Psychedelics are having a renaissance. Once feared by the mainstream and confined to the fringes of society, financial backing from big pharmaceutical companies, media interest, and new scientific studies that cite their psychological benefits are helping to change public opinion on psychedelics, including psilocybin, the mind-altering component of magic mushrooms. 

In the past, the only way to ingest psychedelic mushrooms was to pick them yourself, dry them out, and consume them in tea or food, which required knowing where to look and what to look for. Fortunately for people without the know-how who are interested in trying psilocybin, the trippy component of mushrooms, new vaping technology has made consumption and sourcing even easier with the use of shroom pens. 

These portable devices are available in a range of flavors and potencies and will bring on psychedelic effects soon after you puff, rather than 30 minutes, the average time you’ll wait if you ingest mushrooms. In this article, we’ll look at the components of a shroom pen, how they work, their uses and benefits, and more. 

What is a Shroom Pen?

Shroom pens are vaporizers designed to make consuming psilocybin or a synthesized compound with similar effects easier. These electronic devices work in the same way as cannabis vape pens but contain mushroom-derived liquid instead of cannabis-derived liquid.

When a user hits the vape, the heating atomizer heats the liquid to high enough temperatures to produce vapor that the user can inhale through the mouthpiece. While smoking shrooms is not a traditional way of consuming psilocybin, vape pens make it super easy and convenient. 

Components of a Shroom Pen

• Battery: The shroom pen's power source is usually a lithium-ion battery.
• Chamber:The psilocybin-infused liquid or synthesized compound is in the chamber, and it varies in size and shape depending on the type of shroom pen.  
• Atomizer: Also known as the coil, this is the shroom pen's heating element. The battery activates it, heating the liquid inside. 
• Mouthpiece:The mouthpiece is the part of a vaporizer you put your mouth on and draw the vapor through. 
• Additional Components: Higher-end shroom pens may also include an airflow system, temperature control, and auto-shutoff to conserve your shroom pen's battery and other components. 

The components of a shroom pen synergize to get psilocybin or a synthetic compound into a user's system quickly, typically in minutes or seconds. First, turn on your vaporizer to activate the battery (some work immediately, while others require a small amount of time to heat up).

Then, take a hit through the mouthpiece to activate the atomizer and draw the psilocybin-infused liquid from the chamber, sending the vaporized liquid into your mouth and lungs. 

How Shroom Pens Work

Shroom pens vaporize substances using a battery to activate a heating element known as a coil or atomizer. This element heats liquid to a high enough temperature to become vapor, which the user can consume through the mouthpiece.

The main difference between shroom pens and consuming psilocybin as an edible is the onset time. While eating edibles or mushrooms can take up to two hours to hit the bloodstream as the psilocybin has to be metabolized first, shroom pens are absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs within seconds or minutes. Just like eating cannabis edibles, the effects last a lot longer than vaping if you consume mushrooms as edibles. 

Shroom Pen Ingredients

The liquid in a shroom pen will either be extracted from psilocybin, which comes directly from fungi, or a synthetic compound like 4-AcO-DMT, which closely mirrors the genetic makeup of psilocybin.

Given the lack of research surrounding these synthetic compounds, it's essential to be aware of the potential risks, including overconsumption, which can lead to serious health issues.

Uses and Benefits of Shroom Pens

Recreational Use

Shroom pens are a great way for users to microdose mushrooms. Unlike edibles, people can control their doses and can feel the effects for a shorter amount of time. Recreational users can also take multiple hits to achieve a more sustained psychoactive experience. 

Users report experiencing both calming effects from small doses and more intense psychoactive experiences from multiple hits of shroom pens. 

Therapeutic Potential

Shroom pens, like anything containing psilocybin, may have therapeutic benefits. People suffering from depression and PTSD have reported feelings of deep introspection and an emotional release after consuming it. 

Clinical psychologists around the world are studying psilocybin therapy for its potential benefits on mental health. One scientific study “found that 71% of the participants had a significant reduction in their depression.” Another study concluded that “findings suggest that psilocybin with therapy is efficacious in treating MDD.” 

Are Shroom Pens Safe?

Legal Status of Shroom Pens

While natural and synthetic psilocybin both remain a Schedule I controlled substance in the U.S., some states and cities, like Denver, CO, Washington, D.C., and Oakland, CA, have decriminalized it to make it a lower priority for law enforcement. 

Anybody considering consuming or selling psilocybin should be aware of its legality in the region where they live. Some states are more likely to impose harsh penalties for both than others. 

Health and Safety Risks of Shroom Pens

Due to the legal concerns surrounding psilocybin and synthetic psilocybin, products available aren’t regulated. This can be a concern for users because the purity and dosage may vary between products. Unregulated shroom pens that contain synthetic compounds pose a much higher risk of adverse reactions than those containing psilocybin extract. 

Users can make shroom pens safer by only buying products that are well reviewed. Additionally, always take a small hit first to see how strong a shroom pen is. 

Alternatives to Shroom Pens

Shroom pens aren’t the only way to consume psilocybin. As mushrooms containing psilocybin grow naturally worldwide, people can pick their mushrooms instead. Eating dried mushrooms is widely considered the most “natural” way of consuming psilocybin and has been trusted by people in religious ceremonies and beyond as far back as 9,000 BC. In recent times, other products like mushroom-infused chocolate bars, gummies, and other edibles have also hit the market. 

Pros and Cons of Shroom Pens

Shroom pens can offer a shorter and more-controlled high than eating edibles and natural mushrooms. Additionally, the psilocybin will reach the bloodstream a lot quicker through the lungs than the digestive system. 

Conclusion

Shroom pens allow users to feel the mental health benefits of psilocybin in a more convenient package. Not only can a user control dosage better and have a shorter “trip,” but they can do it all with an easy-to-transport and relatively discrete vape. 

Due to the potential psychological benefits of psilocybin, shroom pens may offer an entry point to people who would otherwise lack the knowledge to access it. As the popularity of psychedelics continues to grow, the quality of shroom pens will also increase to mitigate some of the adverse effects. 

Anybody interested in taking psilocybin should consult a healthcare professional first and be sure to get personalized advice based on their psychological history.