Psilocybe Cubensis, The mushroom behind the magic

Psilocybe cubensis is a species of psychedelic mushroom whose principal active compounds are psilocybin and psilocin. Commonly called shrooms, magic mushrooms, golden tops, cubes, or gold caps, it belongs to the fungus family Hymenogastraceae and was previously known as Stropharia cubensis.

The concentrations of psilocin and psilocybin, as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, are in the range of 0.14–0.42% and 0.37–1.30% (dry weight) in the whole mushroom, 0.17–0.78% and 0.44–1.35% in the cap, and 0.09 and 0.30%/0.05–1.27% in the stem, respectively.

Individual brain chemistry and psychological predisposition play a significant role in determining appropriate doses. For a modest psychedelic effect, a minimum of one gram of dried Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms is ingested orally, 0.25–1 gram is usually sufficient to produce a mild effect, 1–2.5 grams usually provides a moderate effect, and 2.5 grams and higher usually produces strong effects. However, for most people, 3.5 dried grams (1/8 oz) is considered a high dose and may produce an intense experience. This is, however, typically considered a standard dose among recreational users.

Many individuals, doses above three grams may be overwhelming. For a few rare people, doses as small as 0.25 gram can produce full-blown effects normally associated with very high doses. For most people, however, that dose level would result in virtually no effects. Due to factors such as age and storage method, the psilocybin content of a given sample of mushrooms will vary. Effects usually start after approximately 20–60 minutes (depending on method of ingestion and stomach contents) and may last from four to ten hours, depending on dosage. Visual distortions often occur, including walls that seem to breathe, a vivid enhancement of colors and the animation of organic shapes.

Psilocybe cubensis grows naturally in some areas of the U.S., throughout Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Australia. They are so popular for home growing because they are relatively forgiving– even within the cubensis species, some specific strains have earned reputations as being particularly easy to grow.

While some mushroom strains can’t thrive in home grown settings without painstaking measure to accurately recreate their natural conditions, cubensis can grow well even in suboptimal conditions that are so common with amateur growing setups. They are also robust against changing conditions, while more sensitive strains might be damaged by a slight fluctuation in the environment.

The B+ and Amazonian cubensis strains are favorite picks for beginners. Probably the easiest and most popular psilocybin cubensis strain, though, is the Golden Teacher strain

HOW TO GROW PSILOCYBE CUBENSIS

Whether the Golden Teacher, Amazonian, B+, or another strain, the cubensis mushroom is one of the easiest species to cultivate. With proper preparation and research, you should be able to grow your own within two months.

To grow psilocybin cubensis, you can either gather your materials from scratch or use a mushroom growing kit. In the purest sense, to grow mushrooms, you need a mycelium substrate and a hospitable environment for the mycelium to thrive. The cubensis mycelium is simply the underlying fungus that grows into your edible cubensis mushrooms.

Because growing kits include the mycelium and a grow box, it makes the growing process very easy and straightforward—they already include almost everything you need, and you can grow without spores. However, when using growing kits there is a potential risk of contamination, lack of consistency, and even fake products .

An alternative is to grow your mushrooms from scratch using PF Tek method. It requires some more preparation to assemble the materials but is still a simple, reliable way to grow cubensis mushrooms from home.

Using the PF Tek method, you would cultivate your mycelium by injecting cubensis spores into jars containing a substrate. The substrate serves as fertile ground for the spores to develop and consists of brown rice flour and vermiculite.

After about a month, the spores will grow into mycelium and colonize the substrate. These substrate “cakes” can then be moved into grow chambers, where they will further develop and eventually fruit. After sprouting, the mushrooms are usually ready to harvest in about a week or two.

It is best to use a dehydrator to dry cubensis mushrooms, but a less expensive alternative is to use a dessicant, like silica gel.

10 Most Common Types of Psilocybe Cubensis Strains:

• Golden Teacher
• B+ Cubensis
• Blue Meanie
• Alacabenzi
• Cambodian
• PF Classic
• Orissa India
• Florida White (F+)
• Penis Envy 6
• Z Strain

This article should give you a good idea of some of the most common strains of the psilocybe cubensis mushroom. Hence you can pick one that best suits your situation.

How To Safely Identify Psilocybin Mushrooms

Have you ever heard of people ending up in the ER due to mushroom poisoning?

These frequent accidents occur due to the fact that people think they “know” which mushrooms are safe to eat. Reality shows us that many of them are wrong.

Things get even more complicated when it comes to psilocybin mushrooms. This is due to the fact that the psychological profile of the persons willing to try this type of mushrooms includes a higher tolerance for risk.

That is why it is good to spend time in  knowing the specific characteristics of psilocybin mushrooms before consumption. This can make the difference between having a pleasant spiritual experience of ending up in the ER with serious poisoning.