Apparently, magic mushrooms are slowly but surely turning from recreational drugs to a very good treatment option for several diseases. Psilocybin, the main compound to be found in these mushrooms, has positive effects against depression, as well as addictions to alcohol and tobacco. Another important effect of these magic mushrooms is that of reducing anxiety in people who are at the end of their lives.
There are other ongoing studies using cultivated psilocybe spores for assessing the effects of magic mushrooms in relieving symptoms of anorexia, post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction.
According to the researchers, these mushrooms can reduce the connections in the commonly used brain areas, while also increasing the connection in less frequently used parts of the brain. Due to these promising perspectives, several cities in the USA have taken serious steps towards decriminalizing the use of psilocybin. Decriminalization is not the same thing as legalization, but it typically discourages the prosecution of people who use magic mushrooms.
In this respect, the city of Denver passed a ballot in 2019 by which it is forbidden to use city money in order to prosecute people for the use of magic mushrooms. According to several research centers in the USA, psilocybin can be used to treat depression and improve people’s general well-being.