Do Shrooms Go Bad? How To Store Shrooms

Psychedelic mushrooms can go bad, but the method of storage determines the length of their shelf-life, as well as the viability of their psychoactive compounds. Read more about the different treatment options for you or your loved ones struggling with magic shrooms abuse.


Do Shrooms Go Bad? How To Store Shrooms?

Drugs can affect each person differently. The effects will depend on personal factors such as your physical and mental health and the dose and potency of a substance. With magic mushrooms, your current mood, mental health, and conditions will impact the effects. Frequent use of magic mushrooms can affect perceptions and mood. Therefore, it is essential to take breaks in between use or better to discontinue.

The psychological effects of psilocybin use include hallucinations and an incapacity to discern fantasy from reality.  Panic reactions and a psychotic-like episode also may happen, especially if a user ingests a high dose. Abuse of psilocybin mushrooms could also lead to poisoning if one of the many kinds of poisonous mushrooms is incorrectly identified as psilocybin mushrooms.

Psilocybin is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that it has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. Because of the habit-forming characteristic of magic mushrooms, people can encounter withdrawal symptoms from psilocybin mushrooms.  Not only will someone abusing psilocybin mushrooms become accustomed to the altered state of mind they bring, but they can also have difficulty living in “the real world.” 

When Do Shrooms Go Bad?

Do magic shrooms go bad? Nearly every drug loses potency over time. Magic mushrooms are no different. But sadly, while other compounds become less potent, aged shrooms can also become contaminated. So, the storage method is one of the biggest factors in maintaining mushroom safety and potency.

Like all organic matter, magic mushrooms rot and grow bacteria if you keep them beyond their shelf life. Sliminess and dark spots are two signs that mushrooms may not be safe to ingest. Overly dried and shriveled mushrooms are another potential indicator. 

How long do shrooms last before going bad? The most significant risks result from excessive moisture, leading to mold contamination and airborne soil particles that carry bacteria. Fresh mushrooms will typically last a week or two. Their longevity will depend on their freshness and vitality from when they were harvested as well as how they were treated and transported since. 

Do Dried Shrooms Go Bad?

Unfortunately, no hard and fast rule applies to all shrooms. Shelf life varies based on the mushroom variety you choose as well as the form it takes. For example:

  • Fresh mushrooms — short shelf-life of 3-10 days.
  • Dried mushrooms — average shelf-life of 6-12 months.
  • Microdose capsules — average shelf-life of 12-18 months.
  • Mushroom chocolates — average shelf-life of 12-18 months.
  • Mushroom honey — long shelf-life of 2-3 years.

How long do shrooms last before they go bad? Fresh mushrooms are much more prone to rotting and mold growth. So, if you’re going the au natural route, you don’t have long before the shrooms become potentially unsafe. However, storing fresh mushrooms in the fridge in a paper bag can extend the shelf up to ten days.

On the other hand, dried mushrooms almost always stay intact longer under the proper storage conditions. For example, keeping your dried magic shrooms away from light and minimizing heat and oxygen exposure can retain potency for up to two years.

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Shrooms Addiction Statistics

Psilocybin mushrooms are considered one of the most well-known psychedelics. Still, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which conducts the largest annual national survey on drug use, their use is not at all common.


0.1 %

Between 2002 and 2014, an annual average of 0.1% of people across all ages were considered to be current psychedelic users (meaning they reported use within 30 days of completing the survey).

Source: NIDA

0.7 %

In 2014, 0.3% of the 16,875 adolescent respondents (12 to 17year-olds) in the US were considered current users of psychedelics, 0.3% of the 11,643 young adult respondents (18 to 25), and 0.1% of 33,750 adult respondents aged 26 or older.

Source: NCBI

61 %

According to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2019, in the past 12 months, 1.6% of Americans over 14 years old had used psychedelics. Of this 1.6%, 61% had used psilocybin, and 73% had used LSD.

Source: NSDUH


  Shrooms Drug Fact Sheet

What is a mushroom made of?

Although considered a vegetable, mushrooms are neither a plant nor animal food. They are a fungus containing a substance called ergosterol, similar in structure to cholesterol in animals. Ergosterol can be transformed into vitamin D with exposure to ultraviolet light.


What’s a mushroom trip like?

In moderate to high doses, mushrooms bring journeyers on a psychedelic trip that can be gentle, fun, and even mystical in its profundity. Still, it can also be challenging and full of shame or unresolved grief. 

