The main type is the Liberty Cap mushroom (Psilocybe Semilanceata}. There are also species that look similar to magic mushrooms but which are poisonous. Magic mushrooms are eaten raw, dried, cooked in food or stewed into a tea. While it isn't illegal to possess raw magic mushrooms, it is an offence to possess any preparation of them (e.g. when they're dried or stewed).

Magic mushrooms have a similar effect to LSD, but the trip is often milder and shorter. Magic mushrooms can make users feel very relaxed and 'spaced-out'. The effects depend on the user's mood where they are and who they're with. Magic mushrooms may cause hallucinations - objects, colour and sound become distorted. A trip tends to last about 4 hours.

Magic mushrooms often cause stomach pains, sickness and diarrhoea. Eating the wrong kind of mushroom can also cause serious illness and even fatal poisoning. If users feel sick they should go straight to hospital with a sample of the mushroom and explain what's happened. Bad trips can happen and can be very frightening. Once the trip has started, there's no going back. Like any hallucinogen, magic mushrooms can complicate mental problems.