Magic mushrooms in Bali: now a bad trip (2024)

In the month of March, college students emigrate from their college campuses for a week of partying and debauchery all over the world for spring break. Students venture to vacation hot spots like Cancun, Miami, Cabo, Puerto Rico, Las Vegas, Puerto Vallerta, The Bahamas, Greece, Spain – the list goes on.

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High school seniors from international schools all over head to similar destinations. Living abroad in countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines allows students to lead lives with independence somewhat parallel to that of college students. The biggest difference – aside from the age difference – is that while college students are generally free to explore various narcotic avenues, stringent drug policies held up by international schools and cooperating governments largely prevent drug use.

This is an accepted reality for most students. Upon enrollment at SAS, for example, students agree torandom drug testing and understandthat if they test positive, they will leave the country within a day or be handed over to the police. In “The Fine City,” where the penalty for drugs is death by hanging, doing any sort of narcotic is a death wish. But what happens when there are drugs that don’t show up in drug tests?

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For years during spring break, a percentage of seniors from various international schools heads off tothe tropical paradise that is Bali, known for its beaches, surfing, hospitality, arts sceneandaccess to drugs that don’t show up in tests. Or it used to be. The drug that once appealed most to high school seniors – or anyone who needed a clean system – were “magic mushrooms,” (shrooms) or Psilocybin mushrooms.

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The idea that they beat drug tests stems from the incredibly short detection window. Within the first hour of ingesting magic mushrooms, the Psilocybin turns into the active Psilocin and then into the inactive HIAA – a breakdown product of Serotonin. Both can show up in a drug test. However, the intake of Serotonin isn’t illegal and Psilocin has a detection window of less than one day, according to Norchem Labs (a premier forensic drug testing laboratory in the US) and MedLinePlus (a service of the US National Library of Medicine).

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Grown naturally, the hallucinogenic shrooms, which can be eaten, brewed in tea, or blended into smoothies, aresaid to induce a euphoria-like mood lift, exposing users to colorful visual and audible hallucinations. However, it can also cause a “bad trip,” leading to paranoia and exposing the user to fearful visual and audible hallucinations, according to Brown University’s Health Center.

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For years shrooms have been legal in Bali and were only made illegal last September. Since Indonesia’s seventh President Joko Widodo was inaugurated, the heavily anti-drug president has implemented waves of anti-drug legislation. Known in Indonesia as Jokowi, he has received global attention for his rigidness in the current case of the Bali 9, a group of nine Australians who in 2005 attempted to traffic 18 pounds of heroin from Indonesia to Australia. Seven of the group of nine are in prison for life, while the two ring leaders remain in court as they attempt to appeal their death penalty by firing squad sentences.

In a few brief months, magic mushrooms have gone from being sold freely in smoothies, omelets and plastic bags down Kuta’s main party strips to being elevated to the same narcotic category as marijuana. When the law was made in September making magic mushrooms a Type 1 Narcotic, the Bali Police allowed for a “socialisation period.” This period allowed Bali residents and tourists alike to acclimate to the new law, giving out warnings and explaining the illegality to anyone consuming and/or selling them. This period now over.

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Since the new year, anyone caught consuming or selling the hallucinogen can be charged, prosecuted and receive a sentence ranging from rehabilitation to the same death penalty the ring leaders of the Bali 9 are currently facing.

If any seniors heading to Bali for spring break were even thinking about exploring the magic of shrooms, read this and think again. Although seniors in the past may have recounted spring break epic tales of psychedelic experiences in Bali, those days have come to an end. But not to fret, stories blurring Bounty headbands, Potato Head daybeds and motorcycle escapades are sure to endure.

Magic mushrooms in Bali: now a bad trip (2024)

FAQs

Do magic mushrooms grow in Bali? ›

You can find magic mushrooms in Bali, Gili Trawangan, and Gili Air, and they can really make for an epic experience in paradise!

What happens if your caught with mushrooms? ›

California Health & Safety Code Section 11390. This means that, depending upon the circumstances, a person suspected of unlawful cultivation of mushrooms faces the possibility of a felony arrest and conviction with an exposure of up to three years in the state prison.

What mushroom causes you to hallucinate? ›

A different species of mushroom, Amanita muscaria (fly agaric), produces a state of delirium that also includes hallucinations, but its primary active agents are muscimol and ibotenic acid.

Can mushrooms reset your brain? ›

Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound that can be derived from over 200 species of mushroom, can remodel connections in the mouse brain. That is the conclusion of a new study that examined structural changes in the brain that might explain psilocybin's enduring antidepressant effects.

How do you say mushroom in Indonesian? ›

Meaning of Mushroom in Indonesian language is: jamur.

What is the charge for magic mushrooms? ›

One to four grams: Possessing one to four grams of psilocybin is a felony punishable by two to 10 years imprisonment and/or up to a $10,000 fine. Four to 400 grams: Possessing four to 400 grams of psilocybin is a felony punishable by two to 20 years imprisonment and/or up to a $10,000 fine.

Are mushrooms Schedule 1? ›

What is its legal status in the United States? Psilocybin is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that it has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.

How long do mushrooms last? ›

Whole mushrooms: Most whole mushrooms bought from the grocery store can last in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. It is advisable to consume them within seven to ten days of purchase.

Are mushrooms good for anxiety? ›

A large study found that people who eat mushrooms have a lower chance of anxiety and depression. But eating more mushrooms doesn't necessarily cure depression, according to the researchers. Mushrooms are rich in potassium and ergothioneine, which may help prevent oxidative stress and regulate nerve signals.

What does magic mushrooms do to the nervous system? ›

How it works. Psilocybin works by activating serotonin receptors, most often in the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain affects mood, cognition, and perception. Hallucinogens also work in other regions of the brain that regulate arousal and panic responses.

What mushrooms are good for depression? ›

Feb. 18, 2022 -- Treatment with psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in "magic mushrooms," relieves major depression for up to a year, and perhaps longer, new research shows.

What is a Schedule 3 drug? ›

Schedule III drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Schedule III drugs abuse potential is less than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs but more than Schedule IV.

What is a Class 1 drug? ›

Some examples of substances listed in Schedule I are: heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), peyote, methaqualone, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ("Ecstasy").

How can I tell if mushrooms are bad? ›

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Why is mushroom black inside? ›

They're becoming darker or have dark spots.

Dark spots are a sign that your fungi are starting to go bad. The best thing that you can do is to keep an eye on your mushrooms throughout the entire time they're in the fridge. If you notice them getting darker or developing dark spots, it's time to use them or lose them.

What do bad mushrooms look like? ›

A slimy film is the telltale sign of a spoiled mushroom. If you catch it early and cook 'em up right away you can get another day out of your 'shrooms, but once the slime starts, it's a slippery slope toward the darkening in color and mushy texture that indicate mold of the inedible variety.

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