[Solved] Mushroom therapy and the law

According to Dutch law, Mushroom therapy (with psilocybin-containing mushrooms) currently illegal. Since December 1, 2008 are magic mushrooms banned and are they on List 1 of the Opium Act, which means that possession, sale, and use are punishable — even in a therapeutic context. This ban came after several incidents in which magic mushrooms were linked to accidents, although subsequent investigations often could not confirm a direct causal link.

What legal is, are magic truffles. These truffles are the underground part of the same fungus as magic mushrooms and contain, just like magic mushrooms. psilocybin and psilocin. Because truffles not are included on the Opium List, they can indeed be used legally in the Netherlands — including during therapeutic sessions. Therefore, in the Netherlands, one formally refers to truffle therapy instead of mushroom therapy.

Why the distinction is so important: Although the active ingredients largely correspond, the law only permits therapy with truffles. At mushroom ceremonies so truffles are therefore actually used in sessions comparable to what is known in other countries as mushroom therapy. In this context, psilocybin is used as a tool for introspection, processing trauma, or personal growth — but in a non-medical context, because psilocybin therapy is not yet officially recognized as a medical treatment in the Netherlands.

There is a growing movement to also to make magic mushrooms legally available again for therapeutic use, arguing that the natural product may offer a richer experience than pure psilocybin. I argue in my article Why mushroom therapy should be legalized for a re-evaluation of magic mushrooms, including the 'entourage effects' of other compounds in mushrooms.

In summary: Magic mushrooms are illegal, truffles are legal. That is why legal psilocybin therapy carried out exclusively with truffles in the Netherlands — safe, effective and in line with current legislation.