Studies show a relationship between the mystical qualities of psilocybin and its healing potential. Psilocybin has shown promise in studies for major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression. It’s also been researched and shown promise for nicotine addiction, alcohol dependence, and even anxiety and depression associated with a terminal illness, sometimes called “end-of-life distress.”

Psilocybin is certainly not an escape from reality, even though it occasions such an altered state of mind. But mushrooms often offer dramatically new perspectives on one’s life or life that can help folks live more authentic and fulfilled lives moving forward.


How long do shrooms last?

The whole occasion lasts someplace between four and eight hours, averaging for most folks a six-hour trip, but it can depend on the dose and the individual. Mushrooms carry an average of about 30 to 45 minutes to start taking effect, but it could be anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours depending on how you consumed them, so don’t get fidgety or take more if you don’t feel them coming on as quickly as you’d like. It is highly suggested that you choose your dose ahead of time, use a scale to weigh your mushrooms, so you know exactly how much you’re taking, and then wait to make sure you want more.


What is its legal status in the United States?


Psilocybin is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that it has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.

What is psilocybin?

Psilocybin is a chemical obtained from certain
types of fresh or dried mushrooms.

What is its origin?

Psilocybin mushrooms are found in Mexico,
Central America, and the United States.

What are common street names?


Common street names include:

  • Magic Mushrooms
  • Mushrooms
  • Shrooms

What are its overdose effects?

Effects of overdose include:

• Longer, more intense “trip” episodes, psychosis, and possible death

How is it abused?

Psilocybin mushrooms are ingested orally. They
may also be brewed as tea or added to other
foods to mask their bitter flavor.

Abuse of psilocybin mushrooms could also lead to poisoning if one of the many varieties of poisonous
mushrooms are incorrectly identified as a psilocybin mushroom


Side Effects of Magic Mushroom

Physical

  • Dilated Pupils
  • Drowsiness
  • Headaches
  • Increased Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, and temperature
  • Lack of coordination
  • Nausea

Mental

  • Distorted sense of time, place, and reality
  • Euphoria
  • Hallucinations
  • Introspective experiences
  • Panic Reactions
  • Paranoia
Do shrooms go bad? There may also be a risk of magic mushrooms becoming contaminated by other detectable drugs. 

What are Magic Mushrooms?

The term “magic mushrooms” or “shrooms” is a slang term for mushrooms that contain psilocybin, which is a psychoactive drug or substance that causes visual and auditory hallucinations. People may eat shrooms or brew them in tea to get “high”. However, since they have no legitimate medical use in the U.S., the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) [1] classifies them as a Schedule I drug.

There are about forty different species of psychoactive mushrooms, with most of them found in the United States, Central America, and Mexico. Although they have historically been used for medicinal purposes and spiritual rituals, they are widely abused today for their psychedelic effects alongside other hallucinogenic drugs like ecstasy and LSD [2]. They are also frequently abused at music festival events.

Magic Mushrooms containing psilocybin are available dried or fresh and have long, slender stems topped by caps with dark gills on the underside. Fresh shrooms have white or whitish-gray stems; the caps are dark brown around the edges and light brown or white in the center. Dried mushrooms are typically rusty brown with isolated areas of off-white. Psilocybin mushrooms are ingested orally.

Consuming shrooms can create an intense user experience, with quick and long-lasting effects. How long do shroom effects last? Most users begin to feel the euphoric effects of magic mushrooms within 30 minutes of taking them and the effects last for about six hours. However, some users may continue to feel the side effects for days after taking shrooms. The psychological consequences of magic mushroom use include hallucinations and an inability to discern reality from fantasy. Psychotic-like episodes and panic reactions also may occur, particularly if a user ingests a high dose.

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What Does a Bad Magic Mushroom Look Like?

Here are some warning signs that your mushrooms are, or are getting very close, to their expected shelf life: 

The mushrooms are slimy. 

This is always a sign that your fresh fungi are reaching a point of no return. A film of slime means the mushroom is getting ready to decompose. We always like to say, “if a mushroom is completely covered in slime, it’s past its prime!” Do not eat.  

The mushrooms have dark spots. 

Spots aren’t necessarily a sign your mushrooms are bad unless it’s paired with slime or if the spots are very dark. Some mushrooms can develop natural blotches, light bruises or mild discoloration on the caps from handling during packaging. If the spots are deep in color and noticeable and present with other warning signs above, those mushrooms aren’t fresh anymore. If the spots look at all like decay, throw them away.

