In 1957, Albert Hofmann, creator of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), synthesized psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic” mushrooms. Psilocybin is a notable psychedelic in recent psychotherapeutic research, a powerful substance that has reportedly caused feelings of spiritual revelation and “out-of-body experiences.” As a serotonergic hallucinogen, psilocybin displays a similar ability to induce non-ordinary experiences as other serotonergic psychedelics in its class. Namely, these are themes that are cognitive in nature—illustrating emotional, intellectual, spatial, and visual changes that vary from what is typically experienced during the waking reality. 

The two decades following the discovery of psilocybin were filled with clinical experiments conducted by psychiatrists, scientists, and mental health professionals. Researchers  explored the inherent spiritual properties of psilocybin and utilized this substance as a  therapeutic aid for psychiatric diagnoses such as schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, and more. In 1970, however, the Department of Justice listed psilocybin as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act—making further research on the psychedelic illegal and implying that the drug had no accepted medical use. Fortunately, in 2000, a research group at Johns Hopkins’ Center for Psychedelic and Conscious Research began regulatory research with several psychedelics, including psilocybin. Specifically, researchers investigated the psychological effects of psychedelics on mood and cognition, as well as brain function and biological markers of health. In addition, researchers examined the possible therapeutic effects of psilocybin for Alzheimer’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and major depression. Psilocybin research began to take place in medical communities around the world and in November of 2020, Oregon became the first state in the United States to legalize the entheogen.

Should we expect other states to follow Oregon’s decision to legalize psilocybin mushrooms? Maybe. Psilocybin is now undergoing clinical trials to further examine its role in treating depression. It is expected that psilocybin treatments could be made available as early as 2024 if research allows. Who will be the next state to legalize these “magic” mushrooms?

-Samiah Woods, MS-Medical Sciences Candidate 2022