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News Articles: magic mushrooms

"What I've actually found is that whole myth that you can't be happy and still be funny is a myth," Bill Burr says.

Bill Burr: 'I am a mess of a human being ... but it makes for good comedy'

Burr is known for his contrarian, fiery stand-up, but lately he's been feeling lighter on stage. His latest Hulu comedy special is Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years. 

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By:
  • Terry Gross
Federal regulators have cracked down on mushroom edibles containing Amanita muscaria — also known as fly agaric — after mounting safety concerns.

The FDA restricts a psychoactive mushroom used in some edibles

The Food and Drug Administration has told food manufacturers the psychoactive mushroom Amanita muscaria isn't authorized for food, including edibles, because it doesn't meet safety standards.

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By:
  • Will Stone
Dr. Roy Gerona contracts with the Drug Enforcement Administration and has been investigating a string of illnesses from mushroom gummies.

Mushroom edibles are making people sick. Scientists still don't know why

A wave of illnesses is bringing scrutiny to a murky marketplace of mushroom gummies and candy. But is a popular red-capped fungus really to blame? Testing shows there's more going on.

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By:
  • Will Stone
A study finds that psilocybin can desynchronize networks in the brain, potentially enhancing its plasticity.

A scientist took a psychedelic drug — and watched his own brain 'fall apart'

Scientists scanned the brains of people who took psilocybin, including a member of the research team. The scans showed how the drug disrupts key networks, potentially enhancing brain plasticity.

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By:
  • Jon Hamilton
Psilocybin mushroom grown in Littleton, Colo. Use of the psychoactive drug is growing in popularity in the U.S.

Microdosing and tripping on mushrooms is on the rise in U.S.

Two new studies estimate psychedelic use in the U.S. and both find magic mushrooms gaining in popularity, including some folks who just want to get a little bit high, aka microdosing.

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By:
  • Will Stone
Psilocybin mushrooms jarred and ready for distribution at Uptown Fungus lab in Springfield, Ore. Oregon has decriminalized the use of the psychedelic drug.

As 'magic mushrooms' got more attention, drug busts of the psychedelic drug went up

Busts of psilocybin mushrooms went way up from 2017 to 2022, a new study finds, even as the psychedelic drug's potential benefits have been explored by scientists.

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By:
  • Rhitu Chatterjee
A Washington, D.C., resident has an operation growing psilocybin mushrooms. Brain researchers are increasingly studying psychedelic compounds like psilocybin and LSD as potential treatments for anxiety, depression and other disorders.

Psychedelic drugs may launch a new era in psychiatric treatment, brain scientists say

Psychedelic drugs were a hot topic at this year's Society for Neuroscience meeting. Researchers hope the drugs can help people with disorders like depression and PTSD.

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By:
  • Jon Hamilton