ingestion.

Both compounds are hallucinogens that work by promoting a loop of communication between neurons, contributing to neurotransmitter release. Psilocybin in mushrooms mimics a chemical called serotonin, a neurotransmitter related to feelings of happiness and well-being that contribute to the euphoric high that’s the common catalyst to psychedelic drug use.

Mushroom Chocolate Effects on the Brain

Below is a breakdown of how chocolate shroom bars work in the brain and body:

• Ingestion: When someone ingests chocolate that contains mushrooms, psilocybin is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Conversion to psilocin: Psilocybin is metabolized by enzymes in the liver into its active form, psilocin.
• Activating serotonin: Psilocin binds to serotonin receptors in the brain, causing changes in neural activity. These changes occur primarily in regions associated with perception, emotion, and thought processes.
• Psychedelic effects: The particular effects of magic mushroom chocolate can vary depending on the individual's dosage, set, and setting. However, it’s common for users to experience hallucinations, changes in perception of time, and profound insights when high.
• Duration and aftereffects: While the duration of the chocolate mushroom’s psychedelic experience can vary, the effect usually lasts several hours. However, aftereffects, such as enhanced mood and increased introspection, may persist for days or even weeks.

The effects of magic mushrooms in chocolate are variable, however, and are often influenced by environmental factors. Magic shrooms also have a long history of association with spiritual experiences, awakenings, and self-discovery.

Many believe that natural drugs like mushrooms, marijuana, and mescaline are sacred herbs that allow people to attain superior spiritual states and awakenings. Others take them for the sense of euphoria and distorted perception they produce.

Despite the many ways these substances are used and taken, they are Schedule I drugs for a reason. Long-term mushroom use can contribute to various mental and physical side effects. Drug use, in general, tends to promote relationship problems and makes it difficult for people to hold down their jobs.

Drug abuse also increases the chance of risky behavior and often opens the door to other forms of substance abuse. If you or someone you know is experimenting with substance abuse and is battling addiction, our addiction rehab in Philadelphia can help.

Psychedelic Mushroom Chocolate Bars Effects

Chocolate mushrooms’ effects are similar to those of taking shrooms on their own. The psilocybin in shrooms converts to psilocin in the body, producing an altered sense of perception and other adverse side effects. The effects of chocolate mushrooms begin around 20 to 40 minutes after ingestion and can last up to 6 hours.

Some common side effects of mushroom chocolate include:

• Dilated pupils
• Drowsiness
• Headaches
• Increased heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased body temperature
• Lack of coordination
• Muscle weakness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Distorted sense of time, place, and reality
• Euphoria
• Hallucinations (visual or auditory)
• Anxiety
• Paranoia
• Psychosis

All hallucinogens carry the risk of producing mental and physical reactions and contributing to accidents while under the influence. Magic mushrooms and products containing them are most common among adolescents and young adults. Shrooms and alcohol are also mixed frequently to increase the severity of physical and psychological side effects.

The severity of chocolate mushroom's effects is greatly dependent on the amount of psilocybin in any given shroom, which is usually unknown. Because the psychoactive components in mushrooms aren't measurable, the high feelings or side effects a person experiences can be unpredictable. This unpredictability means it's hard to tell how long the "trip" will last, how intense it will be, and whether it will be a pleasant or a scary one.

Consuming shrooms can lead to a variety of side effects that range from feelings of relaxation to sheer panic marked by hallucinations, delusions, and anxiety. Long-term use of magic mushrooms and products that contain them can also lead to physical dependence, making it difficult to stop using over time. People with drug addictions often struggle in their relationships, finances, and jobs because they prioritize their habits over everything else.