Synthetic Psychedelics May Soon Replace Your Shrooms

Scientists are engineering microbes that can produce the hallucinogen psilocybin

Illustration: Nan Lee

The 1976 book Psilocybin: Magic Mushroom Grower’s Guide is a classic manual for raising the illegal hallucinogen. But while its whimsical gardening tips — “mushrooms are fully dried when hard to the touch, like crackers” — are still relevant…