Remember in Disney’s Alice In Wonderland where Alice swipes a few pieces of bread-looking mushrooms and stuffs them in her pocket for later? In another scene, Alice meets an eccentric hookah-puffing caterpillar sitting atop a giant mushroom. The movie romanticizes quite a few colorful capped fungi, but there’s one in particular which probably lives rent-free in your head: a bright red mushroom cap with white polka dots. Regardless of where or how you’ve seen this particular mushroom in cartoons, it’s actually available IRL (in real life) and has been creating quite a stir in the plant-derived community. Amanita mushrooms is the name but what exactly is the name of the game? Psychedelic ‘shrooms, poisonous fungi, or simply another craze in the market of plant-derived edibles? In today’s article, we’ll be covering all of these questions and more. Let’s start off by defining just what these fungi are and how to use them.

What Are Amanita Mushrooms?

Before you get too excited, no these aren’t the magic mushrooms from your college days, nor do they contain any psilocybin. Yet many users have reported feeling psychedelic effects that are quite enjoyable. But where has this psychedelic fungus been hiding for so long? In plain sight! This mushroom is every bit as beautiful as the cartoons portray: a brilliant red cap dotted with white polka dots and spanning 5-20 centimeters long. However, if you do find this particular ‘shroom in the wild forests of Europe, Brazil, South Africa, Central Asia or North America, DO NOT eat it. It is very poisonous and needs proper handling to ensure it’s safe for the general public to consume.

If Amanita Mushrooms Are Poisonous, How Are They Safe To Eat?

Believe it or not, there are several poisonous plants that we as humans consume on a regular basis: nutmeg, cassava, kidney beans, rhubarb leaves, cherry pits, potatoes, tomato leaves, and quite a few others. Scientific discoveries and technologies have enabled us to learn how to properly prepare, avoid, and detoxify many poisonous plants to the point where they can be safely consumed. The same is true of the Amanita Muscaria mushroom: don’t eat it in its raw form. Even if you accidentally consume it raw, you’ll most likely feel bouts of nausea and vomiting, as well as confusion, convulsion, visual distortions, etc., within the next half-hour up to two hours. Is it possible to slip into a coma and possibly die? Yes, but only in extremely rare cases. The North American Mycological Society confirms that there have not been any documented deaths from ingesting Amanita Mushrooms for over a century. Still, better to be safe than sorry. Head the warning of that brightly colored cap and steer clear until it’s been properly prepared by certified mycologists for public consumption.

What Are The Effects Of The Amanita Muscaria Mushroom?

Enough about its appearance and deathly side effects; you came here for answers, and by gosh you’ll get them! The most notable effect of commercial-grade amanita mushrooms is that it gets you high. Yet these particular ‘shrooms differ from your college memories: they contain zero psilocybin or psilocin. Rather, the psychedelic effects are brought on by muscimol (derived from the word “muscaria”) and ibotenic acid. Muscimol offers a calming soothing high that’s best described as a sedative, but can also be classified as a depressant and a deliriant.

If you’re trying amanita mushrooms for the first time, it’s always recommended to start off slow. Never base your dosage off of previous tolerances with other plant-based compounds like CBD or THC. A good starting point is about 5 grams; if you’re eating prepared mushrooms rather than a mushroom-infused product, ideally a single cap is a good dose. Depending on where these mushrooms were harvested, their specific host tree, the rainfall in that area, and many other factors, it’s difficult to ascertain just how much is in a single cap.

How Will An Amanita Muscaria Mushroom High Make Me Feel?

Those familiar with the psilocybin variety will often report feeling highly intoxicating effects that come in waves, along with a vivid explosion of colors and distorted reality (paint dripping off walls, claustrophobia, etc.). Yet the effects from Amanita Mushrooms are much more mild, ranging from “strange” to nothing at all. You may feel internal discomfort and fear, or you may experience powerful dream-like sensations coupled with euphoria or repetitive actions as if on a loop. Most users report feeling something after 30-90 minutes and the effects felt can last anywhere from 4-10 hours. Many users report feeling religious insights and visions in their dreams, while others report that the sleep after consuming Amanita Mushrooms was the best they’d ever experienced. In short, the deliriant nature of mushrooms is wildly unpredictable, but that might be a good thing! It means your experience will be uniquely your own.

Are Amanita Mushrooms Legal?

The legality of these psychedelic mushrooms is shockingly surprising: they’re completely legal in 49 of the 50 states (Louisiana only allows them for decorative purposes). The Sunshine State of Florida actually opened up its first and currently only ‘shroom dispensary not too long ago, with the owner only selling Amanita Mushrooms and not the psilocybin variety. The USA isn’t the only country to legalize these potent ‘shrooms; Canada, Sweden, Russia, and Ireland have also followed suit. However, Thailand, Romania, Australia, and the Netherlands have prohibited any form of Amanita Mushrooms within their borders. If you’re thinking of traveling to these places in the near future, be sure to leave your Amanita Mushroom products safely at home.

Final Thoughts

The familiar red with white polka dot mushroom used to be something that was just a cartoon from our childhood. Now in adulthood, it can be quite a shock to realize that the iconic fungus is actually available for public consumption, provided that it wasn’t freshly picked off the forest floor and bitten into. The effects of these legal psychedelics are unpredictable, yet somehow curious. We’re reminded of Forrest Gump’s famous line…you never know what you’ll get! If you do manage to snag some infused edibles or an actual mushroom cap, be sure to check the purity and potency to ensure you get a premium product, and always start off slowly with your doses to establish tolerance. A single dose of 5 grams should be enough to start with and remember that you can always increase your dosage in the next session.

Here at ERTH Wellness, we’re proud to present the launch of our very own brand of amanita mushroom-infused gummies under the name Road Trip Mushroom Co. You can choose from either a 4-piece pouch or a 10-pack box, each available as recurring subscriptions for even more savings. The gummies come infused with a 3500mg per gummy, so we recommend starting off with a ½ to establish tolerance and moving onto a single gummy to help with focus and enhance your mood. Two gummies will have you giddy in the throes of a full-blown body high, while three gummies give way to a heady euphoria and what’s known as “visual tracing.” For the bold and daring, four gummies will deliver a spiritual experience like no other gummy you’ve tried before. If you have any questions about anything in this article or something that wasn’t mentioned about Amanita Mushrooms, feel free to reach out to us! Our dedicated team of experts looks forward to helping you learn and feel comfortable consuming our premium gummies. We’ll be doing a lot more of these FAQs on Amanita Mushrooms in our next articles, specifically how they compare to some of the hemp-derived compounds we offer on our site as well as our sister site TwoHawk Extracts. We hope you’ll join us as we dive into this mushroom-riddled market and discover how much it has to offer. Until we meet again!