Homebrewed psilocybin: can new routes for pharmaceutical psilocybin production enable recreational use?
Bioengineered January 1, 2021 William E. Gibbons, Madeline G. Mckinney, Philip J. O’dell et al. 8 citations
Psilocybin, a recreational psychedelic, is being studied as a therapy for depression, anxiety, and addiction. Recent advances include biosynthesis using microorganisms. This work demonstrates production of approximately 300 mg/L of psilocybin in less than 2 days using a recombinant E. coli strain in a simple, homebrew-style setup with easily sourced equipment. The finding raises regulatory questions about preventing clandestine synthesis while allowing pharmaceutical development. The authors present their results and suggestions for addressing these regulatory concerns.