The use of ecstasy, laughing gas and other banned substances is generally declining among young people. However, the use of magic mushrooms is increasing sharply. One in 100 people in England and Wales have used hallucinogenic drugs in the past year. The use of magic mushrooms increased sharply by tens of thousands of people.
The rise is mainly due to increasing use among older adults, according to annual figures on drug use among 16 to 59-year-olds from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figures actually showed a sharp decline in drug use among 16 to 24 year olds.
Magic mushrooms very popular
Annual ONS data shows that around 260.000 people aged 16 to 59 in the past year magic mushrooms have used, 100.000 more than in 2020. Magic mushrooms are banned in Britain as a Class A drug, meaning possession and distribution are criminal offences.
However, the mushrooms are easy to obtain by post, but also in cultivation packages. Some users harvest them from the wild for their own use. The rising popularity of the fungus, which contains psilocybin, comes amid a boom in interest in mushrooms. Cambridge-educated biologist Merlin Sheldrake published a bestseller about fungi in 2020 called Entangled Life, which includes a chapter on the hallucinogenic properties of mushrooms. Netflix had a hit with a series called Fantastic Fungi.
There is also an increasing group that self-medicates by microdosing low doses. There is also increasing attention to new treatment methods with psychedelics in the fight against mental problems.
Source: theguardian.com (EN)
