magic truffles vs mushrooms

Magic Truffles vs. Mushrooms

If you’ve heard of truffles, you’ve probably wondered the differences between magic truffles vs mushrooms. And we’re not talking about the gourmet fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete (spore shooter) fungus that can be detected by pigs (or dogs); we’re talking about psychedelic truffles. Psychedelic truffles aren’t even a fruiting body like what is consumed when you take psychedelic mushrooms such as Psilocybe cubensis, though they do contain the psychoactive alkaloids psilocybin and psilocin.

So what exactly are psychedelic truffles, then? Read on to discover more about magic truffles vs. mushrooms.

Magic Truffles vs. Mushrooms Physical Characteristics

As mentioned above, psychedelic truffles aren’t the fruiting body of the psilocybin mushroom. What they are instead are the sclerotia of psilocybin mushrooms. A sclerotium is a hardened, compact mass of mycelium, the vegetative part of fungi used for decomposition. You’d be right to assume that psychedelic truffles have a lower moisture content than psychedelic mushrooms. In fact, psychedelic truffles have a moisture level of between 5-10%, meaning they dry quicker and are much harder than dried psilocybin mushrooms. However, despite this, drying and storing are done in the exact same way between magic truffles vs. mushrooms.

Magic Truffles vs. Mushrooms - What is the difference
Magic Truffles – Don’t confuse these with the kind that foodies clamour for.

Though when it comes to harvesting magic truffles vs. mushrooms, it differs since they grow in different places. Psychedelic mushrooms can be cultivated using a grow kit and harvested by hand since the fruiting bodies grow above ground. In the case of psychedelic truffles, they grow underground and thus must be dug up.

Magic Truffles vs. Mushrooms Potency and Effects

Psychedelic truffles are anecdotally known to have less intense trips than those induced by psilocybin mushrooms. They have been described as having milder visuals and more ease when it comes to socializing and motion. Because of this, it’s believed that psychedelic truffles have lower concentrations of psilocybin and psilocin compared to psychedelic mushrooms.

However, there is no scientific evidence for this, and it’s believed that trips are perceived as less intense because they have consistent and standardized measures of potency and come with instruction booklets. Psychedelic mushrooms vary more in their concentrations of psilocybin and psilocin, thus knowing how much psilocybin/psilocin you’re consuming can be more difficult.

 Dosages

Psychedelic truffles are typically sold in 15 gram fresh batches, which makes the dosages different from that of dried psilocybin mushrooms. As mentioned above, knowing the precise potency you’re getting with mushrooms can be difficult, but for the most common species Psilocybe cubensis (dried) the dosing guide is generally as follows:

  • Light: 0.5 – 1 grams
  • Common: 1 – 2.5 grams
  • Strong: 2.5 – 5 grams
  • Heavy: 5+ grams

Whereas for fresh psychedelic truffles the general dosing guide is:

  • Light: 5 – 10 grams
  • Common: 10 – 15 grams
  • Strong: 15 – 20 grams
  • Heavy: 20-40+ grams

Taking a large dose of magic truffles vs. mushrooms is likely going to have similar effects, which include:

  • Feelings of interconnectedness or unity with all
  • Ego dissolution
  • Entity or spirit encounter
  • Ineffability (being unable to accurately describe the experience)
  • Time dilation, such as moments of eternity

Legality and Safety

Regarding the safety of magic mushrooms vs. truffles, both are regarded to be physically safe and non-addictive since they both contain psilocybin and psilocin. However, the legality between magic truffles vs. mushrooms is quite different.

The legality of psilocybin mushrooms varies worldwide, but they are illegal in most countries and psilocybin and psilocin are defined as Schedule I drugs under the United Nations 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, meaning they are considered drugs with high potential for abuse or have no recognized medical uses. This classification is not consistent with the current research on their safety. The only countries where possession, sale, transport, and cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms are all legal are the Bahamas, Brazil, Jamaica, Nepal, and Samoa. In the Netherlands, possession, sale, transport, and cultivation are legal not for psilocybin mushrooms but rather for… you guessed it, psychedelic truffles. But why?

In October of 2007, the prohibition of psychedelic mushrooms was announced by Dutch authorities. This outlaw did not affect the sclerotium form of psilocybin mushrooms since authorities believed, potentially incorrectly, that psychedelic truffles are weaker than psychedelic mushrooms, and thus a market for psychedelic truffles was born. Since they are legal in The Netherlands, you may be wondering are magic truffles legal in the US? The simple answer is no, psychedelic truffles are not legal in the US as the sclerotia fall under the same classification as psilocybin mushrooms. However, since some US cities have deprioritized or decriminalized all naturally occurring psychedelic plants, psychedelic truffles are therefore under the same laws in these areas.

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About the Author

Passionate about studying the psychedelic/mystical experience from a neuropsychological lens, Emily is a member of MAPS Canada Research Committee and graduated with an Honours BSc in Cognitive Neuropsychology from York University.  She currently leads a team of RAS with a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating microdosing psilocybin for persistent depressive disorder.

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