Arizona poison control centers are warning consumers of potential dangers of some Diamond Shruumz products following an outbreak including seizures, unconsciousness and other health issues requiring hospitalizations, officials said.
โWeโre trying to get more testing done at the state and national labs to find out exactly what are being put into these products to cause these types of effects,โ said Maureen Roland, director of the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center in Phoenix. โThe products that weโre seeing being sold here in Arizona shouldnโt say the psilocybin mushrooms are in there, but there are other mushrooms that can be dangerous as well.โ
Products containing psilocybin mushrooms are illegal according to federal law, but it isnโt hard to find mushroom-infused products in smoke shops across the U.S. Amanita Muscaria remain legal hallucinogens at the federal level, except in Louisiana, and are often infused in microdose-inducing treats.
โThese can be very dangerous,โ Roland said. If someone decides to try products for microdosing, she recommends talking to a doctor and doing research on the products rather than trusting what the packaging promotes. Microdosing refers to taking a small amount of a product to induce a positive experience or result, according to Banner Health.
Diamond Shruumz, based in California, sells mushroom-infused foods, such as chocolate bars and gummy bears, that are intended for microdosing, and can be purchased in stores or online in Arizona. Their website says that their products are โcandy for the creative soulโ and contain natural ingredients and powerful effects.
โWhile these products claim to contain only natural ingredients and no scheduled drugs, there is clearly something toxic occurring,โ Steve Dudley, director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, said in a news release. โWeโve seen the same phenomenon of people eating the chocolate bar then seizing, losing consciousness, and having to be intubated. So far, weโre aware of similar cases in Nebraska, Utah, and Indiana and weโre working with the FDA to hopefully prevent anyone else from becoming ill.โ
Consumers and smoke shop owners should take a close look at the certificate of analyses of products before purchasing them, says Ryan Pusztai, co-owner of Tucsonโs Buzz Smoke Shop.
โThereโs a lot of false advertising on majority of brands, honestly,โ Pusztai said. He said that his store keeps to major brands that use third party testing theyโre familiar with. โA lot of smaller brands, they will have a certificate of analysis but itโs through third party testing that no oneโs heard of,โ Pusztai said.
Buyers should go to knowledgeable sources to ask questions, and know details of products before making a purchase, he said.
