1. MAGIC MUSHROOMS INFORMATION
SETTINGS
Intensive training course on qualitative drug
research
Amsterdam, August 2008
Anita Bosnjak
David Pere

2. MAIN
FINDINGS

3. Kinds of shops
Smart Strange Souveni
Shop Shop r shop
Sell magic
Sell magic
mushroom Sell magic
mushroom.
and other mushroom
smart drugs
Paraphernalia
A lot of
connection
Paraphernalia souvenirs
with smart
connection
drugs
with smart No flyers with
drugs. information
Also many
souvenirs
There are a lot Normally small
of information and crowded
No flyers with
places
information
Bigger places

4. AVAILABLE INFORMATION
• Verbal information
• Flyer
• Box of magic mushrooms
• On the wall or desk

5. Verbal information
 Smart shop’s staff has more knowledge
and they are more willing to give
information.
 People usually don’t ask many question.
 People ask more question in smart shop
because of the setting.
 People ask more law questions.
 Typically information: “If it is your first time,
take Mexican or Thai mushrooms.”

6. BOX OF MAGIC MUSHRROMS
 We saw two companies for magic mushroom
distribution.
 Main company: Sticker with big letters in
English: “Do not use alcohol.””+18” “Use only
one box.” Other information on Dutch written
with small letters.
 Other company: No warnings with big letters.

7. IN THE WALL OR DESK OR FRIDGE
 The same information in all shops.
 Picture of magic mushroom and underneath
different kinds of effects: visual, energy, body,
brain.
 Scale: 0 (nothing) 5 (maxim)
 Each type of magic mushroom have more or
less punctuation in the scales.

8. FLYERS
 Information about magic mushroom.
 Flyers are not unique. Each shop have their
own flyers.
 Two types: 1. general about all MM
2. particular for each MM
 Different s sorts of flyers with information
about: dosage, trip, effect, tips and trick, use,
do not use, afterwards, preserve, history…

9. FLYERS
 A lot of information about magic mushrooms
but
Few information about set/setting
Same information:
Set: Do not use if you pregnant, nursing,
psychotic, depressed, schizophrenia…
Setting: In a park, in home, calm site… always
with more people.

10. Flyers Contradictions

11. DOSAGE (MEXICAN)
 If this is your first trip: “Do not exceed half a
dose: 15 grams.” In others flyer don’t tell this
information.
 Staff: if it is your first trip: “Take Mexican” first
take half of the box, then if you feel good the
other one.

12. DOSAGE MEXICAN
FRESH: 10 to 15
gram mild trip
FRESH: 17.5gr mild
15 to 30 gram for a
trip
strong trip
35 strong trip
DRY: 1.0 to 2.0
DRY: 1.8gr mild trip
for a mild trip and
Different categories 3.5 gr strong trip
2.0 3.5 for a strong
trip about trip
Diferent dosages
No information about FRESH: 10-15 gr for a
dry mild trip
FRESH: 15 gram 15-30 for a relaxed
trip
mild trip
30-50 grams for a
30 gram for a strong trip
strong trip DRY: 1.0-1.5 mild high
1.5 -3.0 relaxed trip
3.0-4.0 strong trip

13. OTHER TOPICS NOT CLEAR ON FLYER
 Conservation Dry: 3 months or 6 months?
Fresh: 3 days or 7 days?
 Effect start :20 minutes or 50 minutes
 Effect duration: 3-8 hours? Or 4-6 hours.
 Can you smoke marihuana?

14. INFORMATION PROBLEMS
 Sometimes interest’s cash may be opposed
to health.
 Sometimes staff is tired, burn-out or has
more customers in the shop. This situations
are negative for good information
 Information about dosage is the same for all
people. Not different among sex, age or
weight.
 In flyers there aren’t emerge phones.

15. INFORMATION PROBLEMS
 Flyers not available in all shop. Normally only
smart shops and you have to ask for flyers.
 Some people ask about it’s allowed to go
abroad with smart drugs. Normally staff don’t
know.
 Conversation about future of magic
mushrooms.

16. BAD TRIP
 DARK POINT. Staff don’t like this question.
 There is no much information about it on flyers,
only “May you become unwell…”
 Staff told us: Take sugar, vitamin C, orange juice,
water, go to sleep, dextro, valerian, after M, a pill
(Some staff don’t know the content)
 Harm reduction? Placebo? Myth?

17. DIFFICULTIES & DILEMMA’S
 We couldn’t stay for a long time in the shop
 Not a lot of people were buying magic
mushrooms. Sometimes the shops were just
tourist attraction.
 Those who bought the didn’t ask much
questions.
 The most of the questions were from us.
 In the begging we had dilemma will we
introduce ourself