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Denverites just voted to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms. How did “magic mushrooms” spread their spores in America to start?
In 1955, amateur mycologists Valentina and Robert Wasson attended an indigenous mushroom ceremony in Mexico, and in 1957 published their experiences in Life magazine. Inspired by the article, two Harvard students started the Harvard Psilocybin Project, promoting mushroom research, collection and consumption. Naturally, they were expelled, and began promoting “magic mushrooms” to a community welcoming psychedelic experiences: hippies.
In the 1970s, awareness and availability of “magic mushrooms” exploded, but the U.S. and U.N. listed psilocybin as Schedule I in 1971.