How Long Do Shrooms (Magic Mushrooms & Psilocybin) Stay in Your System
Magic mushrooms have been intertwined with human culture for centuries. While once primarily associated with spiritual and recreational rituals, today, you can find them in teas, supplements, and even gourmet dishes. Thanks to the numerous benefits attributed to them, their popularity has soared. However, in an unregulated landscape where their legal status remains in flux and drug testing at workplaces becomes more prevalent, understanding how long these mushrooms stay in your system has never been more vital.
How Long are Shrooms Detectable?
The unique properties of mushrooms make them harder to detect in drug tests. The most common tests, like the ones used for employment screenings, aren’t tailored to pick up psilocybin unless conducted within a few hours of consumption. A notable 2021 study even found mushrooms to be barely detectable after just 6 hours.
The most common drug tests are urine-based. For the majority, the body clears out magic mushrooms within 24 hours, rendering them nearly undetectable by standard urine drug tests.
A hair follicle test, however, provides a more comprehensive look into a person’s drug use and can sometimes pick up psilocybin spanning back as far as 90 days. Fortunately or unfortunately, this type of testing isn’t as common due to its higher cost.
Factors Influencing the Duration of Shrooms in the System
Dosage
The quantity of magic mushrooms consumed doesn’t just determine the intensity of the experience but also affects how long psilocybin and its metabolite, psilocin, remain in the system. A larger dose naturally introduces more of these compounds, extending their detectable presence.
Accurate knowledge of dosage is critical, and this is where the role of psilocybin mushroom testing labs becomes invaluable. These labs can accurately quantify the psilocybin content, ensuring consumers are well-informed about the exact dosage they’re taking.
Body Metrics
Every individual is unique, and this uniqueness extends to how one’s body processes and reacts to substances, including psilocybin. Body metrics, like body mass, age, and metabolic rate, can also determine how long magic mushrooms stay detectable in the system.
Body Mass: Typically, substances dilute in the body based on the amount of body fluid available. Individuals with a higher body mass might have more body fluids, which could dilute the psilocybin and its metabolites, potentially leading to a shorter detection window. However, it’s also essential to note that fat tissues can store certain compounds longer, which might counteract this dilution effect.
Age: As we age, our metabolic rates tend to slow down. This reduction in metabolic activity can lead to a prolonged processing time for various substances, psilocybin included. Older individuals might, therefore, find that the compounds from magic mushrooms linger in their systems a bit longer than they would in younger people.
Metabolic Rate: Beyond just age, individual metabolic rates can vary based on genetics, diet, and activity level. Someone with a faster metabolism will process and eliminate psilocybin more rapidly than someone with a slower rate.
Method of Use
There’s more than one way to introduce shrooms into your system. Like with most psychoactive products, the method chosen not only influences the onset and intensity of the effects but also the duration these compounds remain detectable in the body.
Ingestion: This is the most traditional method—simply eating the dried or fresh mushrooms. When ingested, the body must first break down the mushroom material to release psilocybin, which then gets converted to psilocin. This process can mean a slightly delayed onset of effects and, due to the full digestion process, might result in a longer detection window compared to other methods.
Tea: Brewing magic mushrooms into tea offers a different experience. The hot water extracts the psilocybin, allowing for faster absorption once consumed. This method can lead to a quicker onset of effects and might result in a slightly shorter duration of psilocybin in the system since the body doesn’t have to process the mushroom material itself.
Other Methods: While less common, there are various other consumption methods, from mushroom-infused chocolates to tinctures. These methods can alter the absorption rate and subsequently, how long the compounds stay detectable. For instance, a tincture might introduce psilocybin directly into the bloodstream, potentially offering a rapid onset but also a different metabolic pathway compared to ingestion.
Stomach Content
Consuming magic mushrooms on an empty stomach can lead to rapid absorption. Without food to slow down the digestive process, psilocybin is introduced into the bloodstream more quickly, leading to a faster onset of effects. On the other hand, the presence of food means the digestive system is already at work, potentially causing a delay in the onset of hallucinogenic effects. While this method can offer a more gradual experience, it might also extend the time psilocybin is detectable in the system as its absorption is spread out over a more extended period.
The type and amount of liquids consumed can also play a role. Drinking a lot of water might aid in faster elimination of psilocybin metabolites through urine. However, consuming alcohol affects the liver’s ability to metabolize various substances, potentially altering the duration psilocybin and its metabolites stay in the body.
