Mushroom Testing Could Be Magic

Scientists are researching how best to identify mushroom species as a basis for a potential drug-checking service.

Magic mushrooms are coming under the microscope, as scientists at the University of Auckland forage for evidence to support a drug-checking service with the goal of reducing harm.

Doctoral student Sam Lasham will research the science and the acceptability of such a service.

“We'd like to work out the effectiveness of a magic mushroom drug-checking service and the best way to run that, and, in the case of people who are seeking mental health benefits, reduce the risks and offer advice on safe consumption,” Lasham says.

Lasham’s interest grew out of his studies at the University of Otago in genetics and botany and focused on Aotearoa New Zealand’s indigenous mushrooms.

“I was using environmental DNA from soil across our native beech forests in the South Island to estimate where species were and what species were around.

“A lot of that research was focused on DNA sequencing and something called ‘DNA barcoding’, which is using short genetic sequences to identify species.

“That's what has led into this, because the most important thing, from a safety perspective, is making sure you've got the right species of mushroom, and you haven't got a common lookalike that's poisonous.”

At the same time, Lasham became interested in illicit use of psilocybin mushrooms and the need for harm-reduction measures, founding Students for Sensible Drug Policy Aotearoa in Dunedin.

There has been increasing interest in the potential benefits of hallucinogenic mushrooms, including studies of microdosing for mental health and creativity at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.

Magic mushrooms are typically either grown from spores or foraged, then prepared in various ways to preserve them and enhance their effects.

The active ingredient, psilocybin, is relatively benign, but mushrooms contain other pharmacologically active compounds.

Adverse effects can include nausea, vomiting, increased heart rate, and headaches.
If foraging, the biggest risk is accidentally picking a poisonous look-a-like species.

“Galerina are the best example of this as they are very similar to Psilocybe subaeruginosa but they contain some of the same toxins (amatoxins) as the death cap mushroom,” Lasham says.

There are numerous reports of a syndrome termed ‘wood-lovers paralysis’, which seems to be caused by species of psilocybin mushrooms that grow on wood.

Lasham is based in the School of Pharmacy using the lab to identify the constituent parts of various types of mushrooms.

He is working in senior lecturer Dr Rhys Ponton’s research group, which holds the only drug-checking licence specifically for research purposes in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“People can bring their mushroom samples in and know they are legally protected while we are doing a full, confidential and free check of their drugs,” Lasham says.

“We can test the samples to make sure they're not a poisonous species and also to tell them what dose they have got, which will be another innovation that's not currently being offered in any drug-checking service.”

The researchers will interview and survey people across the country to see how mushrooms are being consumed, what mushrooms people are using, how they're using them and what sort of effects they are getting.

An advisory group of people with lived experience of mushroom use will guide how the research is set up, implemented and interpreted.

The research is supported by funding from the HRC and Ember Innovations.

Success in the lab could enable a ‘know your mushrooms’ service to run in a similar way to current drug-checking services at festivals, events and in the community.

• Find out more about the study here

© Scoop Media