Magic mushrooms are a hallucinogenic drug, meaning they change perception, cause visual and auditory hallucinations, and distort the sense of time and space. Therefore, the question of whether it is safe to drive under the influence of shrooms or any other psychedelic might seem obvious to most people; nevertheless, this question still arises, especially among young adults or individuals who have never had any experience with mind-altering substances before.
Please note that this post is intended only for educational and harm-reduction purposes. We do not recommend or endorse the use of illegal drugs or provide any legal advice to our readers.
This post strives to answer this question thoroughly so you can make an informed decision and avoid harming yourself or your loved ones.
If You Are Tripping on Magic Mushrooms Right Now and Considering Driving
The short answer is NO!
If you are under the influence of shrooms right now, your senses are not entirely in sync with even the minimum state of mind you should be in when driving. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are right now or how far along you are in the hallucinogenic trip - you should never drive while tripping on psychedelics.
If you are tripping right now, do not drive. Take a taxi, stay in a hostel, order food instead of driving, or call a friend or family member to help you. We don't want to scare you or ruin your good mood, but driving while tripping on Magic Mushrooms is extremely dangerous and could end up in a disaster for you, your closest friends, and anyone who might be affected.
Magic Mushroom Dosages and Driving
While you should definitely not drive while under the influence of any mind-altering substance, it is essential to note that the dosage you take will have a significant impact on how impaired your cognitive function is.
In this case, we are not discussing whether a person took 1 gram or 5 grams of magic mushrooms, as both doses would make driving extremely dangerous and increase the risk of getting into an accident.
Let's break the dosage into microdosing and macrodosing (regular psychedelic dosages).
Macrodosing: Driving While Tripping on Magic Mushrooms
Macrodosing is the practice of taking "regular" or a higher dose of shrooms that will alter your perception of reality. Specifically, we are discussing shroom doses above a microdose. In this scenario, the user will experience visual and auditory hallucinations followed by a distorted sense of time and space. In this case, it is easy and safe to say that driving should be avoided, regardless of the circumstances.
Let's put it this way, can you drive while on shrooms? Maybe in a physical sense, perhaps in a sense, but should you drive on shrooms? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Not only will you be a danger to yourself and others, but due to the hallucinogenic properties of shrooms, you may end up badly injuring yourself, which could have fatal consequences.
Due to its properties, shrooms may cause some serious side effects such as:
- Yawning
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Introspective Experiences
- Nervousness
- Paranoia
- Panic
- Hallucinations
- Vomiting
These side effects can be tolerable in a healthy set and setting; however, in a dangerous setting, like behind the wheel of a car, they can be catastrophic.
This only emphasizes the importance of having a trip sitter, a sober person who will make sure that you don't make some foolish moves, like driving on shrooms.
Microdosing on Shrooms and Driving
To put it simply, microdosing is the practice of ingesting a very small dose of shrooms so that it won't cause any perceptual changes such as hallucinations, tripping, or the feeling of being high. This will allow you to continue your daily tasks as you normally would, almost as if you hadn't taken anything.
To be fair, it is important to note that some people feel that driving while microdosing can be considered safe as it does not change their perception. However, many voices in the psychedelic community disagree with this approach.
As part of harm reduction, if you are following a microdosing schedule, avoid driving on the days you are taking your dose.
Here are just a few reasons why microdosing on shrooms and driving can be dangerous:
Bad Risk Management
Some people can be particularly sensitive to psilocybin, and even small doses can cause perceptual changes. On top of that, when microdosing, its effects may feel like a very small and delicate adjustment to your perception in real-time, so while under its influence, it could make you feel ok with taking this responsibility that you clearly should not even consider taking.
There are discussions online where people claim that microdosing does indeed impair the ability to drive as "microdosing can eliminate fear." These anecdotal reports suggest that even when the effects are sub-perceptual, it's not completely safe to drive. For example, A Reddit user wrote that he feels that microdosing is detrimental to the continuous risk assessment that is at the core of driving.
Getting the Dosage Wrong
There is also the possibility of getting the dosage wrong. When microdosing with magic mushrooms, it is quite easy to take a larger dose by mistake. So in rare cases, this does occur, and while a mistake of this type may result in a light, harmless psychedelic experience, it certainly cannot be compared with the experience that an individual would have if he were to realize while he was driving on a highway that he is tripping on shrooms.
Changes in Potency
The other issue you may face when microdosing is that not all psilocybe species are equally potent or may even differ from batch to batch. Let's take Liberty Caps (Psilocybe semilanceata), for example; they are among the strongest mushroom species in the world. Psilocybin content in this species can reach up to 2.37%, compared to Cubes ( Psilocybe Cubensis), which can reach 1.35% of psilocybin in the best-case scenario.
