Magic Truffles (Psilocybe Tampanensis)
Whether you’re familiar with psychedelics or not, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of magic mushrooms. As for magic truffles, well, they might be a novelty that you’re just discovering.
How do the two compare? What are some of the differences between each? We explain.
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Magic Mushrooms
Since the early adoption, magic mushrooms have shown a tremendous effect on those struggling with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, chronic pain, eating disorders, addiction, and other mental health trauma.
The current body of research not only proves that to be the case, but it also keeps spiking even more interest in further trials and studies. This can potentially find an even larger area of treatment where magic mushrooms can help and heal.
Many celebrities, as well as Silicon valley entrepreneurs have reported microdosing magic mushrooms to not only help them deal with daily stress and anxiety, but to also increase their productivity and focus, giving them credit to major career highs and success stories.
This propelled their way into the general public that caused a major shift in the psychological and medical world. Many professionals were left wondering whether or not magic mushrooms could be the key to solving some of the most common mental health issues of today.
The current legal status of magic mushrooms is still a bit murky, as on the federal level, they’re still classified as a Schedule I substance, meaning 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.”
However, on the state level, the situation is different from east to west, with Oregon being the first state to decriminalize it in 2020, and many others to follow suit.
Now, with the stigma around psychedelics starting to dissipate, some people are even growing magic mushrooms at home. They also often dabble with microdosing.
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Magic Truffles
Magic truffles are underground fungi which resemble real, culinary truffles. They contain both psilocybin and psilocin. Magic truffles are a type of fungus known as sclerotia, or hardened masses of mycelium containing food reserves that grow underground near tree roots.
Previously growing in popularity in the Netherlands, magic truffles are slowly making their way across the Atlantic through a Canadian company, Red Light Holland.
This company believes magic truffles should be explored and researched for their incredible benefits. Therefore, they want to work closely with countries who wise to develop plant and fungus-based remedies — including many psilocybin dispensaries and clinics.
They recently launched Scarlette Lillie Science and Innovation, a new science division which secured a partnership with the US-based organization, Jinfiniti Precision Medicine. Their goal is to explore the potential roles that psilocybin in both magic mushrooms and magic truffles can have on psychiatric disorders.
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Magic Truffles vs. Magic Mushrooms: The Similarities
Now that we know what they are in their essence, here are some similarities.
- They Are Basically The Same Organism — But They Grow Differently
- Magic mushrooms above ground
- Magic truffles below the ground
- Both Contain Psilocybin And Psilocin. The most important similarity concerns their hallucinogenic properties which make them psychedelics in the first place. Both, magic mushrooms and magic truffles contain these active compounds which are known to cause visual and auditory distortions.
- Each Causes A Similar Experience. Since both contain psilocybin and psilocin, magic mushrooms and magic truffles both cause visual and sensory distortions. They may both change someone’s mood and perception, or lead to feelings of detachment and euphoria.
- Both Can Cause A Bad Trip. As with other psychedelics, a bad trip can always occur. It has nothing to do with the form, but more with the circumstances around the psychedelic experience as well as the mindset and dosage.
- Magic Truffles Tolerance Is The Same As That From Magic Mushrooms. Regardless of whether you consume truffles or mushrooms, the tolerance will be the same, meaning that after dosing, you will have to wait a few days again before your tolerance returns to baseline, allowing you to trip as normal again.
- Their Legal Status Is The Same (In Most Countries). Since the legality concerns psilocybin, it doesn’t really matter whether it comes from the magic mushrooms or magic truffles. This is true in most countries, where psilocybin is a controlled substance. Are magic truffles legal in the U.S., for instance? The answer is a definite no. They are still a Schedule I drug due to the presence of psilocybin. This equality of legal status remains true in the case of spores, too: magic truffles spores are legal to sell and buy, as are psilocybin mushroom spores – you only commit an illegal act once you use these spores to grow the end product containing psilocybin.
RELATED: Brain Damage From Alcohol May Be Reversed By Using Magic Mushrooms, Per Study
Magic Truffles vs. Magic Mushrooms: The Differences
Although both basically the same organism, there are some differences between the two that are important to mention.
- They Grow Differently.
- Magic mushrooms grow above the ground.
- Magic truffles grow underground.
- How do you grow magic truffles? Well, the process is quite a bit different compared to growing magic mushrooms. Here’s a guide that explains how to do it.
- Each Looks Different.
- Magic mushrooms are lighter in color and have a soft and fine structure. They contain a noticeable “mushroom hat” that can be in the same (or different) color.
- Magic truffles are dark and rough, mostly hard in texture, and resemble pieces of dirt or rocks.
- They Have A Different Moisture Content.
- Magic truffles have a very low moisture content which makes them easier and quicker to dry.
- Their Purpose Is Different.
- Magic mushrooms rise above the surface, release spores that fall to the ground, and are picked, or eventually die.
- Magic truffles stay and grow underground. They serve as a food reserve for the mushroom in the case of a potential lack of oxygen or nutrients (sclerotia).
- Each May Differ In Trip Length, Consistency And In Potency.
- Magic mushrooms can grow into all kinds of shapes and sizes. This can cause the concentration of psilocybin per gram to vastly differ. This can then result in inconsistent potency from one mushroom to another.
- Magic truffles are smaller and more compact, so their psilocybin concentration can be more consistent. This makes the expected duration of the psilocybin trip much easier to predict.
- Their Legal Status Is Not Always The Same.
- In the Netherlands, it became illegal to sell magic mushrooms in 2008. However, this does not apply to magic truffles, which are legally available for sale (in smart shops and online). This was based on the belief that they were not as potent (although this is not always true — they can be more potent than fresh psilocybin mushrooms). The company Sirius, for example, sells a line of products called Freshbox Magic Truffles online. But can you ship magic truffles to the U.S. from the Netherlands? The answer is no since possessing them is still illegal. Are magic truffles illegal in most other countries? The answer is yes, but with a caveat. Certain countries and U..S cities have decriminalized psychedelics, so it would be illegal to sell magic truffles in these areas, but possessing personal amounts of them would not be treated as a criminal offense.
Although they contain the same hallucinogenic compounds, magic mushrooms and magic truffles have their own respected characteristics. However, each shows promise in therapeutic healing as an alternative treatment option.
