Psyched Wellness is The First Public Company To Bring Amanita Muscaria For Human Consumption To The U.S.

Easily identified by its red cap covered with white dots and a white stem, the Amanita muscaria mushroom is probably the most famous and easily recognizable mushroom in the world.

Popularized by Lewis Carrol’s “The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland,” Amanita muscaria has been widely known for centuries and used in traditional healing practices.

According to historical accounts, shamanic tribes across Central America and South America have turned to Amanita muscaria to repair the mind, body and spirit for over 5,000 years. 

Uses Of Amanita Muscaria

In Northern Europe, Siberian tribes used it in winter solstice ceremonies for its restorative properties, while in Vedic Aryan traditions, it was known as Soma, meaning the divine mushroom of immortality, and known for its relaxing effects.

Medicinal mushrooms were used in early Greek and Roman times to treat severe physical conditions and illnesses. During the Renaissance medical revolution, physicians and natural scientists researched their healing properties to treat various physical diseases.

By the end of the 19th century, medical centers across Europe began researching and paying serious attention to the ability of mushrooms to treat and heal psychological and physical problems.

Amanita muscaria contains two psychoactive alkaloids — ibotenic acid and muscimol — in addition to many other alkaloids. Over centuries, humanity has sought to exploit the pharmacological effects and benefits of the compounds Amanita muscaria contains.

Today, the use of psychoactive compounds derived from mushrooms, such as psilocybin, is emerging as a promising tool to treat a range of mental and physical health issues. From all indications, the market for such therapies is growing bigger by the day.

The psychedelic drug market is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.3% from 2022 to 2029 and is expected to reach $6.4 billion by 2029 from $2.3 billion in 2021, according to an analysis from Data Bridge Market Research.

Research and therapies from players like Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc. MNMD, Seelos Therapeutics Inc. SEEL, ATAI Life Sciences NV ATAI and COMPASS Pathways PLC CMPS are helping meet market demand.

First Human Amanita Muscaria Consumption Product?

Psyched Wellness Ltd. PSYC, a Canadian life sciences company working to identify compounds that are not mainstream psychedelics, reports a breakthrough that could excite the psychedelic market.

According to the company, it has successfully distilled and purified the Amanita Muscaria mushroom through its proprietary extract process to ensure safe and standardized results with each batch. Not only that, but Psyched Wellness also says it is the first public company to bring a legal-for-human-consumption product to the U.S. derived from the Amanita muscaria mushroom. 

Psyched Wellness notes that the unique mushroom is not a scheduled drug, so it is able to work with it as a food supplement despite its psychoactive compounds. 

Calm

The company’s flagship product, Calm, carefully distilled to extract the restorative and healing elements of Amanita muscaria, is the only product approved for sale as a food supplement in the U.S.

The lab-tested Amanita muscaria mushrooms are detoxified and reported safe for consumption, are reported to help to reduce stress, ease muscular tension and promote restorative sleep.

Psyched Wellness reports its researchers spent two years on scientific studies to position the company with a proprietary extract, AME-1, that is deemed safe for human consumption. 

On March 8, the company announced it had received Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) approval to sell products using AME-1 in various forms, including tinctures, teas, capsules and drinks. Psyched Wellness says it has completed pilot runs and presales and is now scaling up for commercialization.

Because Calm is not a drug, the company says it can sell the product in grocery stores, pharmacies, health and wellness establishments, convenience stores and head shops as well as via e-commerce platforms.

Backed by an experienced team from diverse backgrounds, including capital markets and the medical cannabis and pharmaceutical industries, Psyched Wellness prides itself as one of the few public companies in the psychedelic sector that will generate revenue and sell products over the counter in the U.S.

As Amanita muscaria has such a rich history of use, the company could just be scratching the surface of what this mushroom can offer humanity for health and wellness.

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Featured photo by Tabish Hassan Khan on Shutterstock