Magic Mushrooms: The Next Wonder of the World

Imagine a drug that could enhance one's positive mood and cure long term depression, with very few negative side effects. Why would anybody not want that drug on the market? This drug is known as ‘Magic Mushrooms,’ a psychedelic that has grown more popular in modern culture, and has opened doors in mental health research. With this increase in popularity comes great opportunities for investors, as well as users, and can provide cognitive enhancement, therapeutic use, and be used recreationally. Researchers see its potential to alter the status quo surrounding the Serotonin Selective Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRIs for short, which are a class of antidepressants that increase serotonin levels in the brain. They are the most common form of medication to combat medical disorders surrounding anxiety and depression. Psilocybin, the chemical present in magic mushrooms, is a naturally occurring chemical in certain types of mushrooms throughout the world. When ingested it can cause mind altering effects. With psychedelics, specifically those in magic mushrooms, the mental health improvement market can be completely altered due to Psilocybin’s mind-altering features, with some researchers finding that a single dosage can have permanent positive effects on one's mental health (Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms) 2024).

Psilocybin has been a centerpiece of Indigenous cultures around the world for almost three millennia, starting with its emergence in Aztec culture as a perceived way to speak to gods and experience supernatural healing. Psychedelic drugs have been woven into various countries’ Indigenous cultures for centuries, including but not limited to Botswana, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico. Mind-altering drugs made their way into popular Western cultures in the 1960s with the counterculture movement, which rejected modern cultural beliefs while promoting peace, social justice, and revolution (Frommer 2025). The most common forms of drugs associated with the counterculture movement were LSD and magic mushrooms, which were associated with self-discovery and expression. Research began in the early 1960s to investigate the efficacy of psychedelic drugs; however, people began reporting ‘bad trips’ and other negative experiences related to psychedelics, which caused a halt on research and the creation of the Controlled Substances Act, which classified Psychedelic drugs in the schedule I category (“Hallucinogenic Plants and Their Use in Traditional Societies”).

Current usage of psychedelic drugs has taken on new meanings while continuing to be viewed as a way to explore oneself. Users report positive mental and even physical benefits. The most common form of psychedelic drug in the United States is magic mushrooms, with about 3%, or 8 million people, having ingested magic mushrooms in 2023 (Stone 2025). The most common forms of ingestion are microdosing and full dosage. Microdosing, the most popular form, involves taking a fraction of a full dosage, which is different for every individual. Despite the drug's illegal status, droves of people of many cultures, ethnicities, and ages indulge in taking forms of this psychedelic drug. For teenagers, taking mushrooms can be an exciting, experimental experience that represents a coming of age. For older people, mushrooms can be taken as a way to reveal, address, and potentially heal past traumas that have haunted them for decades. More acutely, those with mental health issues, whether that be from past traumas or (chemically induced brain deficiencies) the chemical makeup of the brain, have increasingly been consuming magic mushrooms as a way to heal, both physically and chemically. These experiences are often subject but not limited to one's age, and can positively affect one's life permanently.

With mental health challenges on the rise, Psilocybin can be a potential replacement for the current mental health drug market. Anxiety and depression are two of the most common forms of mental struggle, which, according to the World Health Organization, 1 in 5 Americans struggle with (“Antidepressant Market Trends” year). The most common combatant of these two mental health disorders is SSRIs. SSRIs are part of a $20.11 billion Antidepressant market, with SSRIs comprising  48.2% (“Antidepressant Market Trends” year). These drugs are most commonly prescribed due to their popularity in medical fields, as well as their effectiveness. However, with every drug, there are side effects. For SSRIs, these include suicidal thoughts/actions, vomiting, trouble sleeping, decrease in libido, nervousness, and weight gain/loss, to name a few. Additionally, while they are not addictive, if an individual stops taking them, they can experience withdrawal-like symptoms, which might induce any of the aforementioned symptoms. Interactions with other medicines while using SSRIs can cause an increased risk of bleeding, and using them can raise risks for women during pregnancy (“Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors” year). While most prescriptions are commonly covered by insurance, they can be costly for those without medical insurance. By adding the seven most common SSRI brands' monthly cost without insurance, and dividing it by seven, the average cost of an SSRI for someone without insurance would be $445.44 per month (Malka 2022).

Our current system fails to fairly treat people who are diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. In 2020, 7 out of 10 of the most successful pharmaceutical companies spent more on marketing and advertising than they spent on research and development (Cosgrove, Patterson, and Bursztajn 2024). Though the ever-expanding mental health industry is increasing the number of drugs it offers, mental health issues are still prominent. Clearly this $20 billion industry is not doing enough for the patients it is supposed to serve (Cosgrove, Patterson, and Bursztajn 2024). Real solutions to problems that affect real individuals are paramount to combat public health crises. Rather, much of the industry focuses on profits, selling another big pharma scam that attracts people to a drug that is advertised to solve problems when, in reality, it is just treating symptoms rather than treating the root cause of the issue. 

