What Are the Risks of Using Psilocybin Mushroom Gummies?
There’s a relatively new type of hallucinogenic on the market in America, and it’s often available in easy-to-access places like convenience stores and smoke shops. While there are dangers of taking chocolate psychedelic mushrooms or other kinds of magic mushrooms that have been in use for decades, this new type of product often falls into a legal gray area, and that makes it hard to regulate. In many cases, it’s impossible to know what’s actually in these edible products that are sometimes known as psilocybin mushroom gummies.
Table of contents
» What Are Psilocybin Mushroom Gummies?
» Why Are Psilocybin Gummies Becoming Popular?
» Can Psilocybin Gummies Cause Psychological Side Effects?
» Can You Become Dependent on Psilocybin?
» Key Takeaways on Psilocybin Mushrooms Gummies
» Resources
What Are Psilocybin Mushroom Gummies?
So-called “magic mushrooms” are a prime example of a naturally occurring psychedelic known as psilocybin that causes hallucinations and mind-altering effects. A closely related drug, psilocin, is the active form of psilocybin that affects users’ serotonin receptors in the brain, which is what causes these hallucinogenic effects.
This new type of drug we’re talking about today, psilocybin mushrooms gummies, has a bit of a misleading name because they’re usually marked as legal due to not containing psilocybin or psilocybin. Yet, testing has found one or both of these substances actually are in these supposedly legal gummies.
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the rising prevalence of mushroom gummies sold in Virginia smoke shops and gas stations since late 2023, marketed as a way to enhance cognitive function. These products were labeled to contain Amanita muscaria, a type of mushroom that is currently legal in most states, or some other proprietary blend of mushrooms. While A. muscaria is legal and can cause hallucinogenic effects, it has been known to cause health problems, including upset stomach, agitation, and even seizures.
Between September 2023 and June 2024, five patients sought medical attention in Virginia after taking gummies that listed this type of mushroom as an ingredient. Four of these patients suffered from tachycardia, confusion, anxiety, and nausea, and one had chest pain. The other case involved a 3-year-old who accidentally ingested two of these mushroom gummies, and they were hospitalized for one day with symptoms of drowsiness and vomiting. All patients had used different brands of gummies, so researchers purchased six different products from five distinct brands and tested them to determine their contents.
In four out of the six bags, the tested gummies contained psilocybin or psilocin. These gas station gummies also included several other unlabeled substances, including caffeine, ephedrine, and kratom. As of September 2024, there were at least 130 reported cases of users being hospitalized due to consumption of these gummies.
Why Are Psilocybin Gummies Becoming Popular?
In many cases, psilocybin gummies are becoming popular due to their ease of purchase and availability. Users can buy these products, especially those labeled to include the legal but dangerous mushroom A. muscaria, at gas stations or smoke shops, making it far easier to get than most illicit drugs or prescription medications.
Another component of its popularity is the way it is marketed. Often, package labels emphasize that it is a legal mushroom and suggest it can be a helpful health supplement, a legal hallucinogenic, or a way to improve and enhance cognitive function.
Other things are behind this newfound popularity, including:
- Mushroom gummies are convenient and discreet.
- They are flavored to mask the earthy mushroom taste and make them more palatable.
- These manufactured products include a pre-measured dose, which makes it possible to use them for the popular trend of “microdosing” mushrooms.
- The extracted psilocybin that is often used in these products is less likely to cause nausea or upset stomach when compared to eating raw psilocybin mushrooms.
- Interest in experimenting with psychedelics as a way of treating mental health issues.
- The desire to experience a hallucinogenic “trip” but avoid purchasing explicitly illegal psilocybin mushrooms.
Can Psilocybin Gummies Cause Psychological Side Effects?
Psilocybin mushrooms aren’t known to cause the warning signs of addiction, and substance use disorder is unlikely with these magic mushrooms. The same seems to be true for psilocybin mushroom gummies. Still, it is possible to develop a psychological dependency on psilocybin, and magic mushrooms can lead to all kinds of psychological side effects just 15 to 45 minutes after ingestion.
- Extremely unpleasant “bad trips” marked by fear, anxiety, confusion, and even panic
- Significant anxiety
- Paranoia
- Visual and auditory hallucinations
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Intense emotions (both positive and negative)
- Psychosis
Even supposedly legal mushroom gummies available today in smoke shops and gas stations can cause psychological problems shortly after use, including those with A. muscaria that have been known to cause:
- Confusion
- Anxiety
- Hallucinations
- Sedative effects similar to alcohol
Unfortunately, these mushroom products fall in a legal gray area of legality and regulation, and they aren’t technically classified as a health supplement, recreational drug, or therapeutic tool. This means it’s impossible to know precisely what is in these mushroom gummies—even if they’re in a labeled bag that claims to tell you their active ingredients. Often, illegal hallucinogens and other questionable substances are found in testing.
What our customers are saying
Can You Become Dependent on Psilocybin?
You might be wondering if you can become dependent on mushrooms, or when you need rehab for addiction to mushrooms. Overall, experts consider the risk of addiction to psilocybin mushrooms to be extremely low. This drug doesn’t show the same addictive properties as other substances, like opioids, alcohol, or stimulants, and people who use magic mushrooms typically will not become addicted to this substance.
Still, users can become psychologically dependent on psilocybin mushrooms, meaning they have come to rely on using this drug, and they can be stuck in a pattern of using this drug due to this dependency until they get help.
Key Takeaways on Psilocybin Mushrooms Gummies
- Psilocybin is an illegal hallucinogenic that often goes by the name magic mushrooms.
- Since 2023, supposedly legal gummies that claim to have a different hallucinogenic mushroom instead have become available in gas stations and smoke shops.
- Gummies containing the legal mushroom A. muscaria or other proprietary mushroom blendshave hospitalized more than 100 people across the country.
- Psilocybin and these new gummies can cause psychological side effects, including paranoia, hallucinations, and anxiety.
- Gummies containing supposedly legal mushrooms are largely unregulated, and testing has revealed many actually contain illegal psychedelics or other drugs.
Psilocybin mushrooms gummies are just the latest in the long-standing pattern of new substances popping up that try to get around drug laws and become widely available, though they’re largely unregulated. The truth is that experimenting with any drug, especially something like this that isn’t regulated and has often been found in testing to contain illegal or unlabeled substances, can be dangerous.
The team at WhiteSands Alcohol and Drug Rehab knows all about the latest drugs on the market, as well as more common addictive substances like opioids, alcohol, or stimulants. If you or your loved one is struggling with addiction, we know how to help you out. Call us at 877-855-3470 today to get started toward your recovery.
Resources
- Virginia Department of Health – Hallucinogenic Mushroom Gummies
- American College of Medical Toxicology – TIME: Are Mushroom Edibles Safe and Legal?
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Schedule I Substances Identified in Nootropic Gummies Containing Amanita muscaria or Other Mushrooms – Charlottesville, Virginia, 2023-2024
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.
About the Author
Jackie has been involved in the substance abuse and addiction treatment sector for over five years and this is something that she is truly eager about. She has a passion for writing and continuously works to create informative pieces that not only educate and inform the public about the disease of addiction but also provide solutions for those who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.
