Interest in magic mushrooms has been growing steadily in recent years, with shrooms now probably more popular in the 2020s than they have been since the 1960s. Part of this is simply people's interest in their psychedelic effects, but also because of increased scientific research promoting psilocybin mushrooms as potential therapy for mental conditions such as treatment-resistant depression.
This has led to even more experimentation, with a new question being raised: can you smoke shrooms?
Broadly speaking, the answer is "Technically yes, but you probably don't want to." In this article, we'll look into how magic mushrooms work, how some people are attempting to smoke them, and why it's almost certainly not a good idea.
What adds the magic to magic mushrooms is simple: a chemical known as psilocybin. While this compound is inert on its own, when it's ingested the body converts it into a similar chemical called psilocin.
Psilocin, in turn, triggers serotonin receptors in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects mood, memory, emotional state, visual processing, and more. By triggering the serotonin receptors, the user goes on a psychedelic trip.
The effects are often compared to those of LSD or DMT. The user experiences visual and auditory hallucinations, and may have wild mood swings from euphoric to depressive. Spiritual experiences such as out-of-body trips or contact with non-human beings are also reported. Psilocin trips may be 'good' or 'bad,' and the effects will vary between users and even between sessions.
Magic mushrooms have been used for both recreation and spiritual attainment throughout most of human history. Broadly speaking, they're among the safer psychedelics. That said, psilocin is still an illegal controlled substance in most areas.
Traditionally, magic mushrooms have always been consumed orally: either eaten directly, or sometimes dried and brewed into teas. Now, people are wondering what happens if you smoke mushrooms.
We should mention upfront that there has been zero scientific research into this topic. All discussion is based on known chemical properties of psilocin, and anecdotal reports. However, the sum of those reports is: "What happens if you smoke shrooms? Not much."
In theory, smoking shrooms is easy enough. Dry them out, grind them into a powder, and sprinkle that powder into another smokable product - typically either tobacco or marijuana. Then smoke it.
However, there's a big problem here: psilocybin, the precursor to psilocin, breaks down quickly in high heat. Reports of the exact temperature vary, but the melting point seems to be in the area of 400F, according to the Merck Index. If the psilocybin is burned away before the body has a chance to convert it into psilocin, it's impossible for a trip to occur.
Meanwhile, temperatures required to ignite tobacco or marijuana are typically higher than the melting point of psilocybin. Certain strains of marijuana start burning around 400F as well, and go upwards from there. Or, tobacco requires roughly twice the heat as marijuana. So from a very basic chemical perspective, it seems very unlikely that you could get much of a trip from smoking shrooms in this way. By the time you have inhalable smoke, the active ingredient has been destroyed.
For lack of actual research, we can also turn to that great repository of anecdotal evidence: Reddit. Redditor comments in a handful of threads over the years run along similar lines. Those who have tried to smoke mushrooms report minimal effects, if any. Some have reported nausea, or "feeling weird" with few or no positive effects.
Comments supporting the practice are nearly nonexistent. At the moment, that's the closest thing to a ""scientific"" consensus we have.
So if you won't get much positive effect if you smoke mushrooms, are there dangers to trying it? Unfortunately, yes. There are two big issues to be aware of:
We're not here to lecture you, but the simple fact is that inhaling any kind of smoke will do at least a little damage to the lungs. It's unavoidable. Therefore smoking mushrooms will always be more harmful than eating them or drinking them as tea.
Wild mushrooms - or even those grown in greenhouses - can easily pick up mold spores while growing, and some strains of mold can resist high heat. Therefore, any time a person smokes mushrooms, there's at least a small chance of inhaling mold spores as well.
This can be dangerous as it would trigger mold allergies, if a person has them. In addition, the spores themselves can potentially cause lung inflammation or infection. Someone with a compromised immune system would be particularly at-risk.
To be clear, the odds of this happening seem to be fairly low - but it's also an unnecessary risk, with no real benefit.
In short, there is simply no real evidence to support the idea that it's a good idea to smoke mushrooms.
In all likelihood, the active ingredient - psilocybin - is destroyed by the process of smoking, and there are some risks associated with the act of smoking shrooms. When very few people, if any, are reporting positive effects from consuming mushrooms in this way, there's just no real reason to try it.
If you want to experiment with magic mushrooms or psilocin, do it in more traditional ways. The best option for those seeking psychological relief would be to partner with a psychiatrist willing to engage in experimental therapy. Otherwise, do as our ancestors did and consume them orally.
As always, be sure to do plenty of research and be aware of local laws regulating psilocybin mushrooms and psilocin. Be informed, and stay safe!