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The title of this article might sound like a downright silly question to ask, but keep reading and we’re confident you’ll see why we’ve endeavored to answer it. Determining what is cannabis, what are shrooms and the differences between marijuana and mushrooms is the easy part. These very separate plant genuses are distinct in almost every way – one is a flowering plant of infinite varieties, and another is a seemingly alien, complex network of mycelium.
Looking at cannabis plants in bloom and then beholding a fungus growing near its base couldn’t be more different in your eyes. Are weed and shrooms similar? Not really, above OR below the surface – which is where these two distinct plant families grow from. Comparing these two might seem trivial, but it’s when you consider how they influence life on this planet that leads you to some profound insights into the magnificence of nature.
The differences between marijuana and mushrooms are obvious, but they are kindred spirits in their relationships to us humans. Both marijuana and mushrooms hold cultural significance, medical value, nutritional value, and both weed and shrooms are well-known practitioners for spiritual awakening or guidance.
It is with this aspect in mind that we’ll focus the lens of our attention on: cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms are kindred spirits. How are weed and shrooms similar? What is cannabis good for? What are shrooms best at? As we dig into the roots of these two iconic natural medicines and culturally significant plant species, we’ll separate the differences between marijuana and mushrooms while shedding some light on how they are alike.
What Is Cannabis?
If you’re reading this line then you’re probably familiar with Haute Health’s weekly blogs, in all their infinite wisdom and colorful varieties. For that reason, we’ll keep this section rather short because there’s only one way to understand what cannabis is: to put it in your pipe and smoke it. Of course, you can also vape it, eat it, rub it on, make it into a tea, dab it, put it under your tongue and more.
The point is there’s lots of shopping to do on HH while the deals are hotter than the waning summer heat, so let’s keep this simple by linking a handful of useful guides to answer the question of “What Is Cannabis?”:
Medicinal vs Recreational Weed
What Are Some Common Sizes of Weed?
How to Understand Cannabis Product Labels
What Are Shrooms?
What a question this is. What are shrooms? Interplanetary seeds of life, terraforming worlds throughout the cosmos? A sentient primordial goop that can communicate with itself and with our neurotransmitters? Or are mushrooms simply another fascinating example of nature’s ingenuity? Fungi come in so many unique varieties that it’s almost trivial to try and compare them.
For the purposes of this blog we’ll stick to the main psilocybin species of fungi that many people around the world continue to rely on today for cultural, medical and spiritual practices:
Golden Teachers
They don’t call them teachers for nothing. Golden Teachers are the first strain most people try, and rightly so – psilocybe cubensis as they’re known are gentle, patient, comforting and kind psychedelic guides. Even if you’re anxious about trying magic mushrooms, trust in these beautiful Golden Teachers!
Mazatapec
Hailing from Mexico where the namesake peoples cultivated this spellbinding shroom for spiritual and medical rituals, Mazatapec mushrooms are mild. This makes them fantastic for deepening your meditations or achieving zen-like states. Instead of class being in session like with Golden Teachers, Mazatapec get you to cross your legs, breathe deep and go within for a wonderful trance.
B+
Known for its profound sensations of clarity, focus and euphoria this strain of psilocybin is a good strain for novice or intermediate trippers. IF you’ve tried a few mushroom journeys and you want to test yourself, B+ are the perfect creative trip that is a step-up from Mazatapec.
Amazonian
As its name suggests, this psilocybin strain comes from the bowels of the deep Amazon rainforest. Anything that grows in such a bountiful place of ecosystems is sure to wow your senses, and Amazonian mushrooms sure do. They’re definitely not for the faint of heart – or stomach – with powerful visuals and experiences. You need to be an A-student of psychedelics to try this one, so B+ won’t cut it.
Penis Envy
The name says it all: Penis Envy is the delight and horror of all psychonauts big, small, men or women. This bulbous-stalk and weighty-cap mushroom look exactly like you’re picturing, but don’t let that deter you – or entice you too much. Albino Penis Envy are thought to be amongst the most powerful psychedelic mushrooms on the planet, so you have to work hard for this fungi before you’ll be ready to trip all over the cosmos with it.
The differences between marijuana and mushrooms don’t seem so vast when we describe the kinds of popular strains of them, do they? Weed and shrooms are actually similar in many aspects. Let’s turn our attention to some of these similarities next, before we set the boundaries of how they’re different.
Are Weed & Shrooms Similar?
Cannabis and psilocybin, marijuana and mushrooms, or weed and shrooms have a lot more in common with regards to how we interact with them, how they influence our biochemistry, and how they can help us in our pursuit of health & happiness. It is this notion of “how we interact/use/rely on” both cannabis and psilocybin that gets to the heart of their similarities. Here’s a handful of the most profound ways in which weed & shrooms are kindred spirits:
Spirit Guides
Speaking of kindred spirits… Marijuana and mushrooms are the go-to for introductory psychoactive/psychedelic experiences for the majority of people. Sure, you can smoke DMT or combine LSD & Weed if you want to right off the hop, but a much calmer, gentler, guided experience can be achieved with these two organisms.
