What is in Your Mushroom Chocolate Bar?
Chocolate bars which contain magic mushrooms have become very popular in the psychedelic community. Many love them because the taste can be more enjoyable than just munching on some regular dried mushrooms. Not only that, but dosing is pretty consistent among the different bars which makes the user's job of dosing even easier. Some popular brands you may have come across include: Polka Dots, Fun Guys, Azure, One Up Bars, Wonderbars, and more.
If you are like many others, you probably just assumed these bars contain psilocybin, the main molecule in magic mushrooms which leads to the hallucinogenic effects. In many cases, you would be correct. But in some cases, the main molecule in these chocolate bars is not psilocybin, but rather a similar compound known as 4-Aco-DMT. In this article we will discuss the similarities and differences between psilocybin, 4-Aco-DMT, and regular old DMT.
One of the main differences between psilocybin and 4-AcO-DMT is that psilocybin occurs naturally in magic mushrooms and 4-AcO-DMT is a synthetic compound which was first made by Albert Hofmann and Franz Troxler in 1963.* This does not necessarily mean that one is “better” than the other but, if natural ingredients are important to you, psilocybin is the answer. Chemically, the two are pretty darn similar.
In fact, they both covert into psilocin, which is the active compound that produces psychedelic effects. Psilocybin converts into psilocin* when you are consuming magic mushrooms in any form (dried, capsules, or chocolate bars). 4-Aco-DMT also converts into psilocin when consumed. Both psilocybin and 4-AcO-DMT are known as prodrugs which means they are inactive until they are metabolized (metabolizing psilocybin turns into psilocin, the same is true for 4-AcO-DMT). So, while psilocybin and 4-AcO-DMT come from different sources, they both end up as the same compound, psilocin.*
As we have just discussed, both psilocybin and 4-AcO-DMT metabolize into the same compound, psilocin, which is the active compound that produces psychedelic effects, but the question remains, does this mean that psilocybin and 4-AcO-DMT have the same effects? Unfortunately there is no concrete answer to this question. A recent post on Reddit had many users saying they felt different effects, but there were also people who suggested the effects were basically the same.
Taking either substance can result in many of the typical psychedelic effects including visual hallucinations, color enhancement, pupil dilation, increased sense of humor, enhanced creativity, euphoria, joy, anxiety, and possibly nausea. The effects of both psilocybin and 4-AcO-DMT can last upward of 6 hours. Some users report that the effects of 4-Aco-DMT last longer and have visual effects more similar to DMT than to magic mushrooms.
Psilocybin is a Schedule I drug, the same classification as heroin and LSD.* Possession of psilocybin in chocolate bars or magic mushrooms can carry severe legal penalties. That being said, there are certain areas of the country where you can participate in psilocybin therapy with trained guides. In the United States, 4-AcO-DMT exists in a legal gray area. While it is not a scheduled substance like psilocybin, it can fall under the Federal Analogue Act because it converts into psilocin.
There are some major differences between regular DMT (N,N Dimethyltryptamine) and 4-AcO-DMT. For one, a DMT trip usually lasts about 15 minutes and the hallucinations are much more intense than 4-AcO-DMT. They also differ in how they are consumed. Regular DMT is usually smoked or vaporized while 4-AcO-DMT is ingested like with chocolate bars. They also differ in legality. As we mentioned above, 4-AcO-DMT exists in a legal gray area. Regular DMT is a Schedule I substance just like psilocybin.
There is limited data available looking at the effects of psilocybin vs 4-AcO-DMT, but it is known that both of them metabolize into the active compound in magic mushrooms, psilocin. Many users report that the effects are identical, but some find that 4-AcO-DMT has longer-lasting effects and the hallucinations are more similar to DMT than to magic mushrooms.
Psilocybin is a Schedule I substance and highly illegal while 4-AcO-DMT exists in a legal gray area. It is also important to note that 4-AcO-DMT and regular DMT (N,N Dimethyltryptamine) are not the same. Taking regular DMT results in a relatively intense trip that lasts about 15 minutes while 4-AcO-DMT is more likened to magic mushrooms and can last up to 6 hours.
