The History of Psilocybin
Humanity's Oldest Trip
Tuesday, November 17th, 2026 - 6-8pm
From sacred rituals to outlaw science, psilocybin mushrooms have been altering minds and making history for thousands of years. Grab a beer and settle in for the story they forgot to teach in school.
Psilocybin has been called sacred, illegal, medicinal, and dangerous - sometimes all at once. This is an unfiltered dive into the mushrooms that keep showing up where they're not supposed to. From ancient rites to modern reboots, we'll explore how psilocybin shaped religion, medicine, culture, and controversy across continents and centuries.
You'll learn what it is, what it does (without the neuroscience lecture), and why it refuses to stay buried. Expect strange detours, disputed theories, and a few stories you'll probably want to fact-check afterward.
About the speaker
David Moss is a Pacific Northwest tech founder, storyteller, and executive producer and narrator of the award-winning documentary Cosmic Heirloom: Buried 400 Years, which explores the long-buried and often controversial history of psilocybin.
His journey into mycology began over a decade ago with a backyard mushroom and one uncomfortable thought: "If I guess wrong, somebody dies."
Since then, he's spent years exploring the world of fungi, from gourmet delicacies to psychedelic species and their deadly imposters. Until recently, mushroom socks under an otherwise respectable outfit were his only tell.
BUY TICKETS
The History of Psilocybin: Humanity's Oldest Trip
From sacred rituals to outlaw science, psilocybin mushrooms have been altering minds and making history for thousands of years. Grab a beer and settle in for the story they forgot to teach in school.
Psilocybin has been called sacred, illegal, medicinal, and dangerous - sometimes all at once. This is an unfiltered dive into the mushrooms that keep showing up where they're not supposed to. From ancient rites to modern reboots, we'll explore how psilocybin shaped religion, medicine, culture, and controversy across continents and centuries.
You'll learn what it is, what it does (without the neuroscience lecture), and why it refuses to stay buried. Expect strange detours, disputed theories, and a few stories you'll probably want to fact-check afterward.
About the speaker
David Moss is a Pacific Northwest tech founder, storyteller, and executive producer and narrator of the award-winning documentary Cosmic Heirloom: Buried 400 Years, which explores the long-buried and often controversial history of psilocybin.
His journey into mycology began over a decade ago with a backyard mushroom and one uncomfortable thought: "If I guess wrong, somebody dies."
Since then, he's spent years exploring the world of fungi, from gourmet delicacies to psychedelic species and their deadly imposters. Until recently, mushroom socks under an otherwise respectable outfit were his only tell.
FAQ’S
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A two-hour guided history talk led by David Moss, the writer and narrator of the award-winning documentary Cosmic Heirloom: Buried 400 Years. David traces psilocybin mushrooms from ceremonial use in ancient Mesoamerica through centuries of suppression, mid-century rediscovery, and today's scientific comeback. You listen with a beer in hand. No psilocybin is present, served, or sold at this event.
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Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 6:00 to 8:00 PM, in the Speakeasy at Side Hustle Local, 18129 Bothell Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011. Doors open shortly before 6:00.
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$35 per person. The ticket covers the full two-hour session with David Moss. Additional drinks and food are available from the bar and kitchen at regular prices.
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Yes. The full kitchen is open during the event and you can order from your seat. Several people eat dinner through the session. Ordering food is not required and is not included in the ticket. View Menu.
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We typically hold a History of Psilocybin session once or twice annually. This is the last one in 2026.
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30 seats, max. The Speakeasy room is cozy and we are not adding chairs. Tickets are sold online only. The page stops selling when the last seat goes, so a live purchase button means seats remain.
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No. The whole point is that you leave knowing more than you arrived with. There is no quiz and no mycology vocabulary required. People who already know psychedelics well tend to enjoy the pre-1950s material most, because almost nobody knows it.
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Yes. Tastings are built into the ticket, so this session is 21+ and IDs are checked at the door. The main Side Hustle taproom is 18+, but Speakeasy events that include alcohol are not.
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Most guests park across the street in the free lot at the park. Parking Map.
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David Moss is a Pacific Northwest tech founder, storyteller, and the writer, executive producer, and narrator of Cosmic Heirloom: Buried 400 Years. The 12-minute film won Best Short Documentary at the 2026 Oregon Short Film Festival in Portland. David started studying mushrooms more than a decade ago after finding one in his backyard. He has since spent years researching fungi, from gourmet species to psychedelic species and their deadly look-alikes.