Psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms (shrooms), is a hallucinogenic substance that can have significant effects on the brain and body. But if you’ve used shrooms and are wondering how long they stay in your system, especially for drug testing purposes, it’s important to understand how they are metabolized.
The amount of time shrooms stay in your system depends on several factors, including dosage, body weight, metabolism, and frequency of use. Here’s what you need to know about the duration of psilocybin in your system and how it’s detected.
How Long Do Shrooms Stay in Your System?
On average, psilocybin can be detected in your body for 24 to 48 hours after ingestion. However, the duration of its effects (the psychedelic “trip”) typically lasts about 4-6 hours. Once consumed, psilocybin is rapidly converted to psilocin, which is the active metabolite responsible for the hallucinogenic effects. Both psilocybin and psilocin are quickly processed and excreted by the body, primarily through urine.
Detection Windows for Shrooms
- Urine Tests: Psilocybin and psilocin are generally not included in standard drug tests, but in specialized tests, they can be detected in urine for up to 24 to 48 hours. After 48 hours, it becomes very unlikely that they will be detected.For more extensive testing, some metabolites of psilocybin may be detectable for up to 72 hours after use, but this is rare and depends on the sensitivity of the test.
- Blood Tests: Psilocybin can be detected in the blood for up to 24 hours after ingestion, though it is rarely tested in blood because of its rapid metabolism. After 24 hours, it is typically eliminated from the bloodstream.
- Hair Tests: While uncommon, hair follicle tests can potentially detect psilocybin for up to 90 days after use. However, this testing method is rarely used because it’s expensive and not widely available for psilocybin detection.
- Saliva Tests: Psilocybin is not commonly detected in saliva tests, and its presence in saliva is usually not measurable beyond 24 hours after ingestion.
For more information about psilocybin and its detection, you can read through Mayo Clinic’s guide on hallucinogens.
Factors That Influence How Long Shrooms Stay in Your System
Several factors can affect how long shrooms stay in your system:
- Dosage: The larger the dose, the longer it may take for psilocybin to be fully eliminated.
- Metabolism: Individuals with faster metabolisms will process psilocybin more quickly.
- Frequency of Use: Regular use can lead to a buildup of psilocybin metabolites, which may take longer to clear from the system.
- Body Mass: People with higher body fat content might metabolize drugs slower, although psilocybin does not heavily rely on fat storage for metabolism.
How Long Do Shroom Chocolates Stay in Your System?
Shroom chocolates contain psilocybin, just like fresh or dried magic mushrooms, and are metabolized similarly. The time shroom chocolates stay in your system is comparable to raw shrooms, meaning the active compounds are usually cleared within 24 to 48 hours. However, like regular shrooms, factors such as dosage, metabolism, and frequency of use can influence this timeframe.
Will Shrooms Show Up on a Drug Test?
Standard drug tests—like those for employment or probation—typically do not screen for psilocybin. Most common drug panels are designed to detect substances like marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, and opioids. That said, if a specialized test is used, psilocybin can be detected, particularly in urine within 24-48 hours after use.
If you’re concerned about how long shrooms stay in your system for drug testing, it’s important to know that unless the test specifically screens for hallucinogens, you are unlikely to face detection for psilocybin use.
Shrooms, or magic mushrooms, generally stay in your system for 24 to 48 hours, with some extended detection windows in rare cases. While shrooms are metabolized relatively quickly, they are not commonly included in standard drug testing panels. If you are facing a specialized test, understanding the factors that influence how long psilocybin stays in your system can help you plan accordingly.