Can You Smoke Mushrooms?

Can you smoke mushrooms? Well, you certainly can, but that doesn’t mean you should.

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Put otherwise, it depends.

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The effectiveness and safety of smoking shrooms depends on the type of mushroom, or more specifically, the active ingredients in the mushroom.

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Some pharmacologically active compounds are activated by heat. For example, the naturally occurring forms of THC and CBD in cannabis need to be heated in order to become psychoactive.

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But this isn’t the case for all biologically active compounds. In fact, many compounds are actually destroyed by heat. Psilocybin, one of the major active compounds in magic mushrooms, is a good example of this.

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But what about other kinds of mushrooms, particularly those that don’t contain psilocybin? Is it possible that some bioactive molecules in medicinal mushrooms survive heating?

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Furthermore, are there other safety concerns to be aware of when it comes to smoking mushrooms? Is vaping better than smoking? And where can you safely obtain mushroom vapes?

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Read on to learn about which mushrooms you can smoke and which you shouldn’t.

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Can You Smoke Magic Mushrooms?

Can you smoke shrooms? As we alluded to above, while you certainly can smoke magic mushrooms, it is probably not the best idea.

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To be perfectly clear, we are talking here about magic mushrooms, also known as psychedelic mushrooms, which contain psilocybin. (A looser definition of “magic mushrooms” adapted by brand marketing may also refer to legal, psilocybin-free mushrooms – we’ll get to that in the next section.)

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It is possible to take dried psilocybin-containing shrooms, grind them coarsely, and roll them up as you would tobacco or cannabis. But you may find it to be a waste of time.

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First of all, there is no formal research on this, so our assessment is based on user experience and basic knowledge of chemistry and physiology. Users report that smoking magic mushrooms results in very little if any psychoactive effects.

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From what we understand about the physiology of magic mushrooms, this isn’t surprising. The active molecule in magic mushrooms is psilocybin. Under normal consumption protocols, this molecule interacts with the serotonergic system in your brain to produce its psychedelic effects. When exposed to heat, the molecule breaks down and is deactivated. It can longer bind to the necessary receptors, so it has no pharmacological activity any more.

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Therefore, if you do choose to consume psilocybin-containing mushrooms, it is recommended to eat them. Smoking may seem like a clever way to avoid the nausea associated with eating shrooms, but you aren’t actually doing yourself any favors.

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Ok, so Why Do We Sell Magic Mushroom Vapes?

That said, there is some ambiguity in the terminology that needs to be cleared up, since many companies may market mushroom products as “magic mushrooms” even though they do not contain psilocybin.

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The term magic mushrooms, sometimes called simply shrooms, refers to psychedelic mushrooms containing the bioactive molecule psilocybin. This encompasses more than 150 species of mushrooms, including the most famous, psilocybe cubensis.

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Other mushrooms, like the amanita muscaria, can still have powerful hallucinogenic effects, but they are not technically psychedelic. See this article to understand the physiological differences between psilocybin mushrooms and amanita muscaria.

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Psilocybin is an illegal Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act. If you see a legal, regulated product labeled as having “magic mushrooms” look closely at the label. It likely says in fine print that this product does not contain psilocybin. In other words, these products don’t contain true magic mushrooms. If they did, they would be illegal.

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Okay, so if there isn’t any psilocybin in these “magic mushroom” vapes, then what is in them?

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Mushroom vapes, for example like these from TreHouse, contain a proprietary blend of mushrooms, adaptogens, and nootropics. Since the blend is proprietary, we cannot say exactly what is in it. Basically, you have to trust the company and reviewers to verify that the vapes contain compounds that maintain psychoactivity when heated.

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It’s tricky to say exactly which mushrooms, adaptogens, and nootropics have bioactive compounds that survive the heating process. For example, medicinal mushrooms (things like Reishi, Lion’s Mane, and Chaga) don’t contain just one physiologically-relevant molecule. Instead, they contain a complicated symphony of beneficial plant compounds. Some of these compounds may be destroyed during heating, while others may actually be enhanced.

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Conceptually, this is no different than nutrients in cooked versus raw food. Cooking foods can destroy some of the nutrients. On the other hand, cooking can also make foods more digestible and make nutrients more bioavailable. For example, when you soak and cook beans you destroy the natural lectins that would otherwise impair your nutrient absorption. Heating also makes foods safer by potentially destroying pathogens.

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The same changes are taking place when you heat medicinal mushrooms.

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Why Can You Smoke Weed but Not Shrooms?

Other mushroom vapes such as these from Binoid, mix proprietary blends of mushroom extracts with THC and CBD – in which case, it’s no great mystery where your high is coming from.

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THC and CBD exist naturally in their carboxylated form. This form, specifically THCA or CBDA, does not bind to receptors in your brain and body. Once these molecules are heated, they are decarboxylated, and they become psychoactive.

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This is why you wouldn’t expect to eat a cannabis plant and get high. You always apply heat first, usually via smoking. In some cases, the heating process is done for you, as is the case for edible gummies.

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On the other hand, there is no such decarboxylation reaction for psilocybin, the active molecule in magic mushrooms. When psilocybin is exposed to heat, it is effectively destroyed.

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Is it Safe to Smoke Shrooms?

Smoking – regardless of whether its tobacco, cannabis, or mushrooms, always comes with respiratory health risks.

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Smoking hand-rolled, unregulated shrooms in particular is dangerous because of the risk of inhaling mold spores or other contaminants.

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Vaping slightly differs from smoking in that it contains a heating element, which allows the substance (be it solid or liquid) to vaporize. Research so far suggests that this may be slightly less harmful compared to smoking, but also poses additional risks of inhaling toxic metals such as nickel, lead, and chromium.

Where to Buy Mushroom Vapes

Given the health concerns related to vaping, smoking, or otherwise inhaling mushrooms, it’s so important to source your mushroom vapes from a reliable source. This way, you can be sure your product is safe, regulated, and effective.

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You can find our favorite, tried-and-true brands of mushroom vapes here, including options from TreHouse and Binoid.

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If you’re looking for a THC-free experience, opt for the TreHouse proprietary blend of mushroom extracts, adaptogens, and nootropics in a disposable vape pen. These blends come in four different flavors, including: pink lemonade, mango smoothie, apple tart, and blue jello.

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If you’re looking for an enhanced cannabis high, you can try out the Binoid vape pens. These vapes come in five different blends including: Blue Lotus, Chamomile, Lavender, Passion Flower, Pink Lotus. Each blend is carefully crafted to give you a different experience, whether that be a mood boost, relaxation, or anti-inflammatory effects.

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As always, if you have additional questions about mushroom vapes or any of our products, please feel free to contact us for more information.