List of Psychoactive Lichen

I was browsing some forums when i came across some talk about psychoactive lichens, nature really puts drugs in everything....

This post is mostly copy paste, but should have all the major info more or less organized, i tried to get pictures of most species, when in doubt i prefer to not post pictures, so forgive me for the missing ones. I highly recommend you read the forums on the bottom of this post

Parmelia family syn. Xanthoparmelia

Whole family active as sedatives?

They all contain usnic acid, an antimicrobial that has been used as a weight-control medication. Usnic acid is toxic to elk, and in humans it is reported to induce liver toxicity after prolonged oral use and/or very large doses.

Best bet would be to find what the active substances are (can we remove the usnic acid?), and make an extract - "lichen hash". Here's several articles on usnic acid.

Parmelia conspersa

Traditionally used by the Pima and Papago of South Arizona and North-West Mexico.

Ginkgo reports that the effects are similar to cannabis, although not quite. Effects lasts maybe two hours, and not very potent.

there are reports that it is highly active and on par with good cannabis

Contains usnic acid, salazinic acid, stictic acid and norstictic acid.

Parmelia molliuscula

Used by natives in Canadian Rocky Mountains as a narcotic.

Parmelia cirrhata

Used in India to produce the drug 'chharila', an Ayurvedic aphrodisiac, analgesic; calmative.

Parmelia furfuracea

0.63% methyl-ß-orcinolcarboxylate & atranorin and 1.13% 5-chloroatranorin.

Parmotrema menyamyaense

Known as rock blooms and sold in many ethnobotanical shops.

Said to be psychoactive and to increase the potency of psychedelics.

Collema family

The family with the fabled Icelandic hallucinogenic lichen?

In Collema flaccidum and Collema fuscovirens, insignificant small amounts of bufotenine and 5-Hydroxy-N-methyltryptamine have been found, at top respectively 14.2 μg (0.0000142%) and 18.3 μg per 100 g (0.0000183%). Collema cristatum and Collema callopismum were devoid of these alkaloids, but had some tryptophan, tryptamine and serotonin.

The fact that the enzymes for bufotenine and other tryptamines synthesis are present may mean that other species in this family, or special growing conditions, produce high enough quantities for it to be active.

Dictyonema family

An unidentified species of this family, possibly Dictyonema sericeum, is used in an infusion by the Huaorani of the Amazon jungle of Ecuador. Reported to cause intense hallucinations, supposedly used for malevolent shamanism, and to cause sterility (!). Could be typical western fear for indigenous people and their culture.

Nephroma articum

An infusion of this lichen is used in Alaska and West Canada to give strength to someone in a weakened state.

Lobaria pulmonaria syn. Sticta pulmonaria

Used to increase appetite, combat asthma, and as anti-inflammatory.

Reports of highly intoxicating beer brewed with this lichen from Siberia and Russia.

Contains stictic acid, desmethyl stictic acid, gyrophoric acid, tenuiorin, constictic acid, norstictic acid, peristictic acid, and methylnorstictic acid.

Gymnocolea inflata - liverwort

Traditionally used as a vomit-inducing drug. One secondary source says it is active as a hallucinogen.

Contains the bitter diterpenoid gymnocolin A, which causes vomiting. May be hallucinogenic, like salvinorin A.

Radula family - liverwort

172 species covering next to all areas with moderate humidity and moderate to subarctic temperatures.

At least three species contains the cannabinoid perrottetinene and related substances.

Radula marginata

Found to contain 0.56% of the cannabinoid perrottetinene and 0.087% of perrottetinenic acid, with unknown potency at cannabinoid receptors.

Said to be active, but not very potent.

Endemic to New Zealand.

Radula perrottetii

Also contains perrottetinene.

Endemic to Japan.

Radula laxiramea

Also contains perrottetinene.

Endemic to Middle America.

Lycopodium clavatum - clubmoss

Contains 0.1-0.2% alkaloids, lycopodin and many relatives.

Active, likely acetylcholinesterase inhibititor and NDMA antagonist, but may be poisonous, especially in large doses.

Used medicinally for a broad range of purposes, but not commonly used.

Additional species

Here's a long list of medicinal lichens.

And here's another one.

Sources and additional reading:

Bluelight

DMT-Nexus

Hip Forums
Shroomery