Can You Mix Weed And Magic Mushrooms?

Mixing drugs can be a fascinating experience, with each amplifying the other and producing novel effects. That being said, it can also be overwhelming, and, in some cases, very dangerous.

In this article, we review everything you need to know about combining cannabis with magic mushrooms, including how the substances compare, whether it’s safe to pair them, and some tips for doing so.

The relationship between cannabis and magic mushrooms

For many people, cannabis and magic mushrooms go hand in hand. In fact, a large share of psychonauts combine cannabis with all sorts of psychedelic drugs, including LSD.

But that doesn’t always mean it’s a good idea. Though both shrooms and cannabis are of natural origin, that doesn’t inherently mean that they will always pair well together. Moreover, every individual reacts differently to these drugs. Some may find that cannabis chills them out, while others may experience significant anxiety or paranoia. The former scenario is great when tripping, the latter less so.

Mushrooms are very much a psychedelic, fitting neatly into the hallucinogen category of drugs. Cannabis, on the other hand, is much harder to categorise. Sometimes it acts like a hallucinogen, other times a depressant, and other times a stimulant, depending on which effects are considered dominant.

Comparing cannabis and magic mushrooms

To understand the implications of consuming cannabis and magic mushrooms together, it’s important to first understand the similarities and differences between the two drugs.

Consumption method

On the whole, there are significant differences in how people consume psilocybin mushrooms compared to cannabis. Most commonly, people tend to eat dried mushrooms. Cannabis, of course, is usually smoked or vaporized, though there are numerous other intake methods.

Here are some common consumption methods for magic mushrooms:

• Lemon tek
• Tea
• Capsules
• Fresh or dried shrooms
• Added to food
• Blue honey

Consumption methods for cannabis:

• Vaping
• Smoking (joints, bongs, pipes)
• Edibles
• Dabbing (concentrates)
• Sublingual (oral extracts)

As you can see, the consumption methods for cannabis and mushrooms tend to be pretty different. And while you can eat cannabis in the form of edibles, this is probably not the best bet if you’re taking it alongside shrooms. When you eat cannabis, THC is converted to 11-hydroxy THC, which is much stronger and longer lasting in its effects. Though this can be great when taken alone, it can be very overwhelming if you’re also tripping.

Otherwise, cannabis is mostly consumed via inhalation of smoke or vapor. Unfortunately, you can’t smoke magic mushrooms. This is because psilocybin (the psychoactive alkaloid in magic mushrooms) breaks down at high temperatures.

Effects

It goes without saying that the effects of cannabis, compared to those of magic mushrooms, can be wildly different.

Shrooms are psychedelics. Psychedelic drugs cause a profound warping of both your internal and external reality. Externally, patterns may appear, colours shift, and the world appears to “breathe”. Internally, thought patterns can become very different. We tend to become more insightful about both our own minds and the world, and we may find that we easily think about things that are usually hard to access.

The reverse of this is that both the world and our minds can seem overwhelming if we’re in the wrong set or setting. Usually, despite anti-drug propaganda, this does not lead to a “bad trip” on shrooms. It can cause a distressing or anxious experience, but this is almost always quite manageable, especially if you can take yourself somewhere calm. The difference between an insightful mushroom trip and an uncomfortable one is often just a matter of place.

Effects of shrooms:

• Profound changes in internal and external reality
• Euphoria
• Hallucinations (at a high-enough dose)
• A feeling of connection or insight
• Anxiety

Cannabis is not psychedelic, though it can still warp internal and external reality, and be thought of as “trippy”—though not in the same sense as shrooms.

At its best, a cannabis high can be relaxing and hilarious, putting both the mind and body into a state of easy bliss. And like shrooms, weed can also change thought patterns and provide insight, although this usually has a less revelatory character compared to shrooms.

On the other hand, cannabis (especially high-THC, low-CBD cannabis) can cause feelings of anxiety and paranoia. Despite assumptions, cannabis’ capacity to make people feel deeply anxious tends to be greater than that of mushrooms, even if mushrooms threaten to be more overwhelming.

Effects of cannabis:

• Relatively subtle changes in reality
• Relaxation
• Slight euphoria
• Anxiety and paranoia

With these effects in mind, it becomes clear that shrooms and weed do share some characteristics. However, the degree to which they exert their effects is very different. For that reason, it becomes important to figure out how to harness the good qualities of both, while minimising the threat of anxiety and other side effects.

Mechanism of action

Psilocybin and cannabis interact with the body in quite different ways.

Psilocybin MoA: Primarily serotonin receptors

Psilocybin (which is rapidly converted into psilocin inside the body) is serotonergic, meaning it acts on serotonin receptors. More specifically, it binds to the serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. This then causes a flood of serotonin in the brain, which has profound effects.

