There are hundreds of different species of magic mushrooms growing all over the world. But no two mushrooms are identical, even though they may look similar. And different mushrooms affect different people in different ways, due to the psilocybin content. So, how much psilocybin is in a gram of mushrooms? Well, it isn’t an easy answer.
There is some generalized information out there on the potency of different mushrooms, including the following as noted in Erowid:
- P. azurescens has 1.78% psilocybin
- P. bohemica has 1.34% psilocybin
- P. semilianceata has 0.98 % psilocybin
- Both P. baeocystis and P. cyanescens have 0.85 % psilocybin
- P. tampanensis has 0.68 % psilocybin
- P. cubensis has 0.63% psilocybin
- P. weilii has 0.61% psilocybin
There are so many more species of psilocybin mushrooms around, so we won’t get into all of them. And these are not exactly accurate for every mushroom in each category. This is because there are a few factors that affect the potency of each mushroom.
Factors that Affect Psilocybin Mushroom Potency
As we’ve already shown, the potency of different species of magic mushrooms can vary greatly. But there are a few other things that can alter the potency, even in mushrooms of the same species, strain or batch.
First, the biosynthesis of the psilocybin mushrooms happens when the fruit bodies or sclerotia are formed. For this reason, the young, small mushrooms tend to have a much higher dose of psilocybin in them than the more mature ones.
Other things that can affect the potency is the strain of each species, the growing conditions, and the drying conditions. There is even a difference between those mushrooms that grow in the wild and those that are cultivated. The wild ones are stronger, with a higher psilocybin content than the ones you grow yourself.
How you store mushrooms also affects the potency. A fresh mushroom slowly loses its psilocybin content over time and only has traces left after being stored for four weeks. But dried mushrooms are much more stable, retaining their potency for years in many cases.
For this reason, it is almost impossible to determine the psilocybin content in any specific batch of mushrooms. But for the most part, most mushrooms have anywhere from about 0.5%-2% psilocybin of the dried weight of the mushroom.
This means, that for one gram of mushrooms, there will be anywhere from 5-20 milligrams of psilocybin. But there is no way to know the exact potency of the mushrooms you’re about to take without a bunch of scientific tests.
Psilocybin Dosing
If you are nervous about taking the mushrooms because you are afraid the potency will be too strong for you, start by taking a smaller dose of mushrooms. Then, if the effects are not too severe, you can take a bit more. This way, you will be able to figure out the potency level for that specific batch of mushrooms, which will help you determine how much to take each time. Until you get the next batch, that is. Then you’ll need to start the process all over.
This is a highly interesting area of research, with enormous potential to develop new psychatric medications. The obvious targets are anxiety, depression, PTSD, and complex PTSD. But each newly-isolated molecule will also require to go through FDA approval, which is going to cost serious money. I’ll be keeping an eye open for developments in this area.
Very helpful blog. Thank you for sharing and spreading awareness to everyone. This post is very helpful, especially for those who are new to the magic mushroom. Because of this article, readers like me will be able to know how much psilocybin is in, in a gram of mushrooms.
Sounds like you MAY be someone who is older and contemplating dying soon (I could be completely wrong, just a guess) since there have been studies where terminal cancer patients have been given large doses of psilocyben and this therapy has had a very positive result for many patients who say they aren’t so worried about dying as a result of this therapy.
This is not crazy; but you have to realize these patients were in a controlled environment where every effort was made to make sure they felt safe and had nothing to worry about. If possible; it would be a really good idea to find a friend to be your “baby sitter” so to speak, for a few hours while you trip. Someone to watch over you and to help you feel safe and to make sure you don’t go running down the street naked or some other bizzare behavior. The first time you REALLY trip; there’s no telling what you might think is a good idea. If you can’t find a friend, but you can find mushrooms, it would be advisable to start with a small dose and work your way up.
Hello, so I’m very new to psilocybin mushrooms. I will only be doing it once, so I want to take enough to get me very high. The Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa species grows in my area(I’m not 100% sure how to find someone selling so I will be finding them myself) and they have a mild potency. I’m not sure how many I will need to eat though, can anyone give me advice on how many to eat? I want to eat around 2.5-4 grams but I’m not sure how to measure it.
Wild foraging is a fun activity that promotes health and a connection with nature, it’s highly encouraged! However, there can be many mushrooms that share similar characteristics, that may be dangerous. Consider joining a local mycology group that has the expertise and experience to ensure correct identification. Further, many university biology departments are willing to assist in identification pursuits.
To specifically answer your question, the data is sparse. Here is what I was able to find:
“Both psilocybin and psilocin (0.05 mg per gram dry weight and 1.4 mg per gram psilocin) were detected by Beug and Bigwood.”
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybe_cyanofibrillosa
The caveat for the above measurement, when compared to others in the article, is that Beug and Bigwood used dried samples for their potency tests.
“High in psilocin and low in psilocybin. Loses over 70% or more of their potency in drying.”
From http://www.en.psilosophy.info/species/psilocybe_cyanofibrillosa.html
They suggest “1 large specimen, 2 to 5 small specimens” as an average dose. However, measuring doses in “mushroom units” is the least accurate way of measuring an adequate dose. I would suggest starting small, and topping up after an hour if the desired effects aren’t yet achieved.
More details here: https://www.shroomery.org/12502/Psilocybe-cyanofibrillosa
Unfortunately, their season seems to begin in September. There may be other mushrooms in your area that arrive earlier. You can check iNaturalist for others in your region.
5 is a nice micro dose which you could do daily. 20 will get you high. Start with a few to determine the strength. Then double it to get higher. Doing it once to get very high is unadvisable
I’ll what 5 grams a micro and 20 to get high? Yu either trolling to get someone wrecked or you have horrible shroomies
5-20 what? grams? milligrams? mushrooms?
