Australia’s First Legal Magic Mushroom Harvest

This comes after the federal government, in a show of good faith, has backed a whopping 15 million Australian dollars in grants for local psychedelic research earlier this year.

Foraging Shrooms for Science

The first legal harvest of magic mushrooms takes place deep in the forest, in places with lots of damp cow manure and fallen leaves and twigs. Psilocybin mushrooms love to grow in these conditions especially after it rains. This is where Dr. Alistair McTaggart, a mycologist and evolutionary biologist from the University of Queensland, will pick and catalogue the fungi for possible use in therapy. In an interview with ABC, McTaggart hints at shrooms being the key to mental health:

“In America, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has fast-tracked psilocybin treatment. It’s considered a breakthrough therapy. With COVID-19 right now, I think there’s never been a better time to start looking for therapies for mental health.”

This magic was something that Aboriginal Australians once knew, but settlers and modernity have practically erased from daily life. 

“I think it is a reasonable hypothesis that Aboriginal people co-existed with and ate magic mushrooms at some stage in the last 60,000 years.

“It may be that historical uses of mushrooms are closely guarded or lost.”

Mapping Shrooms in ‘Straya

Today, there are about 20 to 30 species of magic mushrooms in Australia. Some of which are native, while others come from foreign soil (Psilocybe cubensis or golden top mushroom is an example). Sadly, due to the current legal status of magic mushrooms as a “controlled substance” in Australia, very little is known about local mushroom species:

“We are not certain of [the] magic mushroom biodiversity in Australia,” says McTaggart in a UQ interview. “We do not even know how many species produce psilocybin. Our native psychoactive mushrooms are understudied compared to other continents.”

Dr. McTaggart’s job is to see which mushrooms are safe to eat, which ones are poisonous, and which ones can help treat anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction, eating disorders, and other conditions. If all goes sunny, his super-detailed shroom catalogue may persuade the feds to see psilocybin as a *legit* medical option. A magical tool that could be used to combat the mental health crisis just as effectively as Big Pharma (or even better!) 

Says Dr. McTaggart in a UQ interview:

“Our native psychoactive mushrooms are understudied compared to other continents. We want to understand their biology. 

“Australian species of psychoactive mushroom are unique from their global relatives and may have evolved different methods for psilocybin production.”

Magic Mushroom DNA

Psilocybin — the active compound in magic mushrooms and truffles — is just one of many local trippy substances being studied for therapy, which include ketamine and ecstasy. But for now, Dr. McTaggart and his team are excited to look into the DNA of shrooms growing in Australia. Genomic sequencing (or the way DNA is arranged to form a gene) will help to tell the 20 to 30 species of magic mushrooms apart. Think of it as a shroom hunter’s guide but on steroids!

Dr. Stephen Bright, a psychologist from Edith Cowan University’s school of medical and health sciences, says that Australian magic mushrooms have yet to reach their full potential:

“The research that we’re talking about here – in terms of understanding the native psilocybin species – could contribute to the international psychedelic science renaissance.”

As of late 2021, it remains illegal to grow, possess, use, or trade magic mushrooms in Australia. Only spores, grow kits, and mycelium culture can be bought and sold legally.

Psilocybin for Resistant Depression

Here’s a bit of bonzer news for those in Western Australia. Soon, Dr. Bright will conduct clinical trials in the area to see if psilocybin-assisted therapy can help crack resistant depression — a mental condition that has puzzled doctors up until recently. For Dr. Bright, psilocybin is a non-addictive drug that could genuinely help those struggling with addiction. And it’s high time everybody knows it:

“Psilocybin has almost a fail-safe built into it, to make it relatively safe as a drug – provided it’s done within the right setting, given the extreme state of consciousness that it produces.”

Psilocybin Assisted Therapy

Dr. Bright is referring to having the right mindset and surroundings before you take psychedelics, aka “Set and Setting”. For a rich and pleasant trip, you gotta pick a spot that makes you feel comfortable. You also need an open mind for the magic to seep through your spirit. And if you’re a beginner attempting to self-medicate with shrooms alone, you gotta do your research first. Hence why Dr. Bright wants psilocybin-assisted therapy to go mainstream:

“It needs to occur in a clinical environment, where there are trained facilitators, psychologists, social workers [and] psychiatrists who are able to set up the right conditions because it can be challenging at times.

“With depression, [psilocybin] allows people to consider their core beliefs of who they are as a person, how they relate to other people, and where they fit in the world. And those core beliefs are what’s driving the depression.”

Popular antidepressants can mask the symptoms of depression for a short while. They’re a breather from the pain, and that’s about it. A Band-Aid solution that doesn’t always work, especially not on folks with treatment resistant depression. Psilocybin and other psychedelics, on the other hand, will offer you a real chance to break free from the shackles of ego. Shrooms can help you uncover the root of your sadness so you can face it once and for all.  

Genomic Sequencing (and Why It’s Important)

Nature is weird. Sometimes two species can look exactly alike even though one of them is probably toxic AF. Take the (perfectly harmless) Scarlet king snake, for example, which mimics the appearance of the Eastern coral snake known for its deadly poison:

Which brings us back to Dr. McTaggart’s work on mapping Australia’s magic mushrooms via genomic sequencing. By harvesting the local shrooms, Australian scientists can now study psilocybin’s properties at the DNA level. And most importantly, they can share their findings with the public without fear of breaking the law. (Is the mushroom growing in your backyard safe to ingest, or is it something else? Once the shroom catalogue is complete, you can have its DNA tested to be sure!)

Dr. Tom May, lead mycologist at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, had compiled a limited catalogue of fungi. He says that Dr. McTaggart’s work on magic mushroom DNA is the next big step in mycology. Particularly in telling which species are best for therapeutic use:

“There has been a lot of interest in hallucinogens for many decades, but moving into a laboratory setting means that things can be tested and refined to really work out specific kinds of therapy using specific versions of [magic mushrooms].”

‘Designer’ Psychedelic Trips

So far, the Australian native mushroom Psilocybe subaeruginosa is garnering heaps of praise in psychedelic research. And Dr. McTaggart is eager to peek into its DNA to see precisely what makes it so irresistible to scientists:

“This species, or a close relative, is now the foundation of patents and research in Europe and the United States.”

What does cataloguing the DNA of shrooms mean for folks like you and me? By scrambling the genes of magic mushrooms, they can now potentially work on “designer” psychedelic trips. A Wonderland experience like no other. Tailored just for you!

“Similar to the cannabis industry, mushrooms will need selection of genetic traits to upscale production or tailor different strains for different experiences.”

Wonderland, Down Under

Sweeping plains. Mountain ranges. And a dazzling array of animal, plant, and fungi species that can only be found in the biggest country in the world. This is why it’s such a huge deal for Australia to finally allow the first legal harvest of magic mushrooms for research. It’s the perfect chance to map out the rich biodiversity of psilocybin in the forests of Australia. 

The Western world has opened its eyes, after all, to the potential of psychedelics to help treat mental illness — such as the incredible findings about psilocybin’s ability to cure depression made at the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research. Now it looks like the brilliant scientists in ‘Straya are joining the party. And not a minute too soon! Aussie Aussie Aussie!!

Do you love psychedelics? Check out our latest TikTok video right here!