How long do mushrooms remain in your system?

August 15, 2009 7:20 PM

How long do magic mushrooms remain in your system?

If one were to spend an evening with some magical fun guys, how long would it be before a drug test returned a negative result? Our hypothetical person is an average male of average weight, having an average amount.

I'm also told that drug tests rarely test for mushrooms- is that correct?

I've googled around a bit, but have come across a pretty wide range of answers.

This is in Australia, if it's relevant.

(asking for a worried friend)

posted by twirlypen to grab bag (9 comments total)

I've never heard of a standard-issue drug test screening for mushrooms.

If the test is for a job, I doubt you'll have a problem. If it's for some sort of probation or legal reason, I wouldn't risk it.


also, make sure you have orange juice and a nice tree to look at
posted by oinopaponton at 7:26 PM on August 15 [3 favorites]

Psilocybin stays in your system in trace amounts for up to three days. The forums at www.shroomery.org are a good source of info, as is Erowid.
posted by Weng at 7:40 PM on August 15

My mother used to work in a clinic that did pre-employment urinalysis as its bread and butter, and no kinds of halluncingens are listed on the reports. You're fine.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:11 PM on August 15 [1 favorite]

Like, totally forever, dude....

Actually, I concur with those above. I've not heard of them testing for mushrooms. But, this relates to US drug testing. I wouldn't push it, though. You'd probably have a very good chance if you gave it a week.
posted by amanda at 8:17 PM on August 15

In the US, and likely the same in Australia, government drug testing is far more sensitive than public testing. Working for any of the big "three letter agencies" in the US means you may no longer eat poppyseed bagels. You'll test positive for opiates.

Having worked in several environments where drug testing is done, I can say you'll rarely find a test for hallucinogens. The FAA, known for being sticklers for regulation and safety rules, test only for marijuana, PCP, amphetamines, methamphetamine, and opiates, as well as alcohol.

This is to say that a pilot could be tripping balls on shrooms and pass a drug test. I doubt Australia is much more comprehensive, spending extra money on drug tests is so inconvenient, especially for employers who aren't dealing with critical safety issues.
posted by Saydur at 10:40 PM on August 15

Erowid says one to three days, but rarely tested for.
posted by phrontist at 11:28 PM on August 15 [2 favorites]

There is little to no correlation between weight/height and effects/duration of detectable residues from magic mushrooms. "Rarely tested for" means that, in practice, there's zero chance that you'll ever be tested for them. Definitely not for a standard job/medical drug test. Almost all the psilocybin and psilocin is gone withing 24 hours and any remaining active chemicals or metabolites will be undetectable in 48-72 hours. In summary, don't worry about it but make sure you do copious reading on The Shroomery and Erowid beforehand and that you have a chance to get outside. Enjoy!
posted by turkeyphant at 2:02 AM on August 16

Who is testing him and why? Those are such pertinent details...

The fatter you are the longer stuff hangs around in your system. And any other drugs he might be taking(?) could prolong it too.

But really the biggest factor is - Who is testing him and why?
Does he have a list of things he's not allowed to ingest? What's on it??
Have they tested him before?
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 2:12 AM on August 16

Is it a urine test or a hair test?
posted by 999 at 1:47 PM on August 17