consumption of fly agaric

[clamp connection]

I've been largely away from mushrooming for several decades. Back in the late 70s and early 80s when I became interested, I will admit to ingesting and even growing some psilocybin  mushrooms, but I havent done that in decades and don't plan to start again.  A. muscaria were not anywhere near my list of desirable edible fungi back then, and they still arent. But I found them ethnologically interesting, and I even read much of Wasson's book, Soma: divine mushroom of immortality before growing bored somewhere around page 800, so I know that some people have ingested them. But I never heard of anyone I knew taking them, and I had no reason to believe that any sane people were taking them at the time. 

fast forward to this week, where I was with an old friend and a younger friend of his family, who was all excited that he had been able to buy some magic mushrooms. He pulled out a large dried cap and i happened to notice some light colored spots on it. I said, let me see that. Lo and behold, I was rather suprised to find what appeared to be a dried fly agaric cap. He thought they were just good old psilocybin, and had no idea what he was about to eat.  I advised him, based on my 35 year old knowledge, that he should not eat it or he could be in for a very different and unpleasant surprise compared to psilocybin. He didn't eat it, but he didn't throw it away either. I still think that was good advice, but in doing some googling I see there are some people who are eating them.

So I'm just curious how common is it, and how many people are being sold fly agaric who dont even know what they are buying. Is this still a pretty fringe activity? As with many hallucinogens there are people who will say its safe "if done in the proper environment", but how safe is it really? I'm curious if my decades old knowledge is outdated, or if there are just more reckless and possibly crazy people these days.

 

[Tasso]

https://wildmushroomhunting.org/index.php?/topic/2772-forum-rules/                                                                    If you want to to talk about psychoactives, go to this site: https://www.shroomery.org/

[GCn15]

35 years is the blink of an eye in terms of evolution. The same generally accepted rules remain the same for mushrooms of the magic kind. I am not an advocate of anyone eating them but if you must, do not utilize the fly agaric as it as much stronger unpleasant side effects.

[clamp connection]

4 hours ago, Tasso said:

https://wildmushroomhunting.org/index.php?/topic/2772-forum-rules/                                                                    If you want to to talk about psychoactives, go to this site: https://www.shroomery.org/

 

Its pretty clear that I am not in any way promoting the use of psychoactive mushrooms. In fact I stated that I havent used any in decades, and have no interest in doing so, and that I advised this person NOT to consume the fly agaric because he might be very sorry. 

I posted because I'm concerned that he might do so anyway, or he might give them to someone else who will. I don't even consider fly agaric to be psychoactive as much as I consider them poisonous, so I'm really just inquiring about the current thinking on their dangers and toxicity. I am VERY surprised and shocked and concerned that people are selling these as recreational drugs. 

 

 

 

[troutddicted]

Theres a misconception and sometime fly agaric can fetch top dollar.  But yeah, from my limited understanding it isnt much more then bad news.  Stay with the regular stuff, stay safe.