9/20: The 4/20 of Magic Mushrooms

It might not be a prominent date in your diary, but there's a growing movement of people who want to make September 20th an internationally recognised day for psilocybin mushrooms. To find out the origins of 9/20 and discover what you can do to celebrate, keep reading.

Public holidays are not a new phenomenon, but the list of internationally recognised holidays grows each year. While it's not unusual to celebrate events such as World Bicycle Day and International Yoga Day, what about more diverse topics, such as magic mushrooms or cannabis? Well, there's a growing movement devoted to spreading the love (and wellness potential) of psilocybin mushrooms.

After all, if we can have an International Asteroid Day, who's to say we can't devote a day to exploring the potential of one of Earth's most sophisticated groups of fungi?

WHAT IS 9/20?

A nonprofit organisation named the 920 Coalition is spearheading an effort to turn September 20th into a holiday dedicated to "magic" psilocybin mushrooms. Much like 4/20, an internationally recognised day and time (April 20th at 4:20pm) associated with cannabis, 9/20 would become a day of the year dedicated to promoting awareness around a highly misunderstood substance.

Unlike 4/20 events, which usually involve thousands of people meeting in public places and casually lighting up, the founder of the 920 Coalition, Nicholas Reville, has stated that 9/20 will represent an educational day of action—a chance to share innovative research or prospective pilots for the use of magic mushrooms. However, the focus here isn't the mind-altering trip, but how psilocybin can enhance or augment wellness.

The 920 Coalition states, "The 920 Coalition organises events around the world each year on 9/20, focused on research and the role that psychedelic psilocybin mushrooms play in our society and health care system".

WHY CHOOSE THE 20TH OF SEPTEMBER?

Dedicating a day to exploring the potential of psilocybin mushrooms is a fantastic way to build awareness, but how exactly did the coalition decide on this day in particular? Well, Reville has said that 9/20 is a good time of year to forage for mushrooms and organise events, as it is the beginning of the school year.

There are hundreds of varieties of psilocybin mushrooms growing naturally all over the world. Foraging allows people to get up close and personal with magic mushrooms while understanding how they survive and thrive in different environments. Working alongside the school year also presents an opportunity to educate young minds, as many of these will become the researchers, lobbyists, and cultural figureheads of the future.

Understanding and accepting 9/20 may only be in its infancy, but successful events include screenings, educational meetings, and presentations. The Psychedelic Society of Ireland held a film screening in a park setting in Dublin, while students campaigning for a sensible drug policy presented a talk in Mexico City. Moreover, Psymposia (a nonprofit research organisation) created a psychedelic storytelling event.

FUN ACTIVITIES TO TRY ON 9/20

If you want to share your love for magic mushrooms, you can celebrate 9/20 at home in dozens of ways. Below, you'll find three ways to explore the versatility and origins of psilocybin mushrooms, honouring this all-important psychonaut holiday.

MAKE BLUE HONEY

Blue honey, or psilocybin honey, is a tasty way to consume magic mushrooms that not only keeps them fresher for longer, but is incredibly straightforward to make.

All you need to get started are some dried magic mushrooms, an airtight glass jar, a grinder, and, of course, some honey. Carefully grind your magic mushrooms into a fine powder before combining them with the honey in a jar. You'll need to let your infusion sit for at least a month in a cool, dark environment, but once you do, you'll have potent psilocybin-rich honey ready and waiting.

EXPERIMENT WITH MICRODOSING FOR A MONTH

When most people think of magic mushrooms, they assume that the only outcome is an intense mind-altering trip. However, there's a growing body of evidence that suggests a "sub-hallucinogenic" dose (typically around 0.5g) can still have a beneficial impact on mental well-being, but without the intense perceptual changes that stop you from performing everyday tasks (Hutten et al., 2019).

The key with microdosing is to plan ahead, grinding your magic mushrooms into a fine powder and using gelatine capsules to keep dosing consistent. Then, you can experiment with different microdosing methods, including the Stamets dosing schedule or the Fadiman protocol. Either way, it takes several weeks to see how your body responds to microdosing, so think of it as more of a marathon than a sprint. September 20th is a great day to start, but why not make the entire month about the versatility of magic mushrooms?

TRY YOUR HAND AT FORAGING

Given that 9/20 was chosen because it's a good time to forage for mushrooms, it's only fitting we offer some practical advice on the subject. The types of mushrooms available will differ based on your location. Generally speaking, the warmer and more humid your local climate, the greater the likelihood of mushrooms, including the magic kind.

Tips for a successful foraging session include:

• Planning your excursion with an experienced forager. Some mushroom varieties look incredibly similar, and you don't want to risk ingesting a poisonous variety.

• Understating the legal implications of picking magic mushrooms. The dos and don'ts of foraging will differ according to country and state, so make sure you're aware of any legal ramifications should you stumble across psilocybin mushrooms.

• Finally, consider the local environment. Mushrooms play a crucial role in local ecosystems, and while picking a handful won't hurt, decimating the area will undoubtedly impact plants and wildlife.

WHY HAVING A PSYCHEDELIC MUSHROOM DAY IS IMPORTANT

The Coalition has a website slogan that reads, "Mushrooms are medicine". However, these words are at odds with how many parts of Western culture perceive magic mushrooms and the active psychotropic constituent within them, psilocybin. Fortunately, the tide appears to be turning (Ziff et al., 2022).

On the one hand, the Drug Enforcement Agency of the United States classifies psilocybin mushrooms as a Schedule 1 drug. For a substance to be placed within this category, it must meet the criteria of having a high potential for abuse, as well as no accepted medicinal value within the United States. However, with recent developments in the US, Australia, Switzerland, South Africa, and more, the stance on psilocybin is shifting—albeit slowly (Chesak, 2024).

For these reasons, movements such as the 9/20 Coalition must succeed in spreading awareness among the population and revealing the true nature of magic mushrooms. There's no doubt that the rising interest in psilocybin, both from the general public and research institutions, suggests a promising future.