The world of psilocybin strains feels ever-growing as mycologists isolate and propagate new shrooms. Every once in a while, this work results in an exciting new morphology, color, or both–like the new Snowball mushroom introduced by InoculateTheWorld (ITW).
Mycologist Pope Joseph discovered ITW Snowball three years ago while growing a batch of the brand’s Penis Envy mushroom overseas. This fruiting body first caught his eye because it presented albino in the flush of brown fruit. Interested, Pope Joseph isolated it in a painstaking process involving thousands of Petri dishes and a complex labeling system.
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Drew Collins, founder and CEO of ITW, explained the level of detail that went into stabilizing a new shroom.
“Pope Joseph, the nom-de-shroom of the cultivator responsible for ITW Snowball, shared with us his progress on stabilizing desired phenotypes for two and a half years,” Collins said to GreenState. “There was a level of perfectionism, organization, and thoroughness in his work.”
All about the new ITW Snowball mushroom
ITW Snowball grows white and round without gills or a stem, reminiscent of a non-psychedelic giant puffball mushroom or truffle. When bruised, the dense, heavy mushrooms turn a brilliant blue.
Now that the inoculated spore syringe is available, it’s time for other enthusiasts to marvel at how it grows.
“It’s like when you look out the window of an airplane, and there’s an endless sea of clouds beneath you,” Collins remarked. “It’s incredible.”
Pope Joseph is said to have used a blend of coconut coir, vermiculite, and gypsum hydrated to or slightly above field capacity to domesticate Snowball. There were no specific parameters to yield the new mutation. Right now, the surface is colonized about two weeks after the spawn hits the substrate. What comes next is white, round, and potentially potent.
When Pope Joseph tested Snowball overseas with a Miraculix at-home kit it had about 1.5 and 1.8 percent psilocybin. Collins is confident that more extensive and precise lab testing methods will garner higher results. Whether the shroom has more psilocybin, or not, it certainly brings an all-new shape to the conversation.
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This mushroom is a welcome mutant
ITW believes Snowball rocks what the world understands about Psilocybin cubensis morphology, much like the Enigma mushroom did. The puffy cloud shapes are unlike any other psychedelic mushroom–ITW might be right.
The company openly sources genetics like ITW Snowball, building a comprehensive marketplace of psilocybin strains. All spores on the site undergo DNA genome sequencing to ensure each offers the exact mushroom the label promises. These products, including ITW Snowball, are available online and in Colorado, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, and Michigan stores. The brand does not sell mushrooms, only spores.
ITW Snowball shows that there is still much left to discover in the world of mushrooms–magic or otherwise.