The mushrooms are smelly.

Fresh raw White or Brown mushrooms have a very subtle, natural smell that’s nearly unnoticeable. You’d have to stick them right against your nose to smell that earthy scent. Mushrooms that are spoiled will likely have a distinct bad odor. If you open the packaging or bag and catch a nasty whiff, those mushrooms are starting to decompose and are expired.

The mushrooms are wrinkled or shrunken. 

Wrinkles are typically not a sign of expiration. It means your mushroom is starting to dry out from being in the fridge for too long and is often seen with the diminished scale of the cap itself— AKA shrinkage in size! Mushrooms are 95% water, so they show signs of dehydration more distinctly than other produce items. If they are a little dry, consider immediately eating them and adding them to a wet dish like soup to rehydrate and improve their texture. 

The mushrooms are deformed or cracked.

No two mushrooms grow into the exact same shape, but a mushroom that is noticeably deformed can be a sign of shriveling from dehydrating in the fridge. Cracking of the cap can also indicate the mushroom is drying out. Follow the same advice for wrinkled or shrunken mushrooms and eat immediately, or else throw them away.

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Risks of Magic Mushroom Abuse

The term magic mushrooms actually refer to well over 100 species of mushrooms that contain the psychoactive drug psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine). Many of these contain other psychoactive substances, although psilocybin is typically deemed to be the major psychoactive substance in the mushroom. 

Individuals eat mushrooms for their psychoactive effects. These effects will typically begin within one hour of ingesting the drug and may last as long as six hours. The effects of ingesting the mushrooms are documented as resulting in:

  • Increased heart rate, changes in blood pressure (both hypertension and hypotension), increased reflexes, poor motor coordination, the development of shakiness or tremors, and pupil dilation; nausea, vomiting, headaches, sweating, fever, and/or chills in some cases
  • Euphoric and cognitive effects that include very vivid hallucinations (mostly visual but can occur in any sensory modality); vivid perceptions of the environment, such as very acute and intense colors or sounds; alterations in one’s sense of time, such that time moves much slower; depersonalization (the feeling as if one is separated from one’s body); derealization (the feeling as if other things are not real); and significantly slowed and disorganized thinking processes
  • Mood swings that can alternate from positive moods to more negative moods, such as anxiety or depression; anxiety; panic attacks; and even delusion due to alterations in sensory perceptions
  • Decreased fear of threatening environmental stimuli.

Effects of Eating Psilocybin Mushrooms

The effects of psilocybin are generally similar to those of LSD. They include altered perception of time and space and intense changes in mood and feeling.

Other possible effects of psilocybin include:

  • euphoria
  • peacefulness
  • spiritual awakening
  • derealization, or the feeling that surroundings are not real
  • depersonalization, or a dream-like sense of being disengaged from surroundings
  • distorted thinking
  • visual alteration and distortion, such as seeing halos of light and vivid colors
  • dilated pupils
  • dizziness
  • drowsiness and yawning
  • impaired concentration
  • muscle weakness
  • lack of coordination
  • unusual body sensations
  • nausea and vomiting
  • paranoia
  • confusion
  • frightening hallucinations

The effects of psilocybin vary between people, based on the user’s mental state, personality, and immediate environment.

Do Shrooms Go Bad? There have been reports of people selling regular, store-bought mushrooms laced with other drugs, including PCP.
Do Shrooms Go Bad? There have been reports of people selling regular, store-bought mushrooms laced with other drugs, including PCP.

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Magic Mushrooms Addiction

Are Magic Mushrooms Addictive? There is no clear answer as to whether magic mushrooms are addictive or not because there’s no research that shows magic mushrooms are physically addictive, like heroin or some other illicit drugs [3]. Although there has been some debate over this issue. After using psilocybin mushrooms consistently for a few days, some users may not feel addicted while others may begin to crave more of it. Psilocybin mushrooms are often mixed with other hallucinogens like LSD. For this reason, users are more likely to develop a psychological dependence on Magic Mushrooms rather than a physical dependence.

The severity of psychological dependence usually depends on the frequency of use and amount of mushrooms someone consumed. Someone abusing magic mushrooms can become dependent by believing that they need the drug to maintain a sense of enlightenment or happiness. 

Although psilocybin mushrooms may not be considered habit-forming or addictive, they may cause psychological addiction. Some users may also experience a period of psychological withdrawal after using magic mushrooms, during which they may have trouble determining what is real and what is not.

