Magic Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years. Some researchers think they can be traced back to Afro-Indigenous cultures as far back as 9000 B.C. Peyote, morning glory seeds, ayahuasca and Magic mushrooms all have naturally occurring psychotropics that can be used to alter a person's mental state. Historically, these naturally occurring psychotropics were widely used among Indigenous tribes for spiritual journeys alongside a shaman.
How do Magic Mushrooms work? According to the Government of Canada website, the hallucinogenic properties within Magic Mushrooms are called psilocybin. Once these properties are ingested, they are broken by the liver, creating psilocin, which gets you high.
In the 1950s, a banker and ethnomycologist from New York went to Oaxaca, Mexico, to experience Magic Mushrooms for the first time. After his experience, he proclaimed that these mushrooms would be "the catalyst for humanity's advancement in language and religion." He published "Seeking the Magic Mushroom" in Life magazine, the first introduction of the term "Magic Mushroom" to North America.
During the 1960s, counterculture caused psychedelic drugs to increase until the Nixon administration banned them in the 1970s. But what about recently? Well, these drugs have been making a come back.
Banned throughout North America, researchers are starting to study the benefits of using them in a controlled environment to treat medical conditions.
In the last few years, studies have been conducted using these mushrooms in therapeutic settings to treat things such as cluster headaches, depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, addiction, and cancer, and they are showing promising results.
According to an article from The Psychadelic Society:
On August 4, Canada’s Health Minister Patty Hajdu granted, by way of a Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, permission for four terminally-ill Canadians to consume psychedelic drugs. The decision comes after months of careful maneuvering by TheraPsil, a Canadian non-profit seeking to treat end-of-life distress with psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms.
In 2016, the NYU School of Medicine conducted a study that saw a reduction in depression and anxiety as well as "decreases in cancer-related demoralization and hopelessness, improved spiritual wellbeing, and increased quality of life." This was after just one dose.
Magic mushrooms have been found to have few side effects, and they don't seem to cause physical dependence, like many drugs. According to the Global Drug Survey (GDS), 0.2% of those who took psilocybin reported they needed medical treatment, which was five times lower than MDMA or cocaine.
The two most concerning side effects are dangerous actions (thinking you can fly) and psychosis, but under the guidance of a trained professional, the hope is that these things can be managed.
But what about Canada?
TheraPsil, a non-profit based in Victoria, B.C, hopes to make Magic Mushrooms available to palliative care patients using Section 56 of Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The hope is that they can treat end-of-life distress with psilocybin. On August 4th, 2020, they granted permission to four terminally ill patients.
Dr. Sean O'Sullivan, an Ontario physician and the medical director of TheraPsil, says:
“Psychedelics open the doorways of the unconscious and allow previously repressed material to emerge into consciousness.
SEO - Using Google Trends, I typed out many different phrases in relation to "magic mushrooms." In that research, I found that the majority of the topics that are searched in relation to Magic Mushrooms include the word "legalize" and "psilocybin" if you search the terms "Canada Mushrooms," there are quite a lot of results, but narrowing it down to "Canada Magic Mushrooms" the results are still quite decent. I decided to stray from using the word "psilocybin" because even though it's the active ingredient in Magic Mushrooms (what gets you high), the majority of the population is unaware of that.
Hey Kayla, enjoyed reading your blog! I like how you broke down the history of mushrooms and how they work. One thing I'd say to improve on is that it seems like you're just taking articles and stats and hoping that they form your argument. I guess just try to add in your opinion, because to me it felt like you were just hoping that others will speak for you, and I couldn't pull out your opinion. Try to explain why YOU think it would be beneficial, like maybe agreeing with the stats. But overall, I still really liked it!
ReplyDeleteHi Kayla, I really enjoyed reading your article and I liked how you included some history as well. I also liked how concise your title is because it makes the reader want to read more on whether you will be "for" or "against" the topic. That being said, I think one thing you can improve on is making your opinion a little clearer throughout the article, instead of just listing the benefits and hoping the reader understands what your opinion is as they're reading. Other than that, great job!
ReplyDeleteHey Kayla, nice blog ! I like how the title of your blog is really clear and go straight to the point, I also like the fact that you put on a lot of examples and make sure that every was understandable. However, there is no real correlation between your points and it's probably because sometimes you forgot to put your own opinion about the subject.
ReplyDeleteHey Kayla, your article was quite interesting. I found your title was pretty straightforward and the picture was very captivating. The blog overall had a strong start but it was mostly referenced and didn't include your personal stance. Nevertheless it was good read!
ReplyDeleteHey Kayla, your article is interesting, and I also like the organization in your blog, this let me know the focus and content of the article, but it would be better if you could add more of your views in the paragraph. After all, your ideas and positions are also essential.
ReplyDeleteHi Kayla! I enjoyed reading your article! I thought you chose a eye-catching photo and your points were clearly written. One thing I think you could have improved on is integrating your own opinion into the post a little more. Good job!
ReplyDeleteHey Kayla. I enjoyed reading your article. The title you chose is good, and simple. The other thing that I was unaware of this term "magic mushroom", and I am glad that I learn something from this blog post. You did great research. I think your text size should be large for this post because sometimes it is hard to read on screen. Overall, I like your blog post.
ReplyDeleteHey Kayla, i love your post. Actually there is so information to read that i enjoyed reading it. But in your post , the links you provide are so much that sometimes while reading i don't really bother to click them all, because they are too much. Overall, it was good.
ReplyDeleteHi Kayla
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this article, It is very scientific and interesting. I loved the way you used direct quotes from researches. And i never knew so much about mushrooms, thanks for sharing your views. One thing that i think you could do better was hyperlinking. Otherwise, a very good read.
Cheers
Elina
Hi Kayle, i liked your article. I love how you started your article with an introduction about the history of the Magic Mushrooms. I would use a different font size to make the reading easier. the tittle and photo are both good choice. Thank you.
ReplyDelete