This is where psychedelic therapy is most attractive to consumers and investors. A consumer can make a one-time payment for a dosage of magic mushrooms, take them, have a transformative experience, and potentially feel more healed than they ever had before with a prescribed SSRI. The average cost of a gram of magic mushrooms is around $10, with one gram or less constituting a microdose (Zinnia Health Editorial Staff 2024). A full dosage is dependent on the individual and their body, but most people are able to experience them fully with around 5 grams. This means that for the average person, a one-time life-changing experience would cost around $50. For investors, the psychedelic drug market is a promising landscape that grows increasingly more attractive by the month. The psychedelic drug market comprises many different kinds of consumers: those who want official psychedelic therapy with a licensed therapist, those who want to use recreationally, and those who are seeking spiritual experiences. A diverse range of consumers signifies a potential for a long-lasting consumer base despite the one-time usage phenomenon provided by magic mushrooms. Support from high-profile public figures have gotten psychedelics into mainstream media, such as Mike Tyson, Miley Cyrus, Joe Rogan, and Aaron Rodgers, to name a few (Zuloff-Shani 2023). Regardless of high-profile support, everyday people have experienced real positive benefits in everyday life by taking magic mushrooms. Real benefits reported by the common person, coupled with high profile support have only grown the market, which makes investors keen on putting money into research.

Psychedelic drugs are not only prominent within pop culture, they have also been proven effective via scientific research. Johns Hopkins University is at the forefront of psychedelic research, making remarkable discoveries in a multitude of clinical trials. In 2014, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine found that longtime smokers were able to quit after partaking in Psilocybin therapy. In 2016, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine found that Psilocybin can be used to ease anxiety in patients with terminal cancer. In 2019, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine found that there could be a correlation between Psilocybin use, reduced usage, and even complete abstention from alcohol for addicts. These three discoveries were vital in advancing Psilocybin research, and led to the establishment of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research in 2019 with around $17 million from private investors. Post hoc, more exhilarating discoveries were made, including that Psilocybin can dampen the brain's ego center, and more importantly, Psilocybin can relieve major depression in patients (“Psychedelics Research and Psilocybin Therapy” year). The seeming cause-and-effect relationship between increased funding and scientific breakthroughs in Psilocybin research is an encouraging sign for investors. This can be seen in the first federal grant being given in over 50 years to Johns Hopkins Center for Psilocybin and Consciousness Research, totaling nearly $4 million (“Johns Hopkins Medicine Receives First Federal Grant” year).

Both governmental and private investors alike see promise in this market, reflected by the Compound Annual Growth Rate being 12.1% (“Psychedelic Drugs Market Size” year). The $1.5 billion industry will continue to grow due to the nature of the increase in mental health disorders and addiction, showing a profitable future. The nature of this increase is very worrying for individuals as well as public health officials, which prompts stronger responses from the medical community. Furthermore, legislation continues to shift in many states across the U.S., as well as nations around the world. Since 2020, 37 states have introduced legislation from funding research to reducing penalties for possession and usage (Ibarra 2025). Legal, along with cultural momentum, looks favorable for decriminalizing psychedelic drug usage for both therapeutic and recreational usage in the coming years.

Despite this market’s positive impacts for both consumers and investors, psychedelic drug usage has its negatives, both in the industry and the drug. For one, magic mushrooms have not been proven to work therapeutically on a substantial scale. Small studies that have reported positive results are promising, and the next step in the process to legalize Psilocybin based drugs is to create a large scale study. Of the research that is done, there is a clear future for psychedelics in the medical world. SSRIs maintain the status quo in Mental Health Markets, and Psilocybin will take patient care to the next level. However, there is no way to guarantee that Psilocybin will affect every person the same. Furthermore, there is a generational divide in the belief in Psilocybin’s positive effects. Although there are many young people who believe in Psilocybin’s benefits, there are significantly more people who do not, particularly those with current legislative control. Despite many different states introducing some form of legislation regarding the legalization of Psilocybin, many acts do not make it to the ballot, and if they do, they often get rejected (Massachusetts Information For Voters 2024).

Psilocybin, although doubted by many, has the potential to be a critical factor in the solution to the ever-growing public health problem of anxiety and depression. With this potential to help people comes excellent investment opportunities and cheap options for consumers, while simultaneously moving in on the current for-profit system that rules the mental health market. There are high hopes for many firms to capitalize on this small market, which could help consumers who struggle with mental health issues and addiction, as well as monthly payments for SSRIs or other mental health-related drugs. With continued research, funding, and advocacy for the benefits of Psilocybin, there is a bright future for all, both economically and mentally.

References

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