Mushrooms vs truffles
The same compounds, a different part of the organism, a different law in the Netherlands and a different strength per gram.
Short answer: magic truffles and magic mushrooms contain the same active substances, psilocybin and psilocin. [Wat is het verschil tussen paddo's en truffels?, DRUGSinfo, Trimbos-instituut, read 28 October 2026] Truffles (sclerotia) are a dense part of the organism that grows below ground, not the mushroom itself; [Magic truffles or Philosopher's stones: a legal way to sell psilocybin?, Drug Testing and Analysis, 2013, read 28 October 2026] they are weaker per gram, and in the Netherlands the law treats them differently.
Why truffles are weaker per gram
The figures above compare fresh truffles with dried mushrooms, the way each is usually weighed, and they come from different analyses, so treat the comparison as approximate. What both sources agree on is variability: the same weight can be much stronger or weaker than the last pack. DRUGSinfo says it is hard to estimate how many truffles a trip takes. [Wat je moet weten over paddo's, DRUGSinfo, Trimbos-instituut, read 28 October 2026] The dose calculator covers dried and fresh mushrooms and does not convert truffles.
The law
The Netherlands banned psilocybin mushrooms in 2008 and left truffles outside the ban. That is why Dutch retreats use truffles. [Wat is het verschil tussen paddo's en truffels?, DRUGSinfo, Trimbos-instituut, read 28 October 2026] Read the Netherlands: why truffles, not mushrooms and see truffle retreats in the Netherlands. Elsewhere, both are usually covered by the same prohibition: psilocybin is a Schedule I substance under US federal law.
The same safety rules apply
- Lithium and MAOIs are combinations to avoid; antidepressants may blunt the effect. [Classic psychedelic coadministration with lithium, but not lamotrigine, is associated with seizures: an analysis of online psychedelic experience reports, Pharmacopsychiatry, 2021, read 28 October 2026] [Serotonin toxicity of serotonergic psychedelics, Psychopharmacology, 2022, read 28 October 2026] [Attenuation of psilocybin mushroom effects during and after SSRI/SNRI antidepressant use, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2023, read 28 October 2026] Check the interaction checker.
- DRUGSinfo advises against combining either with alcohol or cannabis. [Paddo's: combinatiegebruik, DRUGSinfo, Trimbos-instituut, read 28 October 2026]
- The Trimbos Institute warns that nobody checks the quality of truffle ceremonies, including intake, aftercare and how many sober people are present. [Paddo's: risico's, DRUGSinfo, Trimbos-instituut, read 28 October 2026]
Questions
Are magic truffles the same as magic mushrooms?
They contain the same active substances, psilocybin and psilocin. Truffles are a different part of the organism and are weaker per gram. In the Netherlands, truffles may be sold while mushrooms are banned. [Wat is het verschil tussen paddo's en truffels?, DRUGSinfo, Trimbos-instituut, read 28 October 2026] [Magic truffles or Philosopher's stones: a legal way to sell psilocybin?, Drug Testing and Analysis, 2013, read 28 October 2026]
Are truffles legal in the Netherlands?
Fresh truffles are outside the Dutch Opium Act and may be sold; psilocybin mushrooms, fresh or dried, are banned as a hard drug. [Wat is het verschil tussen paddo's en truffels?, DRUGSinfo, Trimbos-instituut, read 28 October 2026]
Are truffles weaker than mushrooms?
Per gram, yes. One analysis found 0.6 to 1.7 mg of psilocybin per gram of fresh truffle; a 2024 analysis found about 9 to 14 mg of psilocybin plus psilocin per gram of dried mushroom. Strength still varies from pack to pack. [Magic truffles or Philosopher's stones: a legal way to sell psilocybin?, Drug Testing and Analysis, 2013, read 28 October 2026] [Determination of psilocybin and psilocin content in multiple Psilocybe cubensis mushroom strains using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, Analytica Chimica Acta, 2024, read 28 October 2026] [Wat is het verschil tussen paddo's en truffels?, DRUGSinfo, Trimbos-instituut, read 28 October 2026]
Do truffles last as long as mushrooms?
Roughly. The Dutch drug information service gives three to four hours for mushrooms or truffles. [Wat je moet weten over paddo's, DRUGSinfo, Trimbos-instituut, read 28 October 2026]
When a retreat or licensed centre is the better choice
If you take any medication on the interaction checker, have a personal or family history of psychosis or bipolar disorder, have a heart condition, or have nobody sober and steady to sit with you, a setting with screening and trained staff is the safer choice. In trials, participants were screened first and supported by trained monitors throughout. [Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2008, read 28 October 2026]
- All retreats and licensed centres, with prices and the law in each place
- Find your retreat: seven questions and a shortlist
- Licensed sessions in Oregon or Colorado, or retreats in the Netherlands and Jamaica
If you need help now
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): call or text 988, any hour. 988lifeline.org
- Fireside Project (US): a psychedelic peer support line, call or text 62-FIRESIDE (623-473-7433). [Fireside Project: psychedelic peer support line, Fireside Project, read 28 October 2026]
- A medical emergency anywhere: call your local emergency number (911 in the US, 112 in the EU).