Christer Andersson

Occurrence and use of hallucinogenic mushrooms containing psilocybin alkaloids

In some parts of the world mushrooms have had a central role in religious ritual ceremonies. Ethnomycological studies among the Indian tribes of Mexico - the Aztecs and the Chichimecas - revealed the mushrooms to be hallucinogenic. Chemists from a leading Pharmaceutical company took over, isolated and described the mushroom alkaloid psilocybin, that upon dephosphorylation after collection of the mushroom or in the human body, form psilocin that is the active hallucinogenic compound. For a long time psilocybin/psilocin was expected to become a constituent of psychedelic drugs useful for treatment of specific psychoses. As the effect of psilocybin/psilocin resembles that of LSD the isolated compound, as well as mushrooms containing the compound, became popular among recreational users of hallucinogenic drugs in Western America, and from there the habit of using these mushrooms have spread around the world. Psilocybin/psilocin is legally prohibited in many countries which usually treat the compound as a narcotic drug. Some countries also prohibit the use of some or all psilocybin-containing mushrooms. In this respect, the legal situation differs between Nordic countries. Although psilocybin-containing mushrooms are not what Nordic mushroom pickers are trying to find as food or food supplement, there is a risk, admittedly small, that these mushrooms accidentally will be collected. At the present situation, this may be a legal problem in some Nordic countries. This document aims at identifying when this might be the case without going into legal interpretations.

Mushrooms traded as food : Nordic questionnaire, including guidance list on edible mushrooms suitable and not suitable for marketing

Mushrooms recognised as edible have been collected and cultivated for many years. In the Nordic countries, the interest for eating mushrooms has increased. In order to ensure that Nordic consumers ...

Mushrooms traded as food. Vol II sec 2 : Nordic Risk assessments and background on edible mushrooms, suitable for commercial marketing and background lists. For industry, trade and food inspection. Risk assessments of mushrooms on the four guidance lists

Mushrooms recognised as edible have been collected and cultivated for many years. In the Nordic countries, the interest for eating mushrooms has increased. In order to ensure that Nordic consumers ...

Mushrooms traded as food. Vol II sec. 1

Mushrooms recognised as edible have been collected and cultivated for many years. In the Nordic countries, the interest for eating mushrooms has increased. In order to ensure that Nordic consumers ...

Spisesvampe til kommerciel brug : Nordisk spørgeskema, herunder vejledende lister om spisesvampe egnet og ikke egnet til kommerciel brug til brug i kontrollen i industri, handel og i fødevarekontrol

Spisesvampe er blevet indsamlet og dyrket i mange ar, og interessen i de nordiske lande er vokset i de seneste artier. Formalet med publikationen er at give vaerktojer til brug i virksomhedernes ege ...

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Sopp som er kjent som spiselig er sanket inn og blitt dyrket i mange ar.og interessen i de nordiske landeneogsa okt ide siste artier. Publikasjonen har som mal a gi verktoy for internkontroll hos a ...

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Matsvamp har plockats och odlats i manga ar. Pa senare ar har emellertid intresset for att konsumera svamp okat i de nordiska lander. Med syfte att forsakra att den nordiska konsumenten endast erbj ...

Ætisveppir : Norrænn spurningalisti, ásamt leiðbeiningalistum yfir ætisveppi sem má selja á markaði. Ætlað matvælafyrirtækjum, verslunum og opinberu matvælaeftirliti

Arum saman hafa aetisveppir verið raektaðir og tindir villtir og ahugi a neyslu þeirra hefur aukist a Norðurlondunum a siðari aratugum. Markmið þessarar skýrslu að leggja til hjalpartaeki við að koma ...