Psilocybin, abuse

Schedule I—The drug or other substance has (1) a high potential for abuse, (2) no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and (3) a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision. Examples Ecstasy, heroin, marijuana, and the hallucinogens peyote, mescaline, psilocybin, and LSD. 

Peden NR, Pringle SD, Crooks J. (1982). The problem of psilocybin mushroom abuse. Hum Toxicol. 1(4) 417-24. 

Schedule I Substances with no accepted medicinal use in the United States and a high potential for abuse for example, heroin, marijuana, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, and psilocybin. 

For a decade after its isolation, psilocybin, mainly in the form of pills, was readily available in the United States as a pharmacological drug. It was prescribed for psychological therapy. In 1968, psilocybin was made illegal, as few positive conclusions could be drawn about its benefits. Also, it had a high incidence of abuse. Psilocybin powder is usually swallowed, injected intravenously, or sniffed. Due to its high potency, it carries a high risk of overdose. Psilocybin powder or pills are expensive and difficult to produce and therefore difficult to obtain on the street. Studies indicate that when psilocybin is sold on the street, it is usually LSD, PCP (phencyclidine), or both. 

Abuse of the psilocybin mushroom continued and clinical studies were finding little evidence that psilocybin mushrooms have medical uses. This trend of increasing recreational use of psilocybin was similar to the pattern of drug use in America. In 1962, fewer than 2% of the United States population had tried an illicit drug. By 1979, 65% of high school seniors and 70% of young adults had tried an illicit drug. 

In 1968, psilocybin was made illegal. In 1970, in response to the epidemic proportions of drug use, the Comprehensive Dmg Abuse Prevention and Control Act was passed. The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) created a schedule for drugs based on their medical uses and the probability of abuse. At that time, psilocybin was placed in the most restrictive category as a Schedule I hallucinogen. 

According to the 1999 Ontario Student Dmg Use Survey, researchers note that substance abuse disorders account for the most prevalent mental health conditions in young people. As the abusing population increases, so will future clinical needs of this population. Psilocybin use can precipitate long-term mental illness. 

The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and 1988 set forth federal mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines. According to the Federal Trafficking Penalties, first offense penalties for anyone who manufactures, dispenses, distributes, or possesses psilocybin is imprisonment for up to 20 years. If a death or serious injury is involved there is a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than 20 years, but not to exceed a life sentence. Individuals can also be fined up to one million dollars. In the case of a second offense, offenders can receive up to a 30-year prison sentence. If a death or serious injury is involved, there is a mandatory minimum life sentence. Individuals can also be fined up to two million dollars. 

The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), which is conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMH-SA), provides statistical data on illegal drug use in the United States. For the purpose of the survey, hallucinogenic drugs were defined to include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), phencyclidine (PCP), psilocybin, peyote, and ecstasy. 

LSD is generally considered cross-tolerant with mescaline but not with psilocybin—meaning that use of LSD a day before taking mescaline will reduce the impact of the mescaline (less tolerance develops if the order of the compounds is reversed). It is well established that LSD is cross-tolerant with itself—self-limiting, in the sense that if a second dose is taken a day later the effects will be considerably diminished. This tolerance endures significantly for three days and does not fully dissipate for a week. Abram Hoffer has remarked that LSD is its own greatest enemy. This feature acts as a control on human abuse of this drug. 

Peden, N. R., S. D. Pringle, and J. Crooks. 1982. The problem of psilocybin mushroom abuse. Human Toxicology 1 417-24. 

Psilocybes have propelled themselves to the front lines of the evolutionary race precisely because of their psilocybin content. The production of psilocybin has proven to be a competitive evolutionary advantage. Psilocybin mushrooms carry with them a message from nature about the health of the planet. At a time of planetary crisis brought on by human abuse, the Earth calls out through these mushrooms—sacraments that lead directly to a deeper ecological consciousness and motivate people to take action. 

The legal status of several of these molecules has been specified by the Federal Controlled Substance Act, passed into law by the United States Congress in 1970. Psilocybin, psilocin, DMT, and bufotenin have been classified as Schedule 1 substances by the U. S. Controlled Substances Act. Psilocybin and psilocin are essential nontoxic to body organs and do not cause physiological dependence of addictive behaviors (presumably the basis for the dangers of drugs of abuse as this term is used in the Controlled... 

Hyde, C., Glancy, G., Omerod, P., Hall, D. Taylor, G.S. (1973). Abuse of indigenous psilocybin mushrooms a new fashion and some psychiatric complications. British Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 602-604 Feuner, H. (1968). 1st die Verwendung von LSD-25 fur die experimentelle Psychiatric heute noch vertretbar Der Nervenarzt, 39, 356-360. Leaner, H. (1981). Halluzinogene. Hans Huber (Bem/StuttgartAVien). 

Malitz, S., Esconer, H., Wilkens, B. Hoch, P.H. (1960). Some observations on psilocybin, a new hallucinogen, in volunteer subjects. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 1, 8-17. McCarthy, J.P. (1971). Some less familiar drugs of abuse. Medical Journal of Australia, 2, 1078-1081. 

Many natural and synthetic hallucinogens are abused by humans. The natural substances most commonly abused are N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline, and psilocybin (see Section 6.11). The most studied and the first abused (prototypic) synthetic hallucinogen is iysergic acid diethyiamide (LSD). 

Psilocybin, mescaline, and LSD have similar central (via serotonergic systems) and peripheral (sympathomimetic) effects. None of these hallucinogenic drugs have been shown to have teratogenic potential. Contrast this with the established potential for teratogenicity or other fetal toxicity with abuse of ethanol, amphetamines, and cocaine. Unlike most hallucinogens, phencyclidine acts as a positive reinforcer of self-administration in animals. Scopolamine is not a positive reinforcer but does exert atropine-like effects. The answer is (D). 

Psilocybin and related drugs have possible value in the treatment of the anguish of impending death, as well as alcoholism and other forms of drug addiction. (Charles Schuster, Wayne State University, former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse). 

Hallucinogens are drugs that alter perception and feeling. These include LSD, mescaline, psilocybin, and PCP. Inhalants are aerosols and volatile hydrocarbons such as airplane glue and paint thinner that give the drug abuser a buzz or feeling of euphoria. 

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