What Kind of Drug Is It?

Many species of mushroom throughout the world produce mind-altering effects when eaten. The mushrooms in the genus Psilocybe are perhaps best known for their PSYCHEDELIC properties. Called "magic mushrooms," or just "shrooms," psilocybin-containing mushrooms can produce a wide variety of experiences for the user, from extreme mood swings to visions of bright colors, even to a feeling of time standing still.

For thousands of years, Native American priests used psilocybin in religious ceremonies, under carefully controlled conditions. In the last half of the twentieth century, however, "shrooms" gained popularity as a recreational drug—a drug used solely to get high, not to treat a medical condition. Magic mushrooms remained popular in the early 2000s, even though they are illegal.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, scientists conducted research on psilocybin, hoping that it could help people with schizophrenia and other mental disorders...