In collaboration with Hyphae labs of Oakland, Calif. , psilocybin mushroom varieties (also referred to as strains) were tested for potency of pure psilocybin. The resulting data revealed vast variability in the potency of pure psilocybin in dried mushroom strains, over a 1 to 40 ratio. The microgram potencies of strains tested ranged from a low of 600 mcg to a high of 24,600 mcg of pure psilocybin per gram of mushrooms.

To date, the most widely observed method of calculating psilocybin mushroom dosage has been measuring grams of dried mushrooms. This “traditional dosing method” is an imprecise and gravely unpredictable method of dosing, especially in light of recent advancements in the understanding of psilocybin mushroom potency and the impact of body weight and tolerance on the outcome of the experience. In the absence of laboratory analysis, the potency of psilocybin in dried fungi is impossible to predict.

For example, if a person accustomed to taking three grams of the weakest mushroom strain tested, accidentally consumed 3 grams of the strongest mushroom strain tested, the experience would be like consuming forty times the amount of the mushrooms they were originally accustomed to.

Factors such as substrate, cultivator, environment and strain determine the potency of psilocybin in dried mushrooms. Vast variability in potency has been observed even between mushrooms of the same strain grown by the same cultivator. Mushrooms of the same strain grown by different cultivators have shown in laboratory testing to yield even less consistency. These findings reveal that selecting mushrooms by strain alone is in no way a predictable means of determining potency.

Hyphae Lab’s analysis further revealed that individual mushrooms of the same strain, grown within the same grow enclosure, can vary in potency by up to 100%. This means one mushroom may contain 10,000 mcg psilocybin while another from the same batch may contain 20,000 mcg. This could mean the difference between a perfect dose and an unintentional overdose. Hyphae Labs is currently in the process of completing detailed testing on this subject, the results of which will be made available to the public via the Hyphae Labs Patreon page in the next few months..

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect science with spirituality” -Reggie Harris, Hyphe Labs

To account for the variance in potency between individual mushrooms, batches of dried mushrooms were homogenized into a ground powder and submitted for further analysis by Hyphae Labs. The process set a sound framework for the development of the Church of Ambrosia’s dosing calculator, and eventually, its dosing app. The Church believes the calculator will allow for precise dosing of different strains based on the exact psilocybin content of homogenized batches. The calculator will take important factors such as body weight and tolerance into account as well.