CSSDP Brings 920 Psilocybin

Mushroom Day to Canada

Daniel Greig

On September 20, CSSDP chapters in Montreal and Toronto are participating in the 920 Psilocybin Mushroom Coordinated Day of Action. Organized by the 920 Coalition, a network of individuals organizations including CSSDP, SSDP, Psymposia, and The Psychedelic Society, 920 seeks to bring attention to the medicinal and spiritual effects of psychedelic psilocybin (aka “magic”) mushrooms and counteract the stigma that surrounds them. Currently 22 events are planned across Canada, the US, Mexico and Australia, with more being announced every week.

Psilocybin mushrooms have been used in ritual by humans for thousands of years, with ancient artifacts pointing to the possibility that such mushroom use spans back to at least the earliest recorded history. Research on psilocybin mushrooms has demonstrated that they can be effectively used in the context of therapy to treat depression and anxiety-related conditions, and they are currently being investigated for use in the treatment of alcoholism. Psilocybin mushrooms can bring about mystical-type experiences which can have profound significance and lead to lasting positive change for the individual.

Despite this, psilocybin, the active compound in psilocybin mushrooms, is illegal almost everywhere in the world. In Canada, it is listed as a Schedule III substance, with a maximum of 3 years in prison for possession and up to 10 years for trafficking-related charges. The illegal status of psilocybin not only creates barriers to further research, but also confines its sale into an illegal and unregulated market with no education, quality control, or assistance for users.

The present time is a landmark moment in the history of psychedelic research. For the first time in decades, studies are starting to be conducted with substances such as psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, and ibogaine. 920 is a day to speak out against present policy as well as to educate the public on the history of human psilocybin use and the contemporary research being conducted.

CSSDP McGill & CSSDP Concordia, in partnership with Psymposia, will be hosting two days of events on the weekend of 920. Hosted at the Caravane Cafe, these events will feature presentations from MAPS founder Rick Doblin and researcher Katherine MacLean, as well as transpersonal breathwork sessions and several presentations covering the history, uses, and recent research on psilocybin mushrooms. 920 Toronto, hosted by CSSDP Toronto, will take place at the Centre for Social Innovation Spadina and will feature journalist Zoe Cormier and Pharmacist Wende Wood as well as a screening of the documentary “Little Saints”. This film follows several individuals, including Director Oliver Quintanilla, in a journey from the United States to Mexico where they undergo a ceremony with a Mazatec Shaman.

It is becoming overwhelmingly apparent as research continues that the wide scale prohibition of psilocybin mushrooms is misguided and needs to be reconsidered. Help us push forward the conversation on drug policy, mental health and the unavoidable relation between them while confronting the stigma surrounding psilocybin by joining us on September 20th!

ONLINE RESOURCES

Videos:
Michael Pollan—The Trip Treatment: New Research on the Healing Properties of Psychedelics: 

Robin Carhart-Harris: Brain Imaging Studies With Psilocybin and MDMA:

Magic Mushrooms and the Healing Trip:

Articles: