Some Mushroom-Infused Gummies Contain Illegal Substances: CDC

Psilocybin mushrooms stand ready for harvest in a humidified "fruiting chamber" in the basement of a private home in Fairfield County, Conn., on July 27, 2023. John Moore/Getty Images

Multiple mushroom-infused products, including some made by the same company that recalled its gummies earlier this year, have tested positive for the illegal hallucinogenic substances psilocybin and psilocin, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a July 18 press release.

Researchers at the University of Virginia Health Toxicology Laboratory analyzed six packages of gummies across five brands that were marketed as mushroom-containing “nootropics,” also known as cognitive enhancers, between September 2023 and November 2023, according to the CDC.

They tested gummies purchased at gas stations and smoke shops near the Blue Ridge Poison Center (BRPC) in Charlottesville, Virginia, to determine which substances they contained.

The brands tested were: Diamond Shruumz Sour Peach Apple, Diamond Shruumz Rainbow, Urb Magic Amanita Mushroom Watermelon, Wonderland Legal Psychedelics Cherry Nirvana, Psilly’s Legal Psychedelic Mushrooms Fruit Punch, and Tryp mushroom gummies.

The testing was prompted by the hospital evaluation of five people between September 2023 and June 2024 after they ingested gummies labeled as containing Amanita muscaria, a mushroom with hallucinogenic properties, more commonly known as fly agaric.

Amanita muscaria is currently legal and contains psychoactive substances ibotenic acid and muscimol. It is used less commonly as a hallucinogen than psilocybin-containing mushrooms because it can cause undesired symptoms, including gastrointestinal upset, agitation, and seizures, according to the CDC.

The specific brands reportedly consumed by the hospitalized individuals were not available, so researchers instead purchased three brands listing the same ingredients, according to the CDC.

Researchers also bought two brands that were labeled to contain “unspecified mushroom nootropics” but did not include amanita muscaria on the label.

Mushroom gummies in four of the six bags tested were found to contain unlabeled psilocybin or psilocin, both of which are the active components in other psychedelic mushrooms.

The Diamond Shruumz Sour Peach Apple and Diamond Shruumz Rainbow products were found to contain psilocin. Urb Magic Amanita Mushroom Watermelon contained both psilocybin and psilocin. Wonderland Legal Psychedelics Cherry Nirvana contained psilocin.

Psilly’s Legal Psychedelic Mushrooms Fruit Punch didn’t contain psilocybin or psilocin but ephedrine, a central nervous system stimulant, was identified during testing. Tryp mushroom gummies were found to contain only the ingredients listed on the label.

‘Potential Risk to Public’

Psilocybin and psilocin are also Schedule I substances and are currently illegal in Virginia, the CDC said.

Researchers also found other unlabeled substances in some of the bags, including caffeine, ephedrine, and mitragynine—also known as kratom— which produces opioid and stimulant-like effects.

“Ibotenic acid, muscimol, and muscarine were not present in the matching library, and their presence in the gummies was undetermined,” researchers said.

Notably, muscimol—a potent psychoactive compound found in certain mushrooms—was listed as the primary reason behind a recall of Diamond Shruumz-brand chocolate bars, cones, and gummies earlier this year.

At the time of that recall, California-based Prophet Premium Blends, the company behind Diamond Shruumz, said the items contained “higher than normal amounts” of muscimol and was likely the reason why people were falling ill after consuming the products.

Concluding the findings from the University of Virginia Health Toxicology Laboratory, the CDC said the presence of psilocybin and psilocin in products legally sold at retail shops in Virginia “represents a potential risk to the public.”

The health agency added that people who purchase the products should be aware that the labels on the items may not accurately represent the contents and the products could contain substances that might produce unexpected and potentially toxic effects.

“Further, the presence of mitragynine in one product is concerning because repeated mitragynine ingestion can increase the risk for opioid dependence,” the health agency stated.

FDA Probing Diamond Shruumz-Related Illnesses

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it is investigating reported illnesses of 69 people in 28 states that have been linked to the recalled Diamond Shruumz “Microdosing Chocolate Bars,” Infused Cones and Micro-Dose and Mega-Dose/Extreme Gummies.

According to the FDA, 36 people have been hospitalized in relation to the recall, with symptoms ranging from loss of consciousness, confusion, and sleepiness to vomiting and seizures.

One death potentially associated with the recalled items is currently being probed, the FDA said.

In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, Nicholas Warrender, the CEO of LFTD, the parent company of Urb, said the gummies in question were launched in 2022 and tested at two independent labs.

“We soon after discontinued these gummies as the market was being flooded with illicit products being marketed as ‘amanita,’ giving consumers expectations of the effects drastically different than what amanita is,” Mr. Warrender said.

“We also found our brand being counterfeited thereafter,” he continued. “Since we stopped selling these in December of 2022, we believe the product in question is a counterfeit Urb product, as we are certain there was only amanita extract in legitimate Urb products.”

The Epoch Times has contacted Prophet Premium Blends, Orthogonal Thinker, which is behind Psilly’s Legal Psychedelic Mushrooms Fruit Punch, and Deltiva, which manufactures Tryp mushroom gummies, for comment.

The makers of Wonderland Legal Psychedelics Cherry Nirvana could not be reached for comment.

Lorenz Duchamps contributed to this report.