Psilomethoxin

Use and effects

Psilomethoxin is claimed to have a rapid onset and a duration of 4 to 8hours.

Interactions

Scientific research

Very little is known about psilomethoxin. The only report of it in the chemical literature was a paper published by Marc Julia's group at the Pasteur Institute in 1965. This paper reports a 10-step synthesis of psilomethoxin from ortho-vanillin. Alexander Shulgin hypothesized that psilomethoxin could be biosynthesized by feeding Psilocybe cultures with 5-MeO-DMT, referencing a 1988 study by Jochen Gartz where transformation of DET into 4-HO-DET and 4-PO-DET was reported using such a method, with neither compounds having ever been found in nature. Shulgin says that psilomethoxin has not been yet explored, but that it would be a fascinating and promising compound to evaluate. However, others have noted that psilomethoxin bears a close structural resemblance to known serotonergic neurotoxins such as 4,5-dihydroxytryptamine (4,5-DHT) and 4-hydroxy-5-methoxytryptamine (4-HO-5-MeO-T).

Society and culture

The Church of Sacred Synthesis

The Church of Sacred Synthesis, formerly known as the Church of Psilomethoxin, founded in 2022, claims to use psilomethoxin as its sacrament. It claims to produce psilomethoxin by feeding 5-MeO-DMT to psilocybin mushrooms to biosynthesize psilomethoxin in addition to psilocybin. The church sells the sacrament to its members who join the church online and then are mailed the sacrament, which has led to the church being referred to as the so-called "mail-order mushroom church". A 2023 study by Usona Institute chemists tested samples of their sacrament and found no traces of psilomethoxin or its putative prodrug 5-methoxypsilocybin, but did find the usual constituents of psilocybin mushrooms such as psilocybin, baeocystin, and psilocin. Psychedelic researchers such as David E. Nichols have stated that the church's claims about psilomethoxin are "nonsensical and nonscientific" and the group has been criticized in the media. Interviewed by Russell Hausfeld from Psymposia, church co-founder Greg Lake said that the church's claims to a novel drug were based solely on "faith". In April 2024, the Church of Sacred Synthesis sued several of its detractors alleging defamation. One of the lawsuits, against Psymposia, was later dismissed.

References

References

1. "4-Hydroxy-5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, Psilocybe mushrooms, Psilocin". Ask Dr. Shulgin Online.
2. (1989). "Biotransformation of tryptamine derivatives in mycelial cultures of Psilocybe". Journal of Basic Microbiology.
3. "4-HO-5-MeO-DMT (Psilomethoxin)".
4. (1965). "No 209 - Recherches en série indolique. XIV (*) - Sur des méthoxy-5 hydroxy-4, méthoxy-5 hydroxy-6 et méthoxy-7 hydroxy-6 tryptamines". Bulletin de la Société Chimique de France.
5. Mario de la Fuente. (17 April 2023). "The Church of Psilomethoxin: Fantasy Chemistry Gets Fact Checked".
6. (July 1973). "Inhibition of the uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine, noradrenaline and dopamine into rat brain homogenates by various hydroxylated tryptamines". J Neurochem.
7. Busby, Mattha. (8 June 2023). "This New Church Wants to Get You High on Synthetic Toad Venom".
8. Stoddard, Brad. (31 July 2024). "The Production of Entheogenic Communities in the United States". Cambridge University Press.
9. Hu, Jane C.. (12 April 2024). "DEA announces hearing on obscure hallucinogenic compounds; Petitioning the FDA for a public meeting on Lykos and MDMA; Psychedelic church sues for defamation". Substack.
10. "#57: Greg Lake: The Church of Psilomethoxin interview".
11. "Church of Psilomethoxin, Part 3: Matters of Faith. Father, Son, and Wholly Dosed?".
12. Busby, Mattha. (15 August 2024). "Texas Judge Dismisses Church of Sacred Synthesis’s Defamation Case".