Have I become a cliché? Probably. But hey, at least I’m in good company—turns out, “Mushroom Moms” are sprouting up everywhere.
I bet you know a mom who micro-doses before soccer drop-off or trips on weekends with yoga buddies.
I could wax poetic about the profound wisdom and cosmic revelations I unlock while riding the psychedelic wave of psilocybin mushrooms. When it comes to magic mushrooms, the universe—me included!—has become very chatty.
It sometimes seems that it’s the modern mom squad that has cracked the code to nirvana with psilocybin-infused chocolate truffles and myco-meditation retreats.
But let’s not forget that indigenous communities around the world have been communing with sacred mushrooms for millennia. Let’s not overlook the cost that communities of color have shouldered for decades, paving the way for the pleasure, healing, and growth we experience with psychedelics today.
Wait…are psilocybin mushrooms even legal? Good question!
Geography rules on this one. In many countries, yes, psilocybin mushrooms are legal. But in the U.S., psilocybin is still very much illegal. It remains classified as a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act. This means it’s considered to have a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use, and lacks safety for use under medical supervision—basically the same legal status as heroin.
Several states and cities are pushing back against this classification, which many medical and therapy professionals consider to be grossly misguided. Oregon and Colorado have taken the most progressive steps and have legalized therapeutic use. There is a growing movement, especially in liberal cities like my own (shout-out to NYC!), advocating for both decriminalization and legalization.
So, how did we go from “Just say no!” to “Just a microdose before Pilates?”
- I give tons of credit to Michael Pollan, who single-handedly brought the once-taboo topic of psychedelics out of the shadows with his book and Netflix series, How to Change Your Mind.
- Renewed research and investment into the therapeutic and medical use of plant medicines are also changing perceptions.
- There are tech bros like OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Elon Musk, who are big promoters.
- And…drumroll…there are also the Mushroom Moms, righteously leading change.
Yay for progress! I’m thrilled our society is reconsidering its puritanical and demonizing blanket drug laws.
But it’s both funny and sad that a widely discussed force shaking up the rigid stigma around psilocybin isn’t centuries of indigenous wisdom, scientific research, or the mind-expanding experiences of past generations. Rather, it’s suburban moms!
Well, if it takes a bunch of mindful mamas to finally dismantle the ridiculous Schedule I label for psilocybin, then I’ll take it—but please, let’s not forget the voices that were ignored until others chimed in.
