Psilocybin, truffles and mushrooms: what is the difference?

The terms psilocybin, truffles and mushrooms are often used interchangeably. There is an important difference though, certainly when it comes to what is legal in the Netherlands. Here it is, set out clearly.

Psilocybin is the active compound that occurs naturally in certain mushrooms and truffles. After you take it, your body converts psilocybin into psilocin, which temporarily affects your consciousness. Psilocybin is therefore not a kind of mushroom but a compound, and that compound sits in both truffles and mushrooms, only in different parts of the same fungus.

A mushroom is the above-ground fruiting body of the fungus: the part you see above the soil. A truffle (the scientific term is sclerotia) is a compact mass that forms underground and serves as a kind of food store for the fungus. Both contain psilocybin, but they are different parts of the same organism.

This is the heart of it. In 2008 mushrooms containing psilocybin were banned in the Netherlands following a number of incidents. Truffles fell outside that ban, because the law named the mushroom specifically and not the sclerotia. That is why psilocybin truffles are legally available to this day, while magic mushrooms are not.

Truffles generally contain a somewhat lower concentration of psilocybin than dried mushrooms, but the effect is essentially the same. With the right dose and guidance you can go just as deep with truffles. Precisely because the strength can vary, careful dosing and professional guidance matter.

We work exclusively with psilocybin truffles, which are legal and are dosed carefully. That way you can have a safe, professionally guided experience within Dutch law during a psilocybin ceremony.

Curious how a ceremony runs? Read what to expect. Or are you considering microdosing instead? Then read Microdosing for anxiety and stress.

Read also:

• Truffle ceremony in the Netherlands: how a psilocybin ceremony works
• Microdosing for anxiety and stress: how does it work?