Pubdate: Mon, 18 Jul 2005
Source: Herald, The (UK)
Copyright: 2005 The Herald
Contact:  http://www.theherald.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/189
Author: Allan Laing
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hallucinogens.htm (Hallucinogens)

TRIP IS OVER FOR MAGIC MUSHROOMS

FOR a tobacconist, Alan Myerthall sells an awful lot of mushrooms.

But no longer. From today, his particular brand of fungi is deemed 
illegal. Were he to continue trading then he could -- and very 
possibly would -- be jailed as a drug pusher.

So it is back to baccy, fags and cigars for the owner of the Pipe 
Shop in Edinburgh. For the magic mushroom, the trip is finally over.

 From today, the government has reclassified the psilocybin mushroom 
as a class A drug, putting it alongside heroin, crack and cocaine. 
This is bad news for fans of the fungi, many of whom are ageing 
hippies who first sampled the hallucinogenic qualities of the 
"shroom" back in the 1960s and the Summer of Love.

Now the importation, possession or sale of the substance will be 
punishable by law. Possession can result in seven years in jail, 
while possession with intent to supply could, in extreme cases, 
result in a life sentence.

The only exception will be wild mushrooms growing on uncultivated 
land. Magic mushrooms, which are in season in September and October, 
are common throughout rural Scotland.

The move to reclassify has depressed some people.

Mr Myerthall said: "It's taking a hammer to crack an egg. We've been 
selling them for two years. Our customers cover a broad spectrum -- 
students, lawyers, accountants, even doctors.

"We sold the last of our stock at the weekend.

"It will be a loss. We got most of our mushrooms imported from 
Holland, where they're grown. We've built up quite a trade and the 
government's been getting VAT on the sales. What will happen now is 
that the trade will go to the dealers and, obviously, they are not as 
scrupulous as us."

He added: "When I started up in the tobacco trade, I never envisaged 
that I'd end up selling mushrooms but now, with the smoking ban 
coming next March, things will only get more difficult. It's the 
goody-goodies who are running the show."

For some time, magic mushrooms, which the Aztecs called "the flesh of 
the gods", have been illegal when dried or otherwise prepared. The 
new law extends the ban to cover them in their fresh state.

However, there is considerable dubiety over the adverse effects of 
magic mushroom consumption. Some experts believe them to be 
potentially dangerous, saying that, while hallucinations are usually 
short-term, they can cause sudden flashbacks. This, in turn, can 
result in accidents.

Magic mushrooms, small and tan in colour, cause similar effects to 
LSD, and trips can last as long as eight hours, depending on the 
quantity consumed. They cost about AUKP5 for a bag of 30 and people 
usually take between one and five grams at a time. They are usually 
eaten raw. There is currently no significant black market for the 
fungi, although some observers argue that this could change now that 
the raw version has been outlawed.

The magic mushroom problem in Scotland is not considered to be 
particularly significant, according to drug agencies.

James Egan, of the Scottish Drugs Forum, which concentrates its 
efforts on the country's 50,000 hard drug users, said the scale of 
the fungi problem was illustrated by figures which showed that, in 
the year ending March 2004, a total of 12,657 new people contacted 
Scotland's various drug agencies.

Only 30 of them mentioned having problems with hallucinogenics, which 
would have included magic mushrooms.

The government's own Talk to Frank drugs helpline states on its 
website that magic mushrooms are not addictive.

The reclassification was described as "pointless" by Kevin 
Williamson, co-founder of Rebel Inc publishing, the former drugs 
spokesman for the Scottish Socialist Party and the man who last year 
tried to open a cannabis cafe in Edinburgh.

He said: "These things grow all over Scotland. I don't know how you 
could possibly ban them. There are no drug agencies reporting any 
problems with magic mushrooms, no police reporting any social problems.

"It's just part of the authoritarian clampdown. It's a piece of 
nonsense and a waste of time. People can just go out, pick them, take 
them home and use them."
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