Among these effects, which are far from fully understood, is the suppression of the default mode network (Carhart-Harris, 2012). Activity in the DMN is thought to relate to many mental health conditions, such as depression (Carhart-Harris, 2017).

Simply put, the DMN appears to be a filter through which we experience our senses, and is linked to consciousness. When we introduce psilocybin into the body, the activity of the DMN is said to reduce, while the activity in other regions of the brain increases. This heightened activity is suspected to be the reason that sensory input appears so stimulating when we trip, and the suppression of the DMN may explain why we are able to feel as though we are more “present”.

Cannabis MoA: Primarily the ECS

Cannabis, on the other hand, interacts with the body's endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS runs throughout the brain, nervous system, and other systems of the body. THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, binds with high affinity to the ECS’ CB1 receptor. It does this by mimicking the endogenous cannabinoid (one that’s produced in the body) anandamide.

Naturally, anandamide promotes feelings of joy, happiness, calmness, and elation. THC is much more difficult for the body to break down compared to anandamide, hence its potent and long-lasting effects. The effects of THC are much broader than this, but this is one of its fundamental mechanisms of action.

CBD, on the other hand, inhibits FAAH, a fatty acid enzyme that breaks down anandamide. So, rather than binding with receptors (though it does that also), it exerts its effects by stopping the breakdown of anandamide. This explains its subtler, non-intoxicating effects.

Finally, CBD also partially blocks the CB1 receptors, meaning that it may negate some of the side effects of THC, such as paranoia and anxiety, if they are taken together.

What are the risks of mixing weed with magic mushrooms?

As you can probably tell, there are some risks associated with taking cannabis and magic mushrooms together.

As previously mentioned, the main risk is that the experience becomes overwhelming. If it goes well, cannabis appears to be able to boost the effects of shrooms. If it goes poorly, the force of the psilocybin high combined with the potential anxiety and paranoia of a cannabis high can make for a very uncomfortable experience.

The good news is that neither drug has strong physical effects, and so there is no risk of any serious adverse physical reaction. The mix cannot be fatal.

That being said, the effects of serious anxiety can be profound and take on distressing physical symptoms. At its most extreme, a mix of weed and shrooms could trigger a panic attack, causing shortness of breath, extreme fear, and heart palpitations (these are not dangerous).

Though unlikely, it’s worth noting that cannabis increases the likelihood of psychosis in certain individuals (Shrivastava, 2014). There is no evidence to suggest that magic mushrooms does the same; however, it’s possible that using the two drugs together could exacerbate the risks even more. Therefore, if you have a family history of psychotic disorders, or have ever experienced symptoms, stay away!

These are worst case scenarios, though. In all likelihood, if you experience negative effects, it will just be quite uncomfortable for a few hours.

How to mix cannabis and magic mushrooms

With that out of the way, now we’ll look at how to mix weed and shrooms together in a way that’s likely to be enjoyable.

Perhaps the best way to go about it is to treat it as a normal shroom trip, but with the addition of a little cannabis. So dose your shrooms normally, and start with a very small amount of weed.

Some quick tips are:

• Choose a cannabis strain with high CBD levels and/or mild THC levels

• Use an easy method of consumption, such as joints, rather than bongs

• Choose somewhere cosy that you can just lie down and relax

• Consider calling a trip sitter (someone sober) to watch over your

• Make sure you have water to hand

• Don’t forget that going outside and getting fresh air can change everything!

Is it better to smoke weed before or after a magic mushroom trip?

The answer to this question is highly debated. Some choose to smoke a little in the beginning, before coming up, to make the experience more comfortable. Others like to enjoy a hit at the peak of the trip, in hopes of boosting the psychedelic effects, while others enjoy smoking as they come down.

Among novices, though, we’d recommend smoking after the peak of the high. Smoking weed before a trip can start things off on the wrong foot. If you take the shrooms first, you can come up and wait to level out until you smoke. Once you’re high, you’ll have a better idea of if and when you’ll want to start smoking weed, and how much.

Is mixing cannabis with magic mushrooms a good idea?

Mixing these two drugs together can be great, but a successful experience hinges on a few factors. First, you need to know that you’re comfortable on both drugs in isolation. Second, it’s really worth choosing a cannabis strain that has more or less gentle effects. Third, ensure that you’re somewhere you can properly relax—set and setting are everything when combining weed and psilocybin! Fourth, if the shrooms tell you not to smoke, follow their advice!

The combination of these two drugs can bring out the best, and worst, in each other. By all means, if you’re interested, go ahead and try it—but proceed with care, respect, and moderation.

Max Sargent

Max has been writing for over a decade, and has come into cannabis and psychedelic journalism in the last few years. Writing for companies such as Zamnesia, Royal Queen Seeds, Cannaconnection, Gorilla Seeds, MushMagic and more, he has experience in a broad spectrum of the industry.

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