Psilocybin mushrooms pose a very low risk to public health in Brazil compared to other drugs, with no deaths reported over 15 years. Among over 112,000 people seeking medical help for drug-related events, only 13 cases involved psilocybin mushrooms, leading to 6 hospitalizations (0.02% of all drug-related hospitalizations) and no fatalities. Alcohol was the most common agent, and most deaths were linked to cocaine. The findings suggest that current drug policy, which classifies psilocybin as having high abuse potential, overlooks its therapeutic properties and should be re-evaluated for evidence-based regulation to allow safe clinical and ceremonial use.
Psilocybin mushrooms pose a very low risk of adverse events requiring medical attention in Brazil. Analyzing over 112,000 drug-related reports from 2007 to 2022, only 13 involved psilocybin mushrooms, with no deaths and a hospitalization rate of 46.2% (6 cases), representing just 0.02% of all hospitalizations. By contrast, alcohol accounted for 49.2% of toxic agent reports and 45.0% of hospitalizations, while cocaine was linked to 33.3% of deaths. The findings suggest current drug policy, which classifies psilocybin as high abuse potential, may not reflect its actual public health risk, supporting evidence-based regulatory discussions for clinical and ceremonial use.