People ask this question all the time, usually for one of two reasons: curiosity or drug tests. And honestly, both make sense. Even though the effects of shrooms don’t last very long, the way your body processes psilocybin is a little more interesting than most people expect. Let’s break it down in a simple, friendly way without getting lost in technical jargon.
First, What Happens in Your Body?
When you take shrooms, your body quickly converts psilocybin into psilocin, that’s the compound that actually creates the psychedelic effects. Researchers studying pharmacology note that psilocybin itself has a short half-life of around 50 minutes, while psilocin lasts closer to 2.5 hours on average. That’s why the trip rises fast and fades steadily.
Different studies give slightly different half-life ranges, but they all agree on one thing: your system clears these compounds pretty quickly.
How Long Until It’s Out of Your System?
Even though the experience usually lasts 4 to 6 hours, psilocin sticks around in your bloodstream a bit longer. Clinical pharmacokinetic research shows psilocin can be detected in plasma for up to 6 hours, sometimes a little more depending on the dose and your metabolism.
Most of the excretion happens within the first 24 hours. One controlled study found that urine still contained small amounts during that window, but not much beyond it.
So overall:
- Blood: up to ~6 hours
- Urine: mostly cleared within 24 hours
- Complete elimination: generally within a day
Your body does its cleanup work fast.
Do Shrooms Show Up on Drug Tests?
This is the part people really want to know. Most standard drug tests, the common workplace ones, don’t check for psilocybin or psilocin at all. They focus on things like THC, opioids, cocaine, and amphetamines.
A specialized test would be required to detect psilocybin metabolites, and those tests are rarely used outside of forensic or medical research settings.
If such a test were used, the detection window would still be short, typically less than a day.
Factors That Can Change the Timeline
Even with a fast-clearing substance, there’s always a little variation. Things like:
- metabolism
- body weight
- hydration
- dose
- liver function
can shift how quickly your body processes psilocin. But the differences are usually small. This isn’t like cannabis, which can linger in your system for weeks. Shrooms move in and out much faster.
Why This Matters
Some people assume psychedelics linger in the body because the experience feels deep or long-lasting. But the truth is, the compounds themselves move through your system pretty quickly, it’s the psychological impact that tends to leave a longer mark, not the chemistry.
Summary
Shrooms don’t stay in your system very long. Psilocybin breaks down fast, psilocin peaks early, and most of it is gone within 24 hours. Blood detection lasts only a few hours, and urine detection doesn’t stretch much beyond a day. And unless someone is using a specialized test, shrooms aren’t even part of standard drug screening.
Sources
NCBI – Psilocybin as Transformative Fast-Acting Antidepressant
Springer – Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Psilocin After Psilocybin Administration
Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis – Renal Excretion of Psilocin