Does Lion's Mane Get You High?

When they first hear about medical mushrooms, many automatically assume or believe that they are linked to psychedelics and therefore can alter your mind and get you ‘high’. Lion’s mane is amongst the various species of mushrooms that many people believe can get you high; which is just not true! Lion’s mane mushrooms will not affect your brain to the point when you can become intoxicated and therefore experience a drug-related ‘trip’. These types of mushrooms (lion's mane) do not contain the compound psilocybin or any other psychoactive compound, therefore, meaning there is no risk of getting high from consuming the fungus - lion’s mane! You can consume a safe amount of lion’s mane and you will never experience any effects (like getting high) as they are free from psychoactive compounds. That being said, lion's mane mushrooms are still believed to be able to alter and affect our brain in several ways (with a direct link to energy and mood) but they will NOT cause any psychedelic or hallucinogen effects; you won't get high! Although, you may experience changes to your mood and energy with regular consumption of the fungus. Here's how…

Is lion’s mane a stimulant?

Due to the fact that lion’s mane mushrooms do not contain any psychoactive compounds, it is highly unlikely, if not impossible, for anyone to experience any stimulative effects as a result of consuming the fungus. There may be a small number of individuals, who consume the mushroom regularly, how to experience an enhanced ability to focus which then contributes to them feeling less brain fog. Therefore an increased sense of clarity and alertness. However, to automatically assume that these effects are a result of the lion’s mane having stimulant effects is not accurate. The main reason why lion's mane cannot be classified as stimulating, as well as a fungus that can get you ‘high’, once again falls to the compounds that make up the species of mushroom. Lion’s mane does NOT have the stimulant effects caused by other nootropics! So, once again to clarify; lion’s mane mushrooms are not a stimulant, they are not narcotics or hallucinogenic! 

Is lion’s mane addictive?

Once again, all the properties that might make various mushroom species addictive will all contain the compounds that can alter the brain to get you high or stimulate your mind. If, for instance, a mushroom species like lion’s mane does not contain any psychoactive compounds it's also not going to be addictive for the same reasons it cannot cause you to get high, or hallucinate. Lion’s mane is not a psychedelic or a narcotic therefore there is no risk of getting addicted to them (for those reasons). Even though lion’s mane mushrooms might be able to reduce mild symptoms of both anxiety and depression; unlink prescribed anti-depressants or psychoactive drugs there is no risk of lion’s mane becoming addictive or creating a physical dependency on the mushroom. So long as you consume the recommended amount of lion’s mane mushrooms per serving or day, you safely consume the mushroom without any fears of them affecting your mental state, alertness or even awareness. Once again, to reiterate, that's due to the mushrooms NOT containing any psychoactive compounds. 

Is lion’s mane a sedative?

Once again the short answer here would be no! The species of mushroom known as Lion’s mane cannot cause any sedative effects to the body or brain! The main reason why a lion’s mane mushroom cannot cause any sedative effects is once again due to the lack of any psychoactive or narcotic-related compounds that make up the mushroom. There are no known sedative, psychedelic or narcotic compounds found in lion’s mane mushrooms therefore sedation is not going to occur. However, lion’s mane mushrooms are believed to have anxiolytic benefits which might make you feel calmer or more relaxed after taking the adaptogenic mushroom. However, you will still not experience any drowsiness that often occurs with sedatives. After all, lion’s mane is a species of mushroom (fungi) that you can buy already pre-packaged into handy and accessible supplement capsules from many reputable retailers; therefore how could they be classed as narcotics or can get you high and still be sold online and in stores as a health supplement? 

Can lion’s mane mushrooms make you feel weird?

Now, feeling referred to as ‘weird’ can mean different things to different people therefore when we refer to that term (for the sake of answering this question) we will be interpreting this as a feeling that is perhaps considered ‘different’ to how you typically feel day-to-day. Saying that, if you feel weird or unlike yourself whilst consuming lion’s mane mushrooms, you can feel (somewhat) reassured that any feelings will not be linked to sedation, hallucinations or psychedelic drug trips. It is simply not possible for lion’s mane mushrooms to cause any psychedelic or mind-altering effects on the brain or body. Lion’s mane is, after all, NOT psychoactive. The only difference that you make feel within yourself (that may be described by some as weird or different) is an improved focus and slightly more clarity as lion’s mane mushrooms are said to help clear brain fog. So, to clarify once again, you can consume lion’s mane mushrooms safely and regularly without needing to worry about them causing any narcotic or drug-related state of mind; they cannot cause any sedative, psychedelic or stimulant effects to the brain or body. Now, you might experience less brain fog, and mild improvement in symptoms relating to anxiety or depression but lion’s mane will not get you high. Lion’s mane is not a form of stimulation, they are not addictive, not a psychedelic or a sedative!