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Magic Mushroom Spore Kit

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  • 02-06-2014 11:55am
    #1
    CianSmyth
    Registered Users Posts: 70 ✭✭


    Does anyone know if ready to grow online mushroom kits are illegal to buy here in Ireland? I heard of people buying these online but it sounds pretty illegal to me! Friends are adamant that it's okay , need to prove them wrong but can't find any details. Any ideas?


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    #2
    Pat Mustard
    Registered Users Posts: 9,554 ✭✭✭Pat Mustard


    First, see S.I. No. 55/2006 - Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 (Controlled Drugs) (Declaration) Order 2006. "The effect of this Order is to include any substance, product or preparation including fungi of any kind or description, containing psilocin or an ester of psilocin (which are commonly described as “magic mushrooms”) as a controlled drug for the purposes of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977."

    Secondly, my understanding is that magic mushrooms contain two psychedelic agents; psilocin and psilocybin. I'm no chemist/pharmacist, but it is my understanding that:
    psilocybin is considered an "ester" of psilocin
    You will see that the legislation also controls esters of psilosin. Therefore, psilocybin is also a controlled substance.

    It would be useful to know if there is psilocin or psilocybin in the spores. I'd guess that this can be checked.


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    #3
    Beano
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭Beano


    even if the kits themselves are not specifically illegal they would become illegal as soon as a mushroom has grown?


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    #4
    Pat Mustard
    Registered Users Posts: 9,554 ✭✭✭Pat Mustard


    If mushrooms contain psilocin or esters of psilocin such as psilocybin, they fall under the category of controlled drugs. That's my understanding.

    There is an exception for mushrooms growing uncultivated. See S.I. No. 54/2006 - Misuse of Drugs (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2006. This takes account of the fact that magic mushrooms occur naturally.

    Mushrooms grown from kits are hardly likely to be uncultivated.


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    #5
    iPaddyM
    Registered Users Posts: 324 ✭✭iPaddyM


    Psilocybin turns into psilocin in the brain. Liberty caps (Psilocybe semilanceata) grow literally all over Ireland.

    DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) is also illegal. DMT is a natural chemical in all mammals and in a lot of plants also.


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    #6
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,239 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    iPaddyM wrote: »
    Psilocybin turns into psilocin in the brain. Liberty caps (Psilocybe semilanceata) grow laterally all over Ireland.

    What? Like sideways?


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    #7
    iPaddyM
    Registered Users Posts: 324 ✭✭iPaddyM


    endacl wrote: »
    What? Like sideways?

    Oops, made a typo...


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    #8
    Pat Mustard
    Registered Users Posts: 9,554 ✭✭✭Pat Mustard


    iPaddyM wrote: »
    Psilocybin turns into psilocin in the brain. Liberty caps (Psilocybe semilanceata) grow literally all over Ireland.

    Do you know if the spores contain psilocybin or psilocin?


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    #9
    iPaddyM
    Registered Users Posts: 324 ✭✭iPaddyM


    The Mustard wrote: »
    Do you know if the spores contain psilocybin or psilocin?
    Theoretically any plant or mushroom which contains psilocybin may be considered a "container" of psilocybin which makes the plant illegal also. However, mushroom spores do not contain psilocybin or psilocin.

    https://www.erowid.org/plants/mushrooms/mushrooms_law8.shtml


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    #10
    Pat Mustard
    Registered Users Posts: 9,554 ✭✭✭Pat Mustard


    iPaddyM wrote: »
    https://www.erowid.org/plants/mushrooms/mushrooms_law8.shtml

    I thought that the psilocybin mushrooms that grow in Ireland are a different genus to those in North/South/Central America.

    Is it still the case that the spores of the psilocybin mushrooms in Ireland contain neither psilocybin nor psilocin?


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    #11
    iPaddyM
    Registered Users Posts: 324 ✭✭iPaddyM


    The Mustard wrote: »
    I thought that the psilocybin mushrooms that grow in Ireland are a different genus to those in North/South/Central America.

