Can You Smoke Shrooms? What You Should Know

A question frequently asked is: Can you smoke shrooms? Shrooms, more commonly known as ‘magic mushrooms,’ are among the most well-known psychedelics. People consume them, cook with them, and make juice with them, but are they smoked?

Shrooms have been the focus of ongoing research on anxiety and depression due to their potential to trigger euphoria. Other mental health issues, including addiction, posttraumatic stress disorder, and eating disorders, have slowly entered the picture.

In this article, we will answer if you can smoke shrooms by examining what magic mushrooms are, the effects of the drug, methods of use, and how Oasis Recovery can help if addiction develops.

You can smoke shrooms, but the effects are not the same as ingesting them. 

What Are Magic Mushrooms? 

Magic mushrooms, also known as shrooms or mushrooms, contain the drugs psilocybin or psilocin. These drugs cause hallucinations. Psilocybin powder can be in capsule form as well. Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic compound that can be eaten fresh or dried. Snorting or injecting powdered psilocybin is also possible. Powdered psilocybin may be steeped in tea, added to cooked foods, or added to fruit juice.

Within 30 minutes of eating mushrooms, you may experience a wide variety of effects, including seeing music or colors, hearing sounds, tasting food, or feeling weightless or heavy. The effects will peak after the first few hours. 

Some mushroom species resemble psilocybin mushrooms but are, in fact, toxic. If you eat one of these mushrooms, you may suffer liver damage or even die. It is illegal to cultivate, distribute, or possess mushrooms. If you violate the law, you may be incarcerated or fined. 

How Do People Get High From Shrooms?

Hallucinogenic drugs are thought to alter a person’s sensory perceptions by targeting neural pathways in the brain that use serotonin. Users may see images, hear sounds, and experience sensations that seem real but are, in fact, unreal when they consume hallucinogenic substances. Symptoms of a mushroom high typically appear within 20 to 90 minutes, but their effects can last up to 12 hours. Users may vary in their experiences based on their personality, mood, expectations, and environment. A person under the influence of LSD or other hallucinogens may experience drug-induced psychosis—a disruption in their ability to recognize reality, think rationally, or communicate with others. Users describe LSD and other hallucinogenic experiences as “trips” and adverse or undesirable experiences as “bad trips.” 

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, shrooms affect neural highways in the brain that use the neurotransmitter serotonin to create most of their effects. Magic mushrooms, in addition to other hallucinogenic substances like LSD or peyote, are believed to influence the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which regulates abstract reasoning, thought evaluation, and mood and perception. Magic mushrooms can cause the following: 

• Paranoia
• Panic Attacks
• Relaxation
• Slowed reaction time
• Introspection
• Nausea 
• Hallucinations
• Intensified senses
• Increased heart rate
• Delusions

Can You Smoke Shrooms? 

You can, of course, smoke shrooms, but whether or not you’ll experience psychedelic effects is unclear. You can roll dried shrooms into a cigarette or mix them with tobacco or marijuana to smoke them. Psilocybin crystals are also sometimes smoked in pipes, but neither of these options is a good idea. 

There is no research on what occurs when you smoke shrooms, so the only accounts available are from individuals who have smoked shrooms and published them on internet forums like Reddit. A handful of shroom smokers mention that it creates a gentle high, but it does not have the psychedelic effects of taking a handful of pills or drinking a tea mixture. 

According to the majority, smoking shrooms is an utter waste of time, aside from nausea. Temperature may be responsible for the lack of psychological impacts. Psilocybin degrades when it is hot, so smoking shrooms destroys the primary compound responsible for its psychedelic effects. 

Eating Vs. Smoking Shrooms

Magic mushrooms are typically eaten. The user will usually eat them raw or dry them out and grind them up in a powder and add them to a smoothie or tea, but most people prefer to simply eat them. Micro-dosing is particularly popular when people consume mushrooms.

Smoking shrooms is not popular and produces a much more mild effect or “high” if it produces any at all. Inhaling mold spores while smoking shrooms can increase your lung infection risk. When smoking shrooms, certain mold species can adversely affect your health. Certain mold spores in mushrooms can increase your risk of lung inflammation and infections if you have an allergy, a preexisting lung condition, or an immune system that is weakened.

