Want to grow magic mushrooms? We have information for you that will be helpful in terms of getting started and the legalities of a magic mushroom kit
Here is a great guide to the legality, things to check for, and common stores to work with for buying and creating a magic mushroom kit. Shortly we will be offering an online course to help you work with magic mushrooms.
What are magic mushrooms and are they legal?
Psilocybe mushrooms are a genus of mushrooms that contain a compound psilocybin. Psilocybin is a compound that changes the chemistry of our brain. The impact can be extremely variable depending on many factors which are discussed below. The compound psilocybin is illegal, so in most states (excluding Oakland and Denver currently) it is illegal to possess mycelium or mushrooms of this genus.
There is a long history of these mushrooms being consumed back through the Mayan and Aztec empires through current indigenous populations in Mexico. They have long been used in ceremonies and were introduced to western culture through these ceremonies in the 1950's. In the late 1960's psilocybe mushrooms were classified as a schedule 1 drug. Since the early 2000's they have been studied with much excitement about their potential in alleviating the suffering of people with PTSD, depression, terminally ill diagnosis and other mental illnesses. For more on this check out the John Hopkins psychedelic research page.
Hopefully over the next decade we will see the benefits of magic mushrooms further studied and the legality brought to a place of sensibility. Until then be extremely careful with any sort of cultivation or consumption of psilocybe mushrooms. At the same time if you are going to consume psilocybe mushrooms try to be in a safe and familiar place you can relax and sink into the experience.
Factors involving the consumption of magic mushrooms
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- Set and Setting. This includes the person's current state of mind and intention in using, in conjunction with their environment. Who are they with, where are they, do they feel safe.
- Species and strain can be very important to know the levels of psilocybin in the mushrooms. In a paper published by Michael Beug he found "Total psilocybin and psilocin levels in species known to be in use for recreational and entheogenic purposes varied from 0.1% by dry weight up to a high of nearly 2% by dry weight."
- Dosage is obviously a key variable in what your experience is. From the low amount of a micro dose about .25-.5 grams to a full psychedelic experience with around 5 grams of mushrooms.
Folks like Paul Stamets have talked about the potential of mixing a micro dose of psilocybin with lions mane and Cordyceps as a strong medicinal mushroom brain function extract. Try our Lions mane grow kit to grow some at home
How to make a magic mushroom kit
Making your own kit can be surprisingly easy. I do not recommend anyone make a kit where it is illegal. Psilocybe mushrooms are one of the easier mushrooms to grow, up there with oyster mushrooms. The only reason they are difficult is because spawn is not available. Spawn is the mycelium of the mushroom grown out on a substrate like grain or sawdust or agar. To make your own kit you want to start out by making mushroom spawn.
Magic mushroom kit, step 1:
Order a spore syringe from an online company. These companies have been around for awhile and provide a quality product. The spores are LEGAL to possess with the intention for studying microscopy but not for cultivation.
https://sporesmd.com/product-category/psilocybe-cubensis/
Magic mushroom kit, step 2:
Order a bag of sterilized grain with an injection port. These are all high-quality bags: https://www.amazon.com/Sterilized-Grain-Bags-Injection-Ports/dp/B07FKMHK2H https://northspore.com/collections/cultivation-equipment/products/sterilized-grain-bags-3lb http://www.midwestgrowkits.com/spawn-bags.html
Magic mushroom kit, step 3:
Once you have received both the spores and the bags, inoculate the bags with about 3-5 ccs of spores. Simply flame the needle with a lighter before putting it into the bag and then inject the spores into the grain bag. It will likely take 2 weeks before any mycelium starts to show up. After about 3 weeks, when the mycelium is the size of a quarter, shake the bag to distribute this mycelium throughout. Be careful not to puncture the bag or poke any holes. After another 2 weeks the bag should be close to fully colonized. Again, break up the mycelium and distribute evenly throughout the entire bag. After 6 weeks the bag will be fully colonized with mycelium. This 3 pounds of spawn can be used to inoculate over 30 pounds of bulk substrate!
Magic mushroom kit, step 4:
Now you can either fruit the mushrooms directly from this bag with a likely yield of 1-2 dry ounces, or you can further expand into a bulk substrate. One easy technique to work with a bulk substrate is outlined in this video. Simply take one block of coco coir and 2 quarts of vermiculite and place them in a 5-gallon bucket. Pour 1 gallon of boiling water into the bucket and allow to sit for 1 hour. Mix the ingredients together and allow to sit for another 2-3 hours with the lid of the bucket on. Now place the substrates into sealable plastic bags which have a filter on them, or leave in the 5-gallon bucket. This makes about 10 pounds of bulk substrate.