How Long Do Magic Mushrooms Stay in Your System?

Have you ever wondered how long magic mushrooms stay in your system? If you’re curious, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll talk about different ways to test for the presence of psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, and also how to recover from their effects in the long term. Without further ado let’s better understand psilocybin and its mechanism of action.

Metabolism of Psilocybin and Psilocin

When you eat psilocybin-containing mushrooms or truffles, the psilocybin goes through your stomach and intestines and gets into your blood which eventually leads to the liver. Once it reaches the liver, the metabolization process starts. At this point, psilocybin is starting to convert to psilocin due to the presence of enzymes called alkaline phosphatase.

Psilocybin metabolization is simple, the enzymes mentioned above are responsible for taking off a small part of psilocybin (phosphate group) and converting it to psilocin. This process is sometimes compared to the body’s natural process of breaking down complex carbs into simple sugar, as it’s pretty similar.

How long are Mushrooms Detectable by a Drug Test?

It’s quite tough to provide a clear answer due to the variety of drug tests out there. Each of these tests is unique and some are more sensitive meaning that they may be able to detect psilocybin easier. Usually, basic drug tests don’t have a magic mushroom marker, meaning that they will not detect the presence of psilocybin. However, more specialized tests might be able to do so. The timeframes for detection also differ depending on the specific test.

The body breaks down magic mushrooms quickly, so they don’t usually show up in blood or saliva tests (unless the test is done within a few hours of taking them). According to a review of studies from 2021, they become hard to detect after around 6 hours.

Urine Test

This is the most common way of testing for the presence of drugs in the body, especially for routine checks done by employers. According to The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), urine tests are widely used to screen for drugs and typically cover five drug categories:

• Cannabis
• Cocaine
• Amphetamines
• Opiates
• Phencyclidine (PCP)

This set of categories is often called the five-panel test. There are also other types of screenings that can include more panels detecting substances like barbiturates, benzodiazepines, MDMA, Methadone, etc.

Usually, magic mushrooms won’t be detected in a 5-panel test. The same applies to tests with 8, 10, or 12 panels. However, there are special tests created specifically to find traces of magic mushrooms. These tests are more expensive to conduct, so they’re generally not used unless there’s a strong reason to believe someone has used mushrooms recently.

Hair Follicle Test

While urine test can detect magic mushrooms up to 24 hours after consumption, some tests can detect substances for a longer duration. This is exactly the case with hair follicle tests.

For instance, hair follicle tests have the potential to identify magic mushrooms for up to 90 days after consumption. Nevertheless, these screenings are more expensive and might not be as widespread as urine tests. According to SAMHSA, programs under federal regulation currently focus on collecting and testing urine samples.

Blood Test

Similar to urine, it takes around 15 hours for psilocybin and psilocin to exit your bloodstream, although there have been some reports of psilocybin being detected even after 24 hours. This is probably due to the individual biochemistry and the body’s ability to metabolize psilocybin. Encountering blood tests specifically for psilocybin is possible but it’s highly unlikely, usually it will be screened through the urine.

Saliva Tests

A saliva drug test is a type of screening that detects the presence of drugs or alcohol in a person’s system by analyzing traces of these substances in their saliva. This test is also known as a mouth swab test or oral drug test.

As of 2023, there are no dependable saliva testing techniques accessible for detecting psilocybin use in the commercial market. However, law enforcement agencies might have access to private tests that can potentially identify the drug in saliva samples.

How Long Do Magic Mushrooms Stay in Your System

Predicting the exact duration a how long will magic mushrooms remain in your system is challenging due to individual variations. Numerous factors influence how long mushrooms stay detectable in your body, and are more often than not beyond our control.

Some things that influence how long mushrooms stay in your body are:

• The amount you consume
• The type of mushroom
• Frequency of use
• Metabolic rate
• Individual body chemistry
• Age
• Weight
• General Health

Psilocin is usually eliminated from your system within about 5 hours, whereas psilocybin takes nearly three times as long, around 15 hours to clear. However, these times can vary, but generally, finding traces of mushrooms in your system after 24 hours is unlikely.

The Bottom Line

Magic mushrooms leave your body quite fast, but it’s hard to know exactly how long they will stay in your system. According to research psilocin can be detected up to 5 hours after consumption while psilocybin stays in the body 3 times longer, approximately 15 hours. However, these compounds can be detected up to 90 days with the hair follicle test.

Several things influence how quickly these substances are removed from the body such as the frequency of use, metabolic rate, body chemistry, age, weight, and overall health. It’s also important to note that magic mushrooms alongside other hallucinogens aren’t routinely tested for in the workplace or other settings.