The Dangers Of Smoking Shrooms

The health risks associated with smoking shrooms are numerous. Moreover, there are unique concerns with taking shrooms. In addition to being harmful to your health, all forms of smoke are harmful. Lung damage and lung cancer are two of the potential consequences of inhaling toxins and particulates in smoke.

Unlike THC in cannabis, smoking shrooms does not activate the psilocybin’s psychoactive effects, and exposing them to direct flame can degrade most of the psilocybin in the plant, in addition to potentially exposing the smoker to fungal infection through mold spores (Histoplasmosis). 

There is also the risk of accidentally taking a higher dose of shrooms when smoking. As it is more difficult to control the quantity of psilocybin, individuals may ingest more than intended. While smoking shrooms does not produce much of a trip, it can still lead to hallucinations, erratic behavior, and an altered sense of reality. 

The Danger Of Taking Shrooms With Other Substances

Mixing shrooms with other substances, such as alcohol and weed, can be dangerous and is generally not recommended. Alcohol can have unpredictable effects when combined with psilocybin, and it can intensify the side effects of shrooms, such as nausea and vomiting. Mixing weed with shrooms can intensify the psychedelic effects and lead to a more intense and potentially overwhelming experience. 

It’s essential to be aware that the effects of mixing drugs can be unpredictable and may increase the risk of negative side effects, including anxiety, paranoia, and psychosis. It is always recommended to avoid mixing drugs and to use caution and moderation when using any substances.

Smoking Shrooms With Weed

Before taking mushrooms, some individuals may consume cannabis to reduce nausea or anxiety. These substances may also augment the experience and prolong the effects of mushrooms. However, these results are based solely on anecdotal evidence, as there isn’t enough research behind these practices. While there may not be much health risk on the surface, there is no way of knowing for sure. These substances should be avoided because of the absence of factual evidence and research.

Smoking Shrooms With Acid

Taking acid, also known as LSD, with mushrooms can make the side effects of both drugs more severe, which is not favorable. Your risk of having a bad trip, particularly if you’ve had one before, may be increased if you combine shrooms and acid. Serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition that is caused by an overwhelming amount of serotonin, might also be enhanced by combining these drugs. While some people begin with a small dose of a drug in order to tolerate the joint effects of these drugs, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

Smoking Shrooms With Alcohol

Mixing shrooms and alcohol can be dangerous. People who mix shrooms and alcohol may also experience a “bad trip,” which includes frightening hallucinations and feelings of misery. Users of hallucinogens typically suffer from impaired self-awareness, preventing them from recognizing or remembering the amount of alcohol they’ve consumed. Combining shrooms and alcohol might also impair coordination, lower inhibitions, and poor motor skills. This may leave the person unprotected from other risks and lead to dangerous behavior.

Treatment For Magic Mushroom Abuse 

It is often difficult for individuals with a substance addiction to recognize their problematic usage patterns. Fortunately, several structured treatment options exist for concerned individuals to approach a mushroom addict. 

It may be hard for loved ones of persons with substance abuse issues to determine where to begin. The first step is often the most critical. When working with an addiction treatment specialist, a local mental health treatment facility is usually the best choice. The treatment specialist can assist in determining the best course of action. Working with the individual or creating a team to perform an intervention may be involved. 

There is no proof that individuals who frequently use psilocybin will develop any physical addiction to the drug, but problematic usage patterns may still develop. Individuals who compulsively abuse psilocybin may benefit from an addiction treatment program in an inpatient setting. Inpatient settings allow patients to remove themselves from personal and environmental factors that might trigger a relapse so they can concentrate exclusively on their recovery. 

Oasis Recovery is Here to Help

Addiction can strike at any time. If you or a loved one are experiencing addiction or magic mushroom abuse, Oasis Recovery’s addiction treatment services and customized treatment plans can assist. 

Oasis Recovery was founded due to first-hand experience of addiction and recovery. The professionals at Oasis Recovery offer mental health care in addition to caring and open-minded rehabilitation for addiction at any stage. We believe that everybody can overcome their addiction. An addiction treatment program that meets your wants and needs is the top priority of our professional treatment specialists.

The experts at Oasis Recovery Center can assist you in overcoming your addiction. Please get in touch with us if you would like to learn more. You no longer need to struggle with your addiction on your own. We are here to help you.