Mushrooms

1. Mushrooms By: ElieBellavance Emma Thompson P.6

2. Table of Contents • Title page……………………………………Slide 1 • Table of contents………………………….Slide 2 • Type…………………………………………..Slide 3 • Category……………………………………. Slide 4 • Nicknames………………………………….Slide 5 • How They are Taken……………………..Slide 6 • Effects………………………………………..Slide 7 • Danger……………………………………….Slide 8 • Statistics……………………………………..Slide 9 • Interesting facts……………………………Slide 10 • Resources……………………………………Slide 11

3. Type of Drug • Mushrooms are hallucinogens. • Hallucinogens are drugs that distort the way you perceive reality. • “Hallucinogens work by disrupting how your nerve cells and the neurotransmitter serotonin interact throughout the brain and spinal cord.”

4. Category • Mushrooms are illegal. In 1970, the U.S. banned psilocybiln except for medical research. “However, magic mushrooms are one of the most widely used recreational psychotropic drugs because they can be found in the wild or grown fairly easily and inexpensively.” This means that they are sold quite easily and are hard to restrict.

5. Nicknames • Magic mushrooms • Shrooms • Silly putty • Purple passion • Simple Simon • Sherms • Musk • Boomers • Caps • Mushies

6. How it is taken • Mushrooms are taken orally. They are usually eaten fresh because boiling them kills the hallucinogen gases. However, they can also be made into a tea. They can’t be inhaled or injected. Most of the time they are chewed.

7. Effects • Magic mushrooms cause hallucinations and distorted images. It also causes panic attacks and flashbacks. Nausea, vomiting and dizziness are also common effects. People tripping on mushrooms might see things in different colors or see patterns. “Existing colors, sounds, tastes and textures may be distorted, while feelings and emotions intensify. It can feel like time has sped up, slowed down or stopped completely. There can be a changed perception of one's place in the universe and a feeling of communing with a higher power.” Effects also can be anxiety or increased confidence. Magic mushrooms effect people differently. These pictures represents how someone may see the world after “tripping” on magic mushrooms.

8. Dangers • Loss of reality • Brain damage • Shock • Hypotension • Can kill you • Muscle twitching • Cause accidents • Paranoia • Schizophrenia • Rapid intense mood swings

9. Statistics According to NSDUH, there were about 1.1 million people twelve or older who used shrooms in the year 2007. Mushroom trips usually last between 5 to 12 hours The chemical, psilocybin, is found in approximately 190 species of edible mushrooms. According to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 8 percent of adults over the age of 26 in the United States have used magic mushrooms

10. Interesting Facts • Mushrooms date back thousands of years where people would consume them for religious ceremonies. • Mushrooms aren’t proven to be addictive. • R. Gordon Wasson, a mycologist, discovered the effects of magic mushrooms in Mexico. He discovered this in the 1950’s. • During the Hippie era, magic mushrooms were tied to “spiritual experiences”.

11. Resources • www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/drugsmushrooms • http://www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/mushrooms • http://casapalmera.com/usage-and-effects-of-magic-mushrooms/ • http://science.howstuffworks.com/magic-mushroom2.htm • www.magic/mushrooms.net • www.addictionhope.com • www.urban75.com/Drugs/drugmisc.html • www.drugrehab.co.uklstreetdrug-names.htm