muscimol

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Illegal drug found in Diamond Shruumz candies linked to severe illnesses

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More drugs —

New testing finds psilocin, related to psilocybin, in gummies purchased in 2023.

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Illegal drug found in Diamond Shruumz candies linked to severe illnesses

Newly released testing data of Diamond Shruumz-brand gummies purchased in 2023 identified the presence of psilocin, a hallucinogenic drug closely related to the magic-mushroom drug psilocybin that is classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside psilocybin, heroin, and LSD.

The finding comes as Diamond Shruumz’s current line of gummies, chocolates, and candy cones is being recalled and are under active investigation in connection to a nationwide rash of severe illnesses, which have involved seizures, intubation, and intensive care. As of the latest update on July 15, 69 people in 28 states have been sickened after eating a Diamond Shruumz product. Sixty of the 69 sought medical care, 36 were hospitalized, and there is one potentially associated death under investigation.

The new finding of psilocin in the products, published by researchers at the University of Virginia, adds to growing concern about psychedelic mushroom candies generally. Although the candies are marketed as being legal, they have often been found to contain various undisclosed illegal drugs, gray market synthetic versions of drugs, as well as dangerous adulterants and contaminants.

In the ongoing investigation of Diamond Shruumz candies—led by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the help of America’s Poison Centers and state and local partners—researchers have not identified psilocin in products linked to the illnesses. Instead, they have found a closely related synthetic hallucinogenic compound called 4-acetoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, also known as psilacetin or 4-AcO-DMT. Psilacetin is thought to be metabolized into psilocin in the body and is said to have similar effects as taking magic mushrooms or psilocybin. The different testing results between the FDA-led investigation and the new UVA study may be due to possible formulation changes between 2023 and 2024 or simply differences in the products or batches of candies tested so far.

The UVA researchers, who published their findings in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, looked into the mushroom candies after four adults reported illnesses to a local poison control center between September and November 2023. The people went to the emergency department with tachycardia, confusion, anxiety or somnolence, and nausea after eating gummy candies labeled as containing Amanita muscaria mushrooms. Amid their investigation into those cases, a 3-year-old also fell ill in June 2024 after accidentally eating two gummies sold as containing A. muscaria. All of the adults and the toddler recovered from their illnesses quickly, though the toddler was hospitalized for a day for observation.

Not legal or safe

A. muscaria is a legal hallucinogenic mushroom that contains psychoactive compounds ibotenic acid and muscimol. These resemble neurotransmitters in the brain and can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, agitation, and seizures.

The UVA researchers couldn’t track down the specific brands or products the sickened adults took, but they collected six similar products from nearby gas stations and smoke shops. Those six products included two Diamond Shruumz products, which were not sold as containing A. muscaria. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, the researchers found that the two Diamond Shruumz gummy products (Sour Peach Apple and Rainbow flavors) contained psilocin. The Rainbow flavor also contained caffeine.

In addition, a product labeled as “Wonderland Legal Psychedelics Cherry Nirvana” contained psilocin, the synthetic hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine, a compound found in kratom called mitragynine, and caffeine.  A product labeled as “Urb Magic Amanita Mushroom Watermelon” contained psilocybin, psilocin, and the stimulant 2-phenethylamine. A product called “Psilly’s Legal Psychedelic Mushrooms Fruit Punch” contained the stimulant ephedrine, and the product “Tryp mushroom gummies” wasn’t found to contain any concerning compounds.

The UVA study was not able to test for ibotenic acid or muscimol. In Diamond Shruumz’s recall notice, the company said it had found higher than normal levels of muscimol in its products. FDA testing has not identified muscimol in product testing, according to results released so far.

“People tend to equate ‘legal’ with ‘safe,’ which is not necessarily the case. These products are not regulated and can contain any number of unlabeled substances which, when consumed, can cause undesired symptoms,” lead author of the UVA study Avery Michienzi said in a statement. “Some packages will have QR codes showing that the products were tested in a lab and contain only what they are labeled to contain. These have been found to be inaccurate.”

The FDA this week warned that even though all of Diamond Shruumz’s products have been recalled, they remain on the shelves of stores nationwide. The agency said it is reaching out to industry partners to raise awareness of the recall and monitoring the effectiveness of Diamond Shruumz’s recall efforts.

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What we know about microdosing candy illnesses as death investigation underway

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The Birthday Cake flavored bar.

Enlarge / The Birthday Cake flavored bar.

One person may have died from eating Diamond Shruumz microdosing candies, which were recalled last week amid a rash of severe illnesses involving seizures, intubation, and intensive care stays.

According to an update this week from the Food and Drug Administration, the cluster of cases continues to increase across the country. To date, 48 people across 24 states have fallen ill after eating the candies, which include chocolate bars, gummies, and candy cones that were sold online and in retail locations, such as smoke and vape shops. Of the 48 people sickened, 46 were ill enough to seek medical care, and 27 were admitted to a hospital.

For now, the death noted in the FDA’s latest update is only “potentially associated” with the candies and is still under investigation. No other information is yet available.

But in an interview with Ars, medical toxicologist Michael Moss was not surprised that the candies may have turned deadly. Moss, who is the medical director of the Utah Poison Control Center, cared for one of the first people reported to be sickened in the cluster.

An early case

The person was sickened in Nevada and transferred to a hospital in Utah, where Moss was a member of his care team. After the person came out of intensive care, Moss sat down with him and tried to piece together what happened. According to Moss, the person had bought a Birthday Cake-flavored chocolate bar at a local store. The bars are sold as “microdosing” candies, suggesting they contain psychedelic compounds, but the exact components and dosages aren’t listed.

