Psilocybe Mexicana (aka Mexican Mushrooms)

As with many of the Psilocybe species known today, buy Psilocybe Mexicana is a psychedelic mushroom. Its first known usage was by the natives of North and Central America over 2,000 years ago. Known to the Aztecs as teotlnanácatl, from the Nahuatl teotl (“god”) + nanácatl (“fungus”). This species was categorized by French botanist Roger Heim.

It was from this species that Dr. Albert Hofmann, working with specimens grown in his Sandoz laboratory, first isolated and named the active entheogenic compounds psilocybin and psilocin. Uncertain of whether or not the artificially cultivated mushrooms would retain their natural psychoactive properties, Dr. Hofmann consumed 32 specimens.

Psilocybe mexicana is a species in the group of psilocybin mushrooms (also including P. tampanensis, and to a lesser extent P. cinctulus) that are known to produce sclerotia—hardened masses of mycelium that function in nature as a way for the organism to survive unfavorable conditions (nutrient depletion, drought, freezing, etc). You may hear the sclerotia of these species also called truffles, but technically this is a biological misnomer. From a mycological perspective, unlike sclerotia, truffles are reproductive structures—subterranean spore containers that spread their genetic payload through consumption by animals and subsequent excretion into new environments. buy Psilocybe Mexicana online

True truffle-producing species are typically ectomycorrhizal, meaning their existence relies on a symbiotic relationship with specific host tree species. Though identified in close proximity to a variety of trees, P. mexicana’s preferred habitat is manure-rich grassland, which caused Paul Stamets to nickname these the “Mexican liberty cap” due to the two species’ affinity for similar environments.

Psilocybe Mexicana Legality

In most countries where psilocybin containing mushrooms are currently illegal, P. mexicana is no different. One exception to this is in the Netherlands, where the sclerotia themselves are legal, despite psilocybin-containing mushrooms (including P. mexicana and 185 other species) being illegal since 2008. When the ban was enacted by the Dutch government, sclerotia were excluded on the basis that they were considered to be weaker than mushrooms; but as you’ll read in the potency section, this may not always be the case!

The legal exemption of sclerotia in the Netherlands has supported a large industry, with many “smart shops” around Amsterdam and beyond selling packets under names like Mushrocks, High Hawaiians, and Dragon’s Dynamite with various claims to differences in subjective effects. In addition to smart shops, a number of “truffle retreats” have opened in recent years, where participants can consume the sclerotia while taking part in a range of programs, under the guidance of trained facilitators and therapists. Examples include Synthesis (who opened their doors in 2018), in addition to Field Trip Health who are set to open their own retreat in 2021. buy Psilocybe Mexicana online

How To Grow Psilocybe Mexicana

The cultivation of P. mexicana, P. cubensis and P. caerulescens were all first studied around the same time in the late 1950s by Roger Heim and his colleagues in France. In initial experiments, Psilocybe cubensis outperformed other species due to its fast colonisation and ability to easily produce large mushrooms, and is a likely reason why this species is now the go-to fungal favorite of home growers the world over. However P. mexicana is also grown to a lesser extent today, usually for its sclerotia, though mushroom production is also possible with a little extra care.

Early experiments with laboratory cultivated strains of P. mexicana suggested that sclerotia production is favored by dark, nutrient-rich conditions whereas mushroom production was favored by when cultures were exposed to daylight in growth media that are less nutrient rich. From a biological perspective this makes sense; given the function of sclerotia to act as a survival structure, high nutrients would create conditions that promote building up supplies for times when conditions might not be so abundant. By contrast, in low nutrient conditions, mushrooms and their resultant spores would give the organism a chance to escape their poor growing conditions for a new start somewhere more favorable. Although this hasn’t been proven scientifically, many anecdotal reports from home growers state that once a P. mexicana grow has started producing sclerotia, future mushroom production is less likely.

The little scientifically documented work on cultivation carried out in the late 1950s suggested that fermented, washed and sterilised straw could be used to grow both mushrooms and sclerotia, with a layer of sterile sand added to jars to improve drainage. Since then hobby growers have had success by typically using a mix of coir and vermiculite, sometimes adding manure or straw, in a similar way to P. cubensis. For those wanting to try and cultivate mushrooms rather than sclerotia, it seems that low nutrients and ample light may be crucial factors for success. Consider bulking out your substrate with a high proportion of vermiculite, which lacks nutrients and can help dilute richer substrates like coir, manure or straw. It’s also important to note that Roger Heim’s initial cultivation studies on P. mexicana cultures taken from different wild locations found considerable variation in their ability to produce mushrooms, with some hardly producing any at all. Those hoping to grow P. mexicana mushrooms might have greater success gathering spores from multiple sources or vendors to increase the chances of success.

For those of you happy to grow sclerotia alone, the technique is the same as producing P. cubensis grain—you can even do it with Uncle Ben’s tek! Although you can spawn to bulk, this typically isn’t necessary if you only want sclerotia, making this species the perfect “set-and-forget” project. Compared to P. cubensis, growing P. mexicana can take a little longer, coming in at two to three months minimum. Jars or bags containing sclerotia can be left for longer than the minimum time, and sclerotia inside will continue to grow, though extra care needs to be taken to ensure everything doesn’t dry out.

