Health Canada says people can eat poisonous mushrooms, mistaking them for magic mushrooms. The US Poison Control center says look-alikes can fool people and that no one should eat a wild mushroom unless a qualified expert has verified it (Poison Control).
Errors are common even in expert collections. A DNA study re-examined 94 Psilocybe specimens and found the names in fungaria largely unreliable apart from a few well-known species (Bradshaw et al.). Apps fare no better: in a test with more than 100 photos of nearly 60 species, the best tool failed in almost 15% of cases, and the authors say apps cannot be trusted for life-or-death identification (Kuznetsov et al.).
This glossary gives no identification guidance. If someone may have eaten a wild mushroom, the Ontario Poison Centre says not to wait for symptoms (Ontario Poison Centre); its line is 1-800-268-9017 (Ontario Poison Centre). Canadian poison centres say to call 911 for someone unconscious, not breathing or having a seizure (CAPCCT).
General information, not medical advice. In an emergency in Canada, call 911. For a mental-health crisis, call or text 9-8-8.
Sources
- Health Canada: Psilocybin and psilocin (magic mushrooms)
- Bradshaw et al.: DNA authentication and chemical analysis of Psilocybe mushrooms
- Kuznetsov et al.: AI-mediated risks and real-life challenges in mushroom foraging
- Poison Control (US): Wild mushroom warning
Last checked .