Ireland
Psilocybin is illegal in Ireland as of 01 Aug 2026.1
- Checked against 2 cited sources at this review.
1. What the law is
Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 (No. 12 of 1977) lists "Psilocin" by name in its Schedule. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 (Controlled Drugs) (Declaration) Order 2006 (S.I. No. 55/2006) declares that any substance, product or preparation (whether natural or not), including a fungus of any kind or description, containing Psilocin or an ester of Psilocin is a controlled drug. Under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 173/2017), Schedule 1 lists both "Psilocin" and "Any fungus containing any proportion of Psilocin or of an ester of Psilocin". Schedule 1 is the most restrictive class, with no ordinary medical prescribing.1
Psilocin, the active metabolite of psilocybin, is the substance Ireland actually schedules, and the mushroom is reached through it. Psilocin is a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 and sits in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017, the most restrictive class, so production, supply and possession for personal use are prohibited except under licence. S.I. No. 55/2006 closed an earlier loophole on 31 January 2006 by declaring any preparation or fungus containing psilocin a controlled drug in any state, which put the mushrooms themselves squarely inside the prohibition. Nothing decriminalised or medical has been enacted for personal use since.
2. Pending legislation
Introduced but not yet law. If a bill passes, this record changes with it.
Controlled Drugs and Harm Reduction Bill 2017 (Bill 68 of 2017): a Seanad Private Members' Bill to amend the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977-2016 to decriminalise possession of controlled drugs for personal use; restored in the current Oireachtas, with Seanad Second Stage completed March 4, 2025 and Committee Stage listed as the current stage on the bill page. Because psilocin is a controlled drug, the Bill would reach personal-use psilocybin possession. No Government Bill amending psilocin or psilocybin scheduling is before the houses; the six Misuse of Drugs statutory instruments of 2025 and 2026 contain no psilocin changes; the National Drugs Strategy 2026-2030 remains a draft.
3. History
The laws behind today’s status, when each took effect, and every review since, in order.
Illegal status takes effect.
Ireland's entry had cited a hemp order by mistake. It now cites the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017 and the 2006 order that brought psilocybin mushrooms within the law. Possession for personal use is a criminal offence, as recorded.
An Irish Seanad bill to decriminalise personal drug possession is at committee stage, and the record now names it. Psilocybin's controlled status is unchanged.
4. Trials in Ireland
Interventional psilocybin trials with at least one study site in Ireland, drawn from ClinicalTrials.gov, EU CTIS, and ISRCTN. Registry data is reported by sponsors and shown as filed.
Recruiting, active, completed and closed add up to the 8 trials with a study site in Ireland, as of Aug 2026. Closed covers trials terminated, suspended, withdrawn or left unverified.
ClinicalTrials.gov data courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
5. Common questions
Is psilocybin legal in Ireland?
Psilocybin is illegal in Ireland as of 01 Aug 2026.
Are magic mushrooms ("shrooms") legal in Ireland?
"Magic mushrooms" and "shrooms" are common names for fungi that contain psilocybin. Psilocybin is illegal in Ireland as of 01 Aug 2026. Some laws control the compound and the fungus separately, so this record states the position for psilocybin in Ireland.
Sources and confidence
Every status line is checked against the primary sources below. How each record is graded for confidence is set out in the methodology.
- 1.irishstatutebook.ie (opens in new tab) · irishstatutebook.ie
- 2.irishstatutebook.ie (opens in new tab) · irishstatutebook.ie
Cited at the review
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently, and enforcement practice can differ from the letter of the law. Verify current status with local authorities before relying on this record.
Changes to this record
Every change we have made to this record, dated, corrections included. Nothing changes silently.
An Irish Seanad bill to decriminalise personal drug possession is at committee stage, and the record now names it. Psilocybin's controlled status is unchanged.
Ireland's entry had cited a hemp order by mistake. It now cites the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017 and the 2006 order that brought psilocybin mushrooms within the law. Possession for personal use is a criminal offence, as recorded.
Ireland: psilocybin legal status. The Psilocybin Record. Accession IE-001. Status as of 01 Aug 2026. https://psilocybinlegalization.com/record/ireland
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