Magic Mushrooms
Also known as shrooms, mushies, boomers, magics, etc.
magic Mushrooms are wild or grown fungi that contain natural mind-altering chemicals which cause hallucinations. They contain psilocybin and psilocin which are drugs that changes how your brain perceives reality.
Magic Mushrooms look like ordinary, small brown or tan mushrooms, but their exact appearance varies by species. Dried magic mushrooms typically look rusty brown, tan or of-white with darker patches. They are consumed by eating them fresh or dried, brewing them into tea, or mixing them with other foods and drinks. Certain cultures in Mexico and central america have documented the use of magic mushrooms in traditional practised and spiritual rituals.
Teenagers are influenced by a mix of different things to use drugs, most commonly peer pressure or a bad family environment. Underlying mental health issues can also have a big effect on the influence of using drugs. Teens feel a strong pressure to fit in and match their friends behavior to gain acceptance. Poor parenting can raise the risk of subtance abuse, as well as academic pressure or social anxiety can raise this risk aswell.
Positive short term effects of magic mushrooms include: elevated mood, spiritual experiences (deeper connection to people or nature), laughter and playfulness, mental clarity, and ego dissolution.
Negative short term effects include: Nausea and vomiting, coordination issues, sweating, chills or shivering, poisoning risk, extreme anxiety or panic, confusion and disorientation, and temporary drug induced psychotic reactions.
Positive long term effects include: reduced deppression and lower anxiety, cognitive flexibility, greater openness and deep spirituality.
Negative long term effects include: HPPD, persistent psychosis or mental health changes, trauma distress, risk of dangerous behavior (which could result in severe physical injury) and lingering fatigue.
Magic mushrooms are a class A drug, making recreation use, possession, and supply strictly illegal. Possession or use carries a maximum penalty of 6 months in prison and/or a $1000 fine. Supply, manufacture, cultivating, importing, or exporting carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. New Zealand police have operational guidelines that encourage a health-based discretionary approach (such as referrals to health services or warnings) rather than automatic prosecution for minor personal possession.
To a teenager I would suggest firstly understanding the risks that come particularly towards teenagers, avoid poisoning and contamination and follow basic harm reduction rules (eg never mix substances, tell a trusted person to stay with you and stay sober, control the setting they are in, and knowing when to seek emergency help.
Scenario: It is the start of interval; you receive a text. The text is from your friend. Your friend tells you to meet them at the back of the field to use magic mushrooms with them.
option 1: Say no and get the teacher to confiscate the drugs. – you don’t do drugs (pos), your friend doesn’t talk to you and makes everyone else stop being your friend (neg) – might feel lonely
option 2: Say yes and do the drugs with your friend. – you are considered “cool” (pos), you experience negative effects of the mushroom and injure yourself (neg) – might feel well liked, but worried about the safety of these drugs.
option 3: Say no and hang out with someone else. – you friend doesn’t mind (pos), you hang out with someone else doing something safe (pos) – might feel proud of saying no, and happy to hang out with someone else.
The best option is option 3 because it keeps you safe from doing something unsafe and that you don’t want to do, as well as still keeping your friends (whanau, Hinengaro). It also keeps you safe from physical negatives of the drugs (Tinana) and avoids peer pressure in the future.