    Is it still the case that the spores of the psilocybin mushrooms in Ireland contain neither psilocybin nor psilocin?
    There are more than 180 species of mushrooms on the planet which contain the psychedelic chemicals psilocybin or psilocin.

    I'm assuming that the spores of these 180 species do not contain psilocybin nor psilocin until they actually become mushrooms. But, I find out now for sure.


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    #12
    iPaddyM
    Registered Users Posts: 324 ✭✭iPaddyM


    Both the caps and the stems contain the psychoactive compounds, although the caps contain consistently more. The spores of these mushrooms do not contain psilocybin or psilocin.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybin


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    #13
    Pat Mustard
    Registered Users Posts: 9,554 ✭✭✭Pat Mustard


    Looks like we have our answer.

    Fair play.


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    #14
    iPaddyM
    Registered Users Posts: 324 ✭✭iPaddyM


    The Mustard wrote: »
    Looks like we have our answer.

    Fair play.
    Glad to be of assistance :)

    Psychedelics, particularity psychedelic plant medicines have been a passion of mine for many years, so I'm happy to discuss them.


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    #15
    Labarbapostiza
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 963 ✭✭✭Labarbapostiza


    The Mustard wrote: »
    I thought that the psilocybin mushrooms that grow in Ireland are a different genus to those in North/South/Central America.

    Yes and no. The kind that grow in Ireland are liberty caps - these grow in the US too. There are other kinds that do not grow here.
    Is it still the case that the spores of the psilocybin mushrooms in Ireland contain neither psilocybin nor psilocin?

    The prohibition is actually really silly. They grow wild all over the place. I knew different people, who used to literally fill refuse sacks with them.

    Some farmers spray to kill the plant, but others don't. When they're in season, they're as common as dandelions.


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    #16
    Pat Mustard
    Registered Users Posts: 9,554 ✭✭✭Pat Mustard


    Labarbapostiza wrote: »
    The prohibition is actually really silly. They grow wild all over the place.

    http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/how-tragedy-led-family-to-crusade-for-ban-on-magic-mushrooms-26408051.html

    I think that the prohibition is a knee-jerk reaction to the death of a man who jumped off a roof. The family of the deceased campaigned the Tanaiste to ban them and she obliged, seemingly without much consideration of the matter. Hard cases make bad law, or so the saying goes.

    Oddly, the article states that less than an hour after taking them, the man was dead. Are there any reliable studies which indicate how long it takes to kick in after ingestion?

    There is an exemption for mushrooms growing wild, mentioned earlier in thread.


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    #17
    Labarbapostiza
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 963 ✭✭✭Labarbapostiza


    The Mustard wrote: »

    Oddly, the article states that less than an hour after taking them, the man was dead. Are there any reliable studies which indicate how long it takes to kick in after ingestion?

    It was a psychological reaction. It was his first time trying them, I think it was only five minutes after taking them. He may have heard too many stories of people jumping out of windows on LSD, etc. So he jumped out of the window.

    I followed the story. One of his friend said it sounded like a bag of wet nappies hitting the ground, and how he'd never forget the sound.

    They were banned in Holland after a similar incident. A Spanish tourist jumped off a bridge and then got caught up in the rotor of a passing barge.

    People die doing stupid things when they're drunk - but you don't see alcohol being banned.
    There is an exemption for mushrooms growing wild, mentioned earlier in thread.

    Essentially, it would be like trying to outlaw daisies.

    I believe it's one instance of the drug trade that goes from Ireland to other countries. They grow wild everywhere, but in some instances, you can have pastures completely covered in them; picking a kilo dry weight, would not take long. Some people I knew, used to pick for money. That was a long time ago, but it was a lot of money even for a long time ago.


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    #18
    Pat Mustard
    Registered Users Posts: 9,554 ✭✭✭Pat Mustard


    Labarbapostiza wrote: »
    People die doing stupid things when they're drunk - but you don't see alcohol being banned.

    True.


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