Really?
With the medical literature replete with reports of the dangers of psilocybin, the active hallucinogenic ingredient in mushrooms, it’s hard to understand why any responsible medical group would use the words ‘hallucinogenic mushrooms’ and ‘safe’ in the same sentence. The danger of picking the wrong mushroom alone is enough reason not to legitimize the recreational use of psilocybin. In fact, the CDC just reported that 14 individuals including a child were recently poisoned by ingesting the aptly named death-cap mushroom in California. While all 14 survived, three required liver transplants and the toddler sustained permanent brain damage.
Are We Gradually Reintroducing the Drug Culture?
In recent years we have seen a gradual reintroduction of the drug culture into the American mainstream. The first step was to promote the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Many recognized that this was just a way for drug culture enthusiasts to get their foot in the door, since there has been no convincing confirmation that cannabis can do anything that legitimate pharmaceuticals can’t do. The next step was legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, as we have seen in a growing number of states. One must now wonder if this recent attempt to legitimize the use of magic mushrooms (affectionately known as ‘shrooms’ to those who trip out on them) isn’t just the next step in bringing back the drug culture that flourished during the 1960s. It was that same drug culture that lead to so many unintended negative consequences like Hepatitis C, early death from overdosing, homelessness and so on. In light of the current opioid addiction crisis, every responsible medical group must work together to stem the tide of this ‘recreational drug creep’ that seems to be insinuating itself back into our society.