Posh mums have a new 'Class A' drug secret that's not cocaine

I noticed the gaggle of mums with designer handbags and perfect coifs immediately.

I was the last one to arrive at Kensington Square for a playdate and tried desperately to smooth my dishevelled hair as I walked up to the group.

I’ve been let into the gang, not because of my designer clothing (my handbags are all fake) but because our kids get along and I’m local (me in a shoebox, them in the mega mansions). What I lack in cash, I try to make up for in witty conversation.

Still, I'm suddenly conscious when one of the mums begins staring at me.

I brace myself for a snide remark about my sub-par haircare regime, but she catches me off guard, ‘Wow, your eyes are really green today,' she says instead.

I peer closely at her and notice the complimentary mum is wearing a dreamy, serene expression and find myself wondering if her glowing appearance is the result of yet another all-inclusive to the Maldives - but she isn't the only one looking suspiciously happy.

I hear one giggling member of the group, who is normally really uptight, as she reveals she’s stopped berating her dog walker for giving Rupert a grain-free treat (it wreaks havoc on his gut biome, apparently).

That's when I'm pulled aside and let in on their big secret: mushroom chocolate.

It’s quietly revealed to me in between the pruned roses that all the Kensington mums like to snack on psilocybin chocolate regularly; at playdates, birthday parties and even parents-only meetings.

She shares that the microdosing mums don't end up higher than a psychedelic rainbow, but instead mix tiny doses of hallucinogens with chocolate to achieve a spiritually aligned effect.

The feeling? Akin to having a couple of glasses of wine - all without the hangover, of course.

She tells me that the chocolate's benefits include greater clarity and focus, a more positive outlook, and even weight loss (although research on the subject is currently limited).

I’d always assumed that the super-toned mums were on the jabs and addicted to green smoothies; turns out I was wrong.

Walk into any health food shop, and you will see the trend of mushrooms rising. There’s Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps and Shiitake, all promising benefits to hair, skin, and sleep.

These mushrooms contain compounds such as beta-glucans, adaptogens, and antioxidants that some believe help with overall wellness.

But the mums at the garden party weren’t talking about a health supplement you'd pick up at Holland & Barrett.

These ladies of leisure prefer the Psilocybin type, in doses of sub-perceptual amounts - an altogether different approach to wellness. 

Recently, New Scientist released a report on how microdosing increases brain plasticity (the brain’s ability to rewire itself), but how this is achieved is still unclear.

‘But are they going to be OK to look after the kids?’ I blurt out.

‘Are you kidding me?’ the mum seems incredulous. ‘Taking mushroom chocolate actually helps with child-rearing!’

She explains that some of them have taken it on the school run, before working out, and while making their little one’s lobster risotto (while the nanny is away, naturally).

The next day, I divulge all the secrets to my local hairdresser, revealing to him the latest west London yummy mummy gossip.

He simply rolls his eyes. ‘Oh, darling. Everyone is taking mushroom chocolate, you’re way behind. It’s as normal as having a cup of tea.’

He then explains that several of his Kensington clients take it regularly, including one very glamorous, well-known celebrity.

He explains he’s even been to her residence when her other celeb pals turn up to pamper themselves with a square of choccy, a blow-dry and a catch-up.

It’s not something they hide, he explains, but when I ask him where they get it from, he quickly blasts my face with hot air from the dryer.

Hallucinogens are no new thing and have been around for centuries, first recorded in South America in the 1500s, according to illustrations in the Florentine Codex.

Then, in the 1960s, Life Magazine published an article, ‘Seeking the Magic Mushroom' and triggered a resurgence. 

Timothy Leary began experimenting with psilocybin at Harvard University in 1961, amassing a fanbase, after his slogan, ‘Turn on, tune in, drop out’ was seen throughout the decade.

And while for many years, it seemed to be used only by crusty Glastonbury goers wearing hemp trousers and playing bongos in the mud, it has now made its way to the white-washed mansions of west London.

While some states in America have legalised it, in the UK it is still classified as a Class A drug, hence the secretiveness when I enquire where it’s from. King's College London scientists have been studying the use of it for treatment-resistant depression recently. Their 2022 report found that a 25mg dose of psilocybin, alongside psychological support, had some impact in reducing symptoms of depression in participants.

I’ve always loved my playdates with the west London mums. It’s the place where our children get to be free, discuss 'the latest', and if I’m being honest, I get to peek into a slightly different world.

Recently, one of the mums asked me if I wanted to try a psilocybin chocolate. She dipped into her antique cupboard and showed me the packet, which looked like any other luxury chocolate bar with a fancy gold wrapper.

I asked her where she got it from, but just like my hairdresser, she smiled and suddenly started arranging her Feu de Bois Diptyque candles. I have quite a vivid imagination and only need one glass of wine to be on the wrong side of tipsy, so I declined.

But I do see that it might help the mums in certain circumstances. With clothes to fold, Ocado deliveries to unload, piano lessons to run to, meals to prep, and husbands to deal with, one suspects they are putting a bit of pizzazz into the monotony of daily labour. Even if they do have the staff to fill in the really tedious gaps!

And while I may not qualify to be in the mushroom gang, I’m glad I get let in enough to witness the new secret that is taking the Royal borough by storm.

What is psilocybin - and is it legal?  

The active ingredient in 'magic mushrooms,' psilocybin is a powerful hallucinogen. 

Upon ingestion, it is converted in the body to psilocin, which binds to serotonin receptors in the brain to create a hallucinatory effect.

Psilocin can also cause overactivity in the frontal cortex of the brain, which is the region responsible the performance of motor tasks as well as high-level cognitive function such as judgement, abstract thinking, and creativity.

This overactive frontal cortex leads to changes in consciousness, altered perceptions, and shifts in thinking patterns, with the intensity and duration of the 'trip' varying from person to person. 

The experience often entails widening one's perspective and confronting aspects of their personality that they may have struggled with before taking 'shrooms'. 

The feelings of introspection can sometimes lead to the dredging up of traumatic memories or feelings of shame, depression, and guilt lingering after the 'high' subsides.

For this reason, the effects can last hours to months and, in rare cases, over a year, after the acute effects have worn off.

 Magic mushrooms are either eaten fresh or dried. A common method of consumption involves grinding them and mixing them with foods like chocolate to mask the bitter taste. 

While a growing number of states in the US have either decriminalised or legalised possession of psilocybin, it is still a 'Class A' drug in the UK. 

Brits caught in possession of the drug face a jail term of seven years - but there have been calls for the drug to be rescheduled to treat depression in recent years. 

Scientific studies have repeatedly shown psilocybin - the psychoactive chemical in magic mushrooms - has promise in boosting mental health, fighting off depression and helping PTSD sufferers.

Experts from Oxford, Manchester and King's College London say moving the substance to Schedule 2 on a research-only basis will enable the 'sorely needed exploration of fresh mental health treatments'.

Schedule 2 drugs, such as ketamine and cannabis, are those that can be prescribed and supplied by doctors and pharmacists.