Mental Health
It seems like whatever grows in the ground can tap into something that, when consumed by humans, can dissipate even the most traumatic PTSD, anxiety or depression. Cannabis is amazing for clearing your mind, inducing calm relaxation, not to mention it is incredible for alleviating pain & inflammation. Psilocybin is even more powerful for people suffering from severe depression, anxiety or mental/emotional/physical trauma.
Microdosing
Microdosing isn’t unique to just weed and shrooms, but it’s something both of these hallucinogens have in common when it comes to pop culture & modern medicine. Both of these substances have been controlled in the past, but they’re both becoming legalized and more appreciated in society and scientific communities alike – because they are powerful in large doses, but just as effects for other symptoms in microdoses as well.
Natural Medicine
Weed and shrooms might be the modern iterations of these psychedelic powerhouses, but cannabis and psilocybin share long-standing traditions as natural remedies for untold amounts of life’s ailments. For thousands of years, people have treated pain, fatigue, infections, neurological disorders, and much more with some marijuana and mushrooms.
Culture
Stoner culture wouldn’t be what it is today with the contributions of the two OG’s – marijuana and mushrooms. Cannabis culture around the world continues to grow, while shroomer communities thrive like the interconnected mycelium they revere so highly (literally). Some might say that human societies and culture have been profoundly impacted by these stigmatized plant organisms… Anyone who has heard of Mr. McKenna’s ‘Stoned Ape Theory’ will know what we’re getting at 😉
Tea Time
This is more of an allegory on how both marijuana and mushrooms are great for relaxation, but they literally blend well in a tea form, so sure let’s give them both high marks for weed tea and mushroom tea.
Differences Between Marijuana & Mushrooms
Now that we know how weed & shrooms are similar, let’s harvest the flower of all questions we came here for: what are the differences between marijuana and mushrooms? What separates weed & shrooms is still centered around how they make us feel, but there is much more emphasis put on the intensity of these effects.
These are some of the notable differences between marijuana and mushrooms, from the perspective of how they influence the high we feel from consuming them:
Duration
Magic mushrooms are a class above cannabis when it comes to psychedelic effects, and duration is no exception. Some strong cannabis edibles and concentrates can certainly last a very long time – especially when you’re in the midst of the high – but when compared to psilocybin its dimes-to-dollars. What stoners would call ‘potent cannabis effects’ last between 3-6 hours on average, whereas psilocybin can last 6-12 hours on average.
Hallucinations
This is very subjective, because every person responds to phytocompounds like cannabinoids or psilocybin very differently. That being said, the kinds of experiences you can expect with magic mushrooms are usually far more potent and with heightened mental, emotional, physical or spiritual connotations. Cannabis offers many trippy visions and transcendental experiences too, just on a smaller scale than shrooms.
Price
This is another particular comparison because prices fluctuate so frequently, and they are based on supply-demand. Nevertheless, magic mushrooms seem to be quite cheap – especially when you consider how little equipment & upkeep you need to grow them! Cannabis has a ton of cheap options as well, but if we had to average out the prices for all products/types of both marijuana and mushrooms, psilocybin just takes the crown on affordability.
State Changes
This is a little abstract, but it’s something many stoners bring up – no matter what side of the weed vs shrooms fence they sit on. Cannabis is very good at mellowing your current state of being – whether that’s physically chill, emotionally relaxed, mentally calm or spiritually uplifted. Going from one state to another, however, goes to magic mushrooms. Psilocybin has been relied on by so many people for its abilities to help us shift from one state to another – from physically overwhelmed to emotionally awakened, from mental anguish to spiritual realization, and so on.
Somatic Experiences
Ever eaten a raw, uncooked mushroom before? It’s not the best tasting thing in the world – likely on purpose as the fungi are trying to tell you to ‘back off! we’re poisonous!’. Raw cannabis isn’t the easiest to chew on either, but it happens to be so versatile as an oil extract, trichomes sprinkled on goodies, or infused into aromatic, flavorful food products. Psilocybin isn’t as easy to mask in a pastry as cannabis – or maybe we just haven’t tried the right shroom edible yet. Flavors and aromas are personal choice, but in general terms cannabis has a lot more yum-factor than magic mushrooms.
There you have it. The definitive guide to the differences between marijuana and mushrooms, juxtaposed with how weed & shrooms are similar. We hope you continue to explore your consciousness, your health and what makes you happy with Haute Health’s incredible selection of cannabis & psilocybin products.