Do Shrooms Go Bad? Frequent use of mushrooms can affect perceptions and mood.  Therefore, it is essential to take breaks in between use or better to discontinue.
Do Shrooms Go Bad? Frequent use of mushrooms can affect perceptions and mood.  Therefore, it is essential to take breaks in between use or better to discontinue.

Tolerance, Dependence, and Withdrawal to Shrooms

Just like most drugs, the more someone uses magic mushrooms, the more tolerance they develop. Tolerance also develops quickly with frequent use. This means that users need more psychoactive substances like magic mushrooms to achieve the same effect.

Developing a tolerance to shrooms can be especially risky because consuming a large amount can result in overdose symptoms, which while not deadly, can include:

  • Agitation
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Muscle weakness
  • Panic or paranoia
  • Psychosis
  • Seizures

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Magic Mushroom Abuse Treatment

One of the best ways to hinder psilocybin mushroom dependency is to stop eating mushrooms. Because they are not as powerfully addictive as many other substances, individuals with psilocybin mushroom dependencies have a higher chance of overcoming dependency.

If a person has combined magic mushrooms with other substances like benzos, alcohol, stimulants, or opioids, a medically assisted detox is needed for recovery. Medically assisted detox would help the person using multiple drugs stop further abuse and addiction to other substances before they worsen. In addition, detox would include cutting-edge medication to clean the body of harmful substances with polysubstance abuse

Finding the Right Treatment at We Level Up NJ

There is a strong connection between mental health and mushroom drug abuse. People who struggle with mood disorders like depression and anxiety are more susceptible to developing an addiction to drugs like shrooms, often to self-medicate symptoms of their underlying mental health condition. These co-occurring disorders can make each other worse without proper treatment.

To determine the most effective ways to treat mushroom drug abuse, it’s crucial to first get an accurate assessment of all the symptoms. When the symptoms have been evaluated by a mental health professional, it may be determined that another form of mental condition is present and needs a particular type of treatment.

Medically Assisted Detox

Medically assisted detox is often considered the first stage of treatment. It will help you navigate the complicated process of withdrawal, but it doesn’t address patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to drug abuse. Various treatment approaches and settings can help provide the ongoing support necessary to maintain long-term sobriety after you complete detox.

Cravings are very common during detox and can be challenging to overcome. This often leads to relapse. Constant medical care provided during inpatient treatment helps prevent relapse. Clinicians can provide the necessary medication and medical expertise to lessen cravings and the effects of withdrawals.

Psychotherapy for Depression and Anxiety

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of depression including:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – is an effective treatment that involves making changes in both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines which are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression.
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) – is a comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program whose ultimate goal is to aid patients in their efforts to build a life worth living. The main goal of DBT is to help a person develop what is referred to as a “clear mind.” 

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Substance abuse and mental health disorders often co-occur. In many cases, traumatic experiences can result in a mental health disorders and substance abuse. Dual diagnosis rehabilitation treats both of these issues together. The best approach for the treatment of dual diagnosis is an integrated system. In this strategy, both the substance abuse problem and the mental disorder are treated simultaneously. Regardless of which diagnosis (mental health or substance abuse problem) came first, long-term recovery will depend largely on the treatment for both disorders done by the same team or provider.

Medication-Assisted Treatments

Medication-Assisted Treatments (MAT) for substance use disorders and mental health disorders are commonly used in conjunction with one another. This includes the use of medications and other medical procedures. During your rehab, the staff from your treatment facility will help you identify what caused your addiction and teach you skills that will help you change your behavior patterns and challenge the negative thoughts that led to your addiction. Sometimes, the pressures and problems in your life lead you to rely on substances to help you forget about them momentarily.

The development of tolerance and withdrawal are indications of addiction. If you or a loved one are struggling with long-term mushrooms drug abuse and a co-occurring mental health condition such as anxiety and depression, contact one of our helpful treatment specialists today. We Level Up can provide information on dual diagnosis and detox programs that may fit your specific needs. One of the big questions for many peoples is how long do shrooms last in your system, and what are their negative effects? Call us today.

Do Shrooms Go Bad? Magic mushrooms do cause increased tolerance to other drugs, such as LSD and mescaline — the drug in peyote. 
Do Shrooms Go Bad? Magic mushrooms do cause increased tolerance to other drugs, such as LSD and mescaline — the drug in peyote
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