Though the person told Moss he had some experience with psychedelics before, it was only with actual mushrooms. This was the first time he had eaten such a bar. And the bar’s packaging had only vague instructions of how much to eat at one time to achieve certain effects. For instance, eating nine or more squares of the bar was described with an image of an eye with lots of rainbow colors.

“What does that dose mean? And how many milligrams of what is that? Nobody knows,” Moss said. “So, he decided, ‘It’s a chocolate bar.’ So why wouldn’t you just eat the chocolate bar? Pretty reasonable thing to do.”

But, within minutes of eating the bar, the person felt nauseated and very dizzy and tired. He went to lie down and doesn’t remember much after that. Fortunately, a family member came home soon after and found him. The family member saw that he had vomited and was possibly aspirating or choking. By the time paramedics arrived, he was having a seizure. He had another in the emergency room. Doctors gave him anti-seizure medications and a breathing tube and put him on ventilation before transferring him to the hospital in Utah.

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Microdosing candies finally recalled after psychoactive muscimol found

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Finally —

Muscimol, found in the candy, is from hallucinogenic Amanita muscaria mushrooms.

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Microdosing candies finally recalled after psychoactive muscimol found

After weeks of reports of severe illnesses across the country, the maker of Diamond Shruumz microdosing chocolates, gummies, and candy cones has finally issued a recall. It covers all lots and all flavors of all the brand’s products.

The illnesses have been marked by several severe symptoms, which notably include seizures, loss of consciousness, and the need for intubation and intensive care. To date, there have been 39 people sickened, including 23 hospitalizations across 20 states, according to the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The FDA first issued a warning on the brand’s chocolate bars on June 7, when there were reports of eight cases, including six hospitalizations, in four states.

Diamond Shruumz’s parent company, Prophet Premium Blends, said in the recall notice that it had received only two complaints about the products to date and, upon receiving those complaints, reviewed recent laboratory analyses (Certificates of Analysis) of its products. According to the company, those CoAs noted “higher than normal amounts of muscimol,” which is one of two key compounds found in hallucinogenic Amanita mushrooms. Muscimol “could be a potential cause of symptoms consistent with those observed in persons who became ill after eating Diamond Shruumz products,” the company said in the recall notice.

In a statement posted on Diamond Shruumz’s website, Prophet Premium Blends announced the recall and added that it has also ceased production and distribution of all of the brand’s products.

“Due to consumers becoming ill after consuming the entire chocolate bar and some products containing higher levels of Muscimol than normal, it is crucial that all of our consumers refrain from ingesting this product while we, alongside the FDA, continue our investigation as to what is the cause of the serious adverse effects,” Prophet Premium Blends wrote on its website.

Diamond Shruumz has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Ars. Prophet Premium Blends did not respond to a request for comment and a list of questions.

What’s normal?

It’s unclear what amounts of muscimol were found in the company’s products and which products were affected. While the company reported only “higher than normal” amounts, it’s also unclear what the “normal” amount is. Diamond Shruumz posts third-party lab reports on its website, most of which indicate that the products are tested for muscimol. For instance, the reports show muscimol testing for all flavors of Cones and Extreme Gummies. For the brand’s chocolate bars, which the FDA first linked to the illnesses, all the bars except for the dark chocolate flavor showed muscimol results. For the gummies, only the report for the Hawaiian Punch flavor shows muscimol results. Of all the reports that include results for muscimol, all indicate that the amounts are lower than the limit of quantitation, which suggests that they are not supposed to contain any amount of muscimol. All of the reports reviewed by Ars were dated at various times throughout 2023.

Muscimol, along with related ibotenic acid, are both key psychoactive components of some Amanita mushrooms. That includes the hallucinogenic toadstool mushroom A. muscaria var. muscaria, which is notable for its unique bright red-orange caps with white warts. Both muscimol and ibotenic acid resemble neurotransmitters, namely GABA and glutamate, respectively. Muscimol is associated with depression of the central nervous system, while Ibotenic acid is associated with excitation of the central nervous system.

Fuzzy findings

According to the recall notice, it’s possible that the muscimol could cause some of the symptoms in people sickened, which included seizures, agitation, involuntary muscle contractions, loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness, nausea and vomiting, abnormal heart rates, and hyper/hypotension. The FDA said in its own update that it was “evaluating this information.”

The agency had previously identified the undisclosed synthetic psychedelic compound 4-AcO-DMT in the company’s chocolates, as well as undisclosed compounds found in a potentially toxic Kava plant (Piper methysticum). It remains unclear if any of those compounds explain the illnesses.

The totality of the ingredients in Diamond Shruumz’s products remains unclear. The company does not list the ingredients on its website, selling the products only with terms indicating they contain psychedelic compounds and the vague, buzzword-loaded description of having a “primo proprietary blend of nootropic and functional mushrooms.”

The CDC warns that such “edibles” are often sold as candies and snack food and might contain undisclosed ingredients, including illicit substances, adulterants, or potentially harmful contaminants. Common marketing terms to look out for include “microdosing,” “adaptogens,” “nootropics,” and “functional mushrooms,” the CDC warns.

Consumers should not eat, sell, or serve any Diamond Shruumz product. For those who have already purchased the products, they can be returned for a full refund to 1019 Arlington St., Orlando, Florida, 32805, according to Diamond Shruumz’s website.

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