What is Mad Honey, and How Does it Compare to Mushrooms?
If you accept the premise that we live in a mad world (we most certainly do), you must also accept that mad honey exists. Mad honey is, in fact, a very real product that has been known to cause a euphoric sensation among users.
“Big deal,” you might think. “A bunch of natural substances, like magic mushrooms, can make you feel high. What’s so great about mad honey?”
That’s a good question. What exactly is mad honey, what are the effects of mad honey, and why might you choose mad honey over products that contain psilocybin or THC? We’ve got answers to those questions below, so let’s get started!
What is Mad Honey Used For?
Like many other natural substances, mad honey has been used by local populations as traditional medicine for thousands of years. In the pockets of the world where mad honey naturally occurs, mad honey has been used to treat high blood pressure, arthritis, some gastrointestinal disorders, and even influenza.
Mad honey also has its recreational uses. Users started noticing that consuming large quantities of the stuff made their bodies feel a little funny. Many of them described the sensations as euphoric or intoxicating. They’d also experience bodily weakness and dizziness. In other words, mad honey didn’t help them complete manual labor—but it sometimes helped their sexual performance.
To illustrate the effects mad honey can have on humans, entertain this brief history lesson. Around 67 B.C.E., Emperor Mithridates of Pontus (modern-day Turkey) found himself engaged in brutal warfare against Pompey, a formidable Roman general.
Mithridates ordered his army to place containers of mad honey along a stretch of land that Pompey and his fighters were sure to traverse. These honey traps apparently didn’t raise any suspicions among the Roman warriors, who feasted on them with little hesitation. They soon found themselves in no shape to fight, which Mithridates’ army promptly took advantage of.
Is mad honey a drug?
It depends on what you regard as a drug. Loosely speaking, a drug is any substance that produces a physiological effect on users. In that sense, yes, mad honey is a drug because its grayanotoxins alter the behavior of the body’s sodium ion channels.
By interacting with the function of these sodium channels, mad honey can provide extra stimulation to certain cells. The extra stimulation causes many of the substance’s notable biological effects, such as tingling, numbness, and dull internal vibrations.
However, many people do not think of mad honey as a drug because it is legal in the U.S. It’s not even a controlled substance or used in any known medical prescriptions. Other naturally occurring substances, such as marijuana and shrooms, are illegal at the federal level.
Where Does Mad Honey Come From?
You’ll have to travel to Nepal and Turkey to get a good chance of encountering mad honey in the wild. Areas around the Himalayan mountain range contain a large number of rhododendron plants that contain grayanotoxin, the primary psychoactive ingredient in mad honey.
Bees are the first link in the mad honey chain, as they like to extract pollen and nectar from certain rhododendrons and take it back to their mad honeycombs. These honeycombs grow on rock faces in the Himalayas and their foothills; native populations risk life and limb to harvest mad honey from their nests.
In rare cases, you can find mad honey hanging out in the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern U.S. The conditions have to be just right, as honeybees usually pass right over the rhododendrons containing grayanotoxins. Mad honey nests like cliffs and rock faces due to the elemental protections they offer.
How Do Mad Honey’s Effects Compare to Those of Shrooms?
So, does mad honey make you high? The short answer is that it can result in euphoria and giddiness, similar to the feelings of an alcohol buzz. Some users have experienced hallucinations, vertigo, and delirium.
The average “high” from mad honey is not nearly as profound as the average high from psilocybin-containing mushrooms. Magic mushrooms cause hallucinations more often than mad honey products do. They’re also more likely to result in deep emotional shifts and altered perceptions of time.
The tradeoff here is that magic mushrooms are illegal at the federal level and in 48 states (Oregon and Colorado being the two exceptions).
Mad Honey vs. Mushrooms: Which One is Safer?
While both mad honey and shrooms are exceedingly safe, they can cause a number of unpleasant side effects.
Mad honey poisoning can cause:
- Lowered heart rate
- Low blood pressure
- Vision changes
- Sweating
- Chills or shivering
- Nausea and vomiting
- Respiratory distress
- Vertigo
Extraordinary cases of mad honey poisoning can cause dangerously low blood pressure and heart rate, which can result in the heart and other organs not receiving enough oxygenated blood. These circumstances require prompt medical attention. Generally speaking, the physical risks of mad honey are slightly higher than those associated with magic mushrooms.
Mushroom Side Effects
Magic mushrooms share several physical side effects with mad honey, such as numbness, nausea, muscle weakness, and chills. Additional side effects can include:
- Increased heart rate
- High blood pressure
- Paranoia
- Depersonalization
- Dilated pupils
- Confusion
The psychological effects of a bad mushroom trip can be quite frightening, but they do not result in death. Still, you are less likely to experience paranoia, depersonalization, or unpleasant emotional sensations from mad honey.
Green Dragon’s Mad Honey Products
By itself, mad honey is not nearly as sweet as the honey you can buy in jars at your local supermarket. To that end, Green Dragon offers two delicious mad honey products bursting with flavor.
Featured Product: Mind Bender Mad Honey NuHoney Squeeze Pouch
If you want the texture of actual honey with added natural flavors for tastiness, we recommend a squeeze pouch from Mind Bender. You can get blueberry, vanilla, and sweet flavors in these 7-milliliter containers, which feature Nepalese mad honey.
Featured Product: Chapo Extrax Disco Magic Honey
Want to add a little magic to your day? Chapo Extrax Disco Magic Honey delivers euphoric bliss with rare rhododendron honey. Stick with the classic Original flavor or explore four delicious varieties!
Green Dragon Offers Quality Mushroom, Mad Honey, and Other Nootropic Products
Going to a doctor and getting a prescription can be a hassle and wallet drainer. While our products are not designed to take the place of your prescriptions, we’re confident our online store has the right product for you. We’ve got dozens of mushroom products that promote relaxation and provide much-needed cognitive boosts, but that only scratches the surface.
Our staff would be more than happy to answer any questions you have about mad honey, nootropic mushrooms, or any of our products. Let’s connect soon!
While both mad honey and magic mushrooms can alter perception and mood, mushrooms are more likely to cause hallucinations and deep emotional shifts. Mad honey’s effects are generally milder, similar to an alcohol buzz, and less likely to induce paranoia or depersonalization.
Mad honey is primarily harvested from the Himalayan region in Nepal and parts of Turkey, where bees collect nectar from rhododendron plants that contain grayanotoxins. It can also be found in rare cases in the Appalachian Mountains, though it is much less common.
Mad honey can cause euphoria, relaxation, tingling sensations, and mild intoxication. Some users also report dizziness, bodily weakness, and even enhanced sexual performance. However, consuming too much can lead to side effects like nausea, lowered heart rate, and vision changes.
