A magic mushroom nasal spray has been developed to treat post traumatic stress and depression by “rewiring” patients’ brains.
The controversial fungus contains psilocybin, a strong hallucinogenic Class A drug which is illegal in the UK but legal in Jamaica where the spray was invented.
US makers Silo Wellness claim users would be able to control their intake and avoid side-effects thanks to the special spray dispenser. Founder Mike Arnold hopes to roll out his invention across the US after the drug was decriminalised in Denver, Colorado, earlier this year.
He said: “I love our product and can’t wait until it’s legal in the United States so we can share it with crime victims and first responders.
“I came a little late to the magic mushroom space as a user. I had no information about the medicinal benefits until I met a doctor while travelling in the spring of 2018 who blew my mind with research. It changed my life.”
Users of psychedelics have long argued small doses of mushrooms can offer spiritual and medical benefits without sending the user on a “trip”.
And some UK studies into the links between controlled psychedelics and PTSD have yielded encouraging results.
Psilocybin is believed to stimulate receptors and potentially “rewire” the brain by increasing neuroconnectivity. This is said to help heal trauma.
Magic mushrooms are illegal in the UK – whether dried, cooked, made into a tea or fresh – though there have been calls to decriminalise them for medical use.