Psilocybe Mexicana Potency

The Dutch Ministry of Health claims that sclerotia are less potent than mushrooms, but the veracity of this statement relies on the specifics of the comparison. Generally speaking, sclerotia have less water than mushrooms; about 75% versus 90%. Sclerotia may actually be more effective than many popular psychedelic mushroom species when measured by fresh weight, but once both the mushrooms and sclerotia have been properly dried, this connection changes due to the differences in moisture content.

P. mexicana sclerotia’s potency is unknown, but it has been estimated that the mushrooms themselves have a maximum psilocybin and psilocin content of 0.25 percent each. In comparison to the more widely cultivated P. cubensis, which is said to contain a maximum of 1.3 percent psilocybin and 0.35 percent psilocin, this makes P. mexicana appear weaker on paper. Nonetheless, depending on who you ask, individuals who have tried both claim that P. mexicana mushrooms have a similar or even higher potency than P. cubensis. Moreover, anecdotal evidence suggests that P. mexicana sclerotia have nearly the same potency as P. cubensis mushrooms.

Making comparisons across species is generally challenging, which contributes to all this uncertainty. Magic mushrooms in general can vary substantially in strength depending on how they are grown. However, there aren’t many scientific studies on potency, and subjective trip reports are notoriously challenging to analyze. The sheer volume of anecdotal potency claims typically lends some trustworthiness (as in the case of P. azurescens), but for P. mexicana it appears fewer people have tried them or, at the very least, documented their experiences. Our dose recommendation would be to start a little lower than you might for P. cubensis and see how you perform till more data come along.

Effects of Psilocybe Mexicana

The first effects usually begin to be perceived earlier than with LSD or mescaline, and by about 30 minutes after ingestion they can be discerned. The maximum effects are usually established between 60 and 90 minutes after ingestion, and they last for about two hours before starting to diminish. The total duration of the experience is around 4 to 6 hours, depending on the dose.

Physical effects

Physically, the main effects of psilocybin include dilation of the pupils and slight increases in blood pressure and heart rate, especially at high doses. Variation in blood pressure seems more related to subjective experience than to the physiological effects of psilocybin, particularly if anxiety appears. Nausea can sometimes occur, especially when mushrooms are ingested rather than pure psilocybin, and more rarely vomiting or diarrhea. Tremors, muscle discomfort and dizziness may also occur.

The physical effects in general are usually mild and not significant.

Psychological effects

Psychological effects are characterized by marked alterations of sensory perceptions as well as profound changes in consciousness and cognition.

At the sensory level, visual alterations may occur in the form of colorful kaleidoscopic visions with closed eyes, intensification of colors, distortion of the shapes of objects or surfaces that undulate or move. Auditory disturbances may also appear, such as an increased appreciation of music and sounds. Synesthetic experiences can occur, in which stimuli corresponding to a certain sensory field are perceived and processed by another sense; for example, sounds that are perceived as visions. The sense of touch can also be altered, experiencing an increase in tactile sensitivity, sensations of cold or heat, tingling or a feeling of energy running through the body, as well as paresthesia.

At the cognitive and consciousness level, these alterations can be very intense and seem to be experiences as positive as they are terrifying.

Recent studies have observed the ability of psilocybin to induce mystical experiences in controlled contexts and in high doses. These mystical experiences include feelings of numinousness, profoundly positive emotional states, internal unity, transcendence of time and space, ineffability and a sense of unity and interconnection with all things.

Frightening experiences may include sensations of agonizing fear, paranoia, a sense of dying or going crazy, feelings of depression or anger, high anxiety, agitation, confusion, and disorientation both spatiotemporally and internally. This phenomenon has sometimes been called a “bad trip.” Only rarely are psychotic symptoms produced, which usually disappear when the effects subside.

In most cases, however, the experiences induced by mushrooms contain both positive and pleasant elements, as well as less pleasant components that could be experienced as psychologically challenging. Experiences in which personal biographical material emerges are common, as well as content related to significant others. In addition, there may be a dissolution of personal limits, or a dissolution of the ego, with sensations described as “oceanic,” which can be perceived as a transcendent experience, but may also result in anxiety.

Psilocybe Mexicana Identification

The sclerotia made by P. mexicana are lumpy bundles of tightly packed mycelium that can be as little as a pea or as big as an ostrich egg, although they are rarely as uniform in shape. Sclerotia can be any hue, from bright yellow to dark brown, and occasionally even blue. The color appears to depend on the environment under which they are growing. Positive identification is rarely feasible from the sclerotia alone due to their erratic size, shape, and color (for that we must look at the mushrooms themselves).

P. mexicana, sometimes known as the “Mexican liberty cap,” resembles its more widely known namesake in several ways. P. mexicana are tall, slender, straw-colored mushrooms that can reach a maximum height of about five inches. Its crowns are convex or cone-shaped, occasionally with an elevated center (umbonate), or with borders that flare out in the shape of a bell (campanulate). P. mexicana mushrooms, like all psilocybin-producing species, exhibit a purplish-black spore print and bruise blue.