Even though possessing and using “magic mushrooms” has been decriminalized by a number of cities and states, it doesn’t mean it’s still safe to consume to get high. This policy shift has led to a noticeable increase in psilocybin-related incidents among adolescents and young adults, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. The findings, which draws on data from the National Poison Data System, point to a significant rise in calls to poison centers involving psilocybin usage by teens and young adults between the years 2018 and 2022.
Before the decriminalization efforts that started in May 2019, the number of psilocybin-related calls had remained largely unchanged from 2013 to 2018. However, following the policy changes in places such as Oregon, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Detroit, and Seattle, there was a marked increase in these incidents. For teenagers 13 to 19, the calls more than tripled, jumping from 152 to 464. Among adults 20 to 25, the calls more than doubled, going from 125 to 294 in the same period.
