Could a Mushroom Chocolate Bar Be the Next Psychedelic Experience?

Recently, Dreamland Psychedelics introduced the first-ever legal psychedelic chocolate bar in California, claiming that the bar (which includes psilocybin mushrooms) provides euphoric relaxation, enhanced sensory perception, and increased empathy and connection to others. But how effective is this new chocolate bar? Could it be as successful as LSD in the 1960s and 1970s? Do its ingredients make it safe for consumption? Could it be effective on those suffering from depression or anxiety?

The history of psychedelics

For millennia, humans have explored their minds with an array of psychoactive substances. Ancient cultures chewed magic mushrooms, snorted cocaine and inhaled opium through pipes, while others ingested peyote or psilocybin mushrooms in spiritual ceremonies. More recently, some people have turned to psychedelics as medicine to treat depression and addiction. These drugs also influence creativity and may even explain why some people see music or art as spiritual experiences.

What are psilocybin mushrooms?

Psilocybin mushrooms are naturally occurring fungi, that contain psilocybin, a psychedelic compound. Psilocybin mushrooms have been used in religious rituals for thousands of years, but until recently were thought to only occur in nature.

How do you prepare magic mushrooms

There are many different ways to prepare magic mushrooms, and each method can result in a totally different experience. How do you prepare magic mushrooms? The best way is not to! But if you really want to get your hands on some psilocybin mushrooms, one of these five methods may be best for you: grow them, buy them, hunt for them (with permission), pick them, or download them.

The effects of mushrooms

Mushrooms contain tryptophan, which is essential for making serotonin. While most people associate serotonin with feelings of happiness, it’s also critical for: learning and memory, sexual gratification and libido, restful sleep (serotonin is secreted when you fall asleep), and pain relief. This compound has been isolated as a way to treat depression and anxiety.

Are there any benefits to eating magic mushrooms?
A London-based startup is currently testing out a magic mushroom chocolate bar, which they hope will be ready to market in early 2016. If all goes according to plan, their bar may become one of many exotic foods people consume in an attempt to induce altered states of consciousness (ASCs).

Will I trip if I eat a chocolate bar that contains psilocybin mushrooms?
If you’re wondering whether or not you’ll trip from eating mushrooms (the kind found in chocolate bars, rather than growing wild on your front lawn), there are two things to consider: 1) how potent is the chocolate bar? and 2) how much experience do you have with psychedelic drugs. The active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms is psilocybin, and when extracted, it can be measured in units called micrograms.

Do psilocybin-laced chocolate bars get you high like LSD?

Most psychedelic drugs, including LSD and mushrooms, are illegal in most countries. One company is hoping to change that by creating chocolate bars laced with psilocybin—the naturally occurring psychoactive compound found in magic mushrooms.

Is this legal in America, can I use it as an alternative to illegal drugs?

It is legal to use psylocybin mushrooms recreationally in many countries, including Mexico. But in America, a country where illicit drugs are widely used and readily available on street corners, even when it’s legal to use psychedelic mushrooms, they won’t have access to it unless they have connections with people who can grow or obtain mushrooms.

Should people with schizophrenia eat these psychedelic chocolate bars instead of taking prescribed meds?
The chocolate bars, which are made by San Francisco-based startup accelerator Nootrobox, contain proprietary blends of ingredients like L-theanine and bacopa monnieri. Nootrobox sells a series of branded cognitive nutrition products marketed to help people with attention issues focus or sleep better.