Try a 1.5 first and see how that does and if u feel need a bit more eat another gram that’s pretty strong dose for beginners….
This is not something u just do once lol your mad dum start with one gram and go up from there over a several month time. This is because after yo trip you will have a tolerance so it’s good to wait 2 weeks before redosing and tripping again. Have fun
3.5 _ 4 grams is always a proper dose for me but mushroomsbextreamly help my anxiety and depression so idk and I am on an SSRI anti anxiety, depression and anti obsessional (ocd) which mushrooms effect serotonin and there are claims mixing the two really help. So everyone is different b
. Bht the only way to know is go to a convenience store or headshop(bongshop) even home hardware or home depot and buy a sale that measure in o.1 grams or even better 0.01 grms to be sure
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5826346/
100% psi mg/kg: 0.3
lb: 145 = kg: 65.76
100% psi mg dose: 19.728
P. cubensis 0.63%
raw cubensis gram: 3.131
1.5-3 grams intermediate dose is about right.
Was this 28 grams of DRIED mushrooms or 28 grams fresh picked. Either way, it would be a LOT. But since raw mushrooms are about 90% water, they shrink down to about 10%. So, 28 grams would dry down to about 3 grams dried. If you took 28 grams of dried mushrooms and they were of even mild potency; well that’s about 5 times the “Hero’s Journey” it wouldn’t matter too much that you spread it over 2 hour time. That would be one hell of a trip. And if the mushrooms were above average potency; well; I have no idea what that would be like. Like taking 4 or 5 hits of good LSD.
I bought 50mg pills, how much is that gram wise?
50mg of psilocybin? Ground shrooms? Or a similar alkaloid or research chemical?
“But there is no way to know the exact potency of the mushrooms you’re about to take without a bunch of scientific tests.”
do you have information of those tests or the names of them? I would love to learn more about it.
This primarily involves the field of spectrometry or chromatography.
There are some set-ups that can be assembled with a smartphone for under $200 if a DIY set-up (for very rough analysis) is something you’d seek.
Roderick , I am interested in what you state as a setup that will be able to provide me with a measurement equivalent to a LC analysis. for my clinical trial that would be a starter. there is an initial setup for the labs here and their price …i dont like..
Hello Victor!
I was referring to spectrometry equipment that could feasibly provide a semi-quantitative result under standardized conditions. The same could be accomplished with TLC.
This would not be amenable for clinical trials, which often require gold-standard analytics and tracking.
HPLC would likely be your most cost-effective option in a clinical setting.
If you have more questions, feel free to contact me at roderick@psillow.com
I always take 7 grams and one time I did 7 grams then peaked then did 1 gram of DMT and I saw god lol
Ok, when you write “small dose” how many grams is that?
When you’re working with unfamiliar mushrooms, or if you’re new to mushrooms, a dose of 1-1.5 grams is often recommended.
You can always take more after 45-60 minutes if you need to.
1.5-3 grams could be considered an intermediate dose. 3-5 grams could be considered an experienced level. 5+ grams is considered “heroic”
However, all this assumes mushrooms of average potency
If 5 plus is heroic what is 28 grams over the course of 2 hours considered? It was a mind blowing experience that much I can tell you
Man, I can barely imagine how insanely intense and mind blowing that must be. I once had 12 grams of dried shrooms and it was definitely a life changing experience (life changing in a good way). I’ve done rather strong trips on LSD and ayahuasca as well but this mushroom journey was absolutely amongst the top strongest, deepest states of mind I’ve ever been.
But 28 grams… I can’t even wrap my head around that. Do share details please 🙂
he spoke of dried ones. 28 grams wet shrooms is equal of 2,8 gr dried ones.
Thats called bullshit
I don’t particularly like to be negative, but yeah…either (28 grams?) Weask ones, or I have to call the bullshit also.
If they were even a weak batch of mushrooms; this would still be in the “Heroic” category. If they were a strong batch, all I can say is; wow!
Man, I can barely imagine how insanely intense and mind blowing that must be. I once had 12 grams of dried shrooms and it was definitely a life changing experience (life changing in a good way). I’ve done rather strong trips on LSD and ayahuasca as well but this mushroom journey was absolutely amongst the top strongest, deepest states of mind I’ve ever been.
But 28 grams… I can’t even wrap my head around that. Do share details please 🙂
Legendary Dose
You’re an idiot
You’re heading into shaman levels. I’ve dosed 30 dried grams several times in about 15 minutes. Couldn’t fit anything more physically. But my highest doses was making tea with 70 grams of mushrooms. Lemon tek as well and steeped them and hot as much as possible alkaloids out of it. Let me tell you, high doses of shrooms take you further than dmt ever can. I’ve never been anywhere close on lsd dmt or dmt breakthroughs on the peak of a strip of lsd.
Bro 28 gs? How was that most I’ve ate was 4.5 lol n I was trippin good trip though.. but na fr though how was it?
Without testing, it is hard to tell how potent your product is (and that other contributing compounds). This being said, this is my process for testing “potency” (as one can get wide variations at times, do not make assumptions your 2nd time around, etc).
When I get a lot:
1. I homogenize them (to a powder in coffee grinder.
2. Put them in caps to be weighted out consistency in mg.
3. I always take it consistently in the same way.
4. Be in a very safe setting!
4. Start low (500mg) and space your “tests” 4-5 days apart… then slowly increase until you find the “edge”.
You will understand if you take this slow way if you are new to this. You will identify trends (how it ramps up, how long it lasts, and how long after you need to be in a stable environment to mentality prosses the experience, etc)