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.
