FACTBOX - Five facts about "magic" mushrooms

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Netherlands will ban the selling and growing of all hallucinogenic "magic" mushrooms next week, the latest target of a country seeking to shed its "anything goes" image.

Here are five facts about "magic" mushrooms:

* The main hallucinogenic substance in "magic" mushrooms is psilocybin. Effects normally last up to about six hours and can include nausea, vomiting and drowsiness in the early stages after consumption, distortion of senses and thoughts, feelings of insight and spiritual awakening, visual hallucinations, quickly changing and intense emotions, confusion and anxiety.

* "Magic" mushrooms are also known as 'shrooms, mushies, boomers, paddos, liberties and gold tops. They were commonly used for centuries in Africa and in Central and South America, particularly in religious rituals, and became a popular recreational drug during the 1960s psychedelic movement.

* Mushrooms can be eaten in fresh or dry form or prepared as tea. They do not appear to be physically addictive, though some users can become psychologically dependent.

* There are several different types of "magic" mushrooms which grow in different parts of the world. Most of them are small and tan-coloured and can be confused with deadly poisonous fungi. Their strength can vary depending on their origin and freshness, with Dutch stores describing the Mexican varieties as suitable for beginners and the Hawaiian as among the strongest.

* Psilocybin is listed as a Schedule I drug under the United Nations 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Schedule I drugs are described as having a high potential for abuse with no known medical uses.

(Sources: National Drug Intelligence Centre of U.S. Department of Justice, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, International Narcotics Control Board)

(Compiled by Catherine Hornby, edited by Paul Casciato)