Now let's consider a scenario that can happen to almost any psychedelic user who practices micronizing. If the common microdose is 0.1 to 0.2 grams of shrooms. Consuming liberty Liberty Caps may actually cause some perceptual changes since it's almost 2 times stronger than P. Cubensis. This would make driving on shrooms not only dangerous to yourself but to others as well.
Can You Drive on Shrooms? – The Law
According to a study published in 2021, which examined data from 4,447 individuals aged 16 to 64 who reported past-year hallucinogen use in the 2016-2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 8.94% of those who reported past-year hallucinogen use also reported driving under the influence of hallucinogens in the previous 12 months.
Driving on shrooms is not only dangerous but illegal as well. Let's take a closer look.
In the Controlled Substances Act in the USA, psilocybin is classified as a Schedule I drug.
It's worth pointing out that even though states such as Oregon in the U.S. have started to change their approaches in order to become more accepting of the concept of magic mushrooms, it has nothing to do with driving.
The Police Test
If the police officer has the suspicion that you are driving on shrooms, he will observe any erratic driving behaviors, such as swerving, slow speed, slow reactions, or incorrect lane changes, that may indicate a driver is under the influence of shrooms.
During a traffic stop, police will assess the driver for signs of drug or alcohol use. Although it can be challenging to detect physical signs of mushroom use, as its effects may fade, police may try to detect drug use through conversation with the driver. This may involve subtle questioning about time perception, disorientation, and hallucinations.
Blood and Urine Tests
When a driver is arrested for suspected DUI, they will typically undergo a blood or urine test. Breath tests are only used when the driver is believed to be impaired by alcohol, as they can't detect other substances. The presence of psilocybin in the body can persist for several days, even though the effects of the drug typically subside within a few hours. This may result in unjust criminal charges for driving while under the influence, even days after use. A prosecutor may push for a guilty plea either way. To be completely safe, avoid driving for some time after the trip.
It is generally possible to detect psilocybin within these time frames when using different drug tests:
- Blood: Detectable within 30 minutes and less than 24 hours.
- Saliva: Detectable up to 48 hours.
- Urine: Detectable up to 48 hours.
- Hair: Detectable up to 3 months.
Charges
Driving while impaired by drugs may be a separate offense or treated similarly to driving under the influence of alcohol, depending on state laws. Regardless of the specific statute, a conviction for driving under the influence can result in severe consequences ranging from criminal charges to jail time and fines.
Jail Time
Many areas have established a range of possible sentences for a DUI conviction with a minimum and maximum limit. For instance, in Colorado, the minimum sentence is 10 days, while the maximum is one year in county jail.
However, jail time may not be served if certain conditions are met, as determined by state laws. For instance, a first-time offender may be eligible for a suspended sentence if they fulfill requirements such as participating in a rehab program.
Community Service
Community service is another possible outcome when getting busted for driving under the influence of shrooms. Most of the time, there are guidelines defining what qualifies as community service, although it's up to the judge to decide how you will be sentenced.
Fines
Hefty fines, which can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, may also be imposed. The fine amount often increases with each additional conviction and criminal charge you may face. These fines would be in addition to any other financial consequences, such as court and restitution costs if the impaired driving caused an accident.
Suspended Drivers License
Last but not least, DUI convictions involving shrooms will most likely result in a driver's license revocation or suspension, similar to alcohol-related DUI convictions. However, the process may vary between states, as there is not a defined legal limit for "drug consumption," unlike the commonly accepted 0.08 blood alcohol content (BAC) limit for alcohol. The determination of impairment caused by shrooms is based on the driver's state at the time of the stop, not just the presence of drugs in their system, which can persist for weeks after ingestion.
The Bottom Line: Can You Drive While on Shrooms?
Can you drive while on shrooms? The most straightforward answer to this question is ABSOLUTELY NOT! Magic mushrooms are a strong hallucinogen. They change one's perception, cause visual and auditory hallucinations, and distort time and space. Driving while under the influence of shrooms is extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.
For those who are just getting into shrooming, for harm reduction, make sure that you have a trip sitter, as it is his job to make sure that you stay safe and prevent you from doing dangerous things, like driving under the influence of shrooms.
There is only one way to drive under the influence of shrooms or other psychedelics responsibly, and that is by playing a VR game that allows you to do that.
Keep in mind, although psychedelics like shrooms and LSD can be beneficial, therapeutic, existing, and transcending, it does not mean that you have the right to disrespect the safety of others just because you feel that "it is ok, and you are in control," which is probably not true, and as such, driving under the influence is both illegal, dangerous, irresponsible and will be considered morally wrong by most people.
