JEDI SHROOMS

JEDI SHROOMS

JEDI SHROOMS All the products tested claimed to contain the Amanita muscaria mushroom, which is legal, or a proprietary mushroom blend. But none disclosed the inclusion of psilocybin or psilocin. Other undisclosed ingredients discovered by the UVA researchers included caffeine, ephedrine and kratom, an herb that produces opioid-like effects and carries the risk of addiction.

The presence of psilocybin and psilocin, as well as other undisclosed ingredients, represents a potential public health threat not just in Central Virginia but potentially across the country, the researchers say. They warn that people who take unregulated products sold at smoke shops and gas stations have no way of knowing what they’re putting into their bodies – or the harm the substances could cause.

Effects of Mushroom.

All four of the adults seen in UVA’s Emergency Department between September and Nov. 20 had consumed the mushroom gummies intentionally. But the child, seen this June, had consumed two gummies accidentally.

The researchers note that investigators were not able to purchase the exact brands of mushroom gummies the patients had consumed. Instead, they bought three brands with the same ingredients and two other brands that claimed to contain “mushroom nootropics.” (“Nootropics” is a trendy term commonly used in advertising for substances that claim to improve cognition and brain health.)