Mushroom Gummies Could Be Harmful

A popular trend in health supplements, these psychedelic-like gummies are designed to promote brain function. They may offer a range of other benefits, too, such as increased energy and improved focus. They’re often third-party lab-tested and come in a variety of flavors to suit your palate.

But these unregulated products — found in convenience stores, vape shops and online — can also contain harmful ingredients not listed on the labels. In the case of gummies linked to five emergency room visits in Virginia, including that of a 3-year-old, laboratory tests found psilocybin (also known as “magic mushrooms”) in three out of five samples. Psilocybin is an illegal drug that causes hallucinations. It was not listed on the labels for the gummies sold by Uncle Frog.

The Growing Popularity of Mushroom Gummies

The company’s cordyceps and lion’s mane gummies are implicated in the cases of unexpected toxicity, which can include hallucinations, seizures, twitching and a racing heart. Typical hospital drug screens do not detect these substances.

TRE House’s Magic Mushroom Gummies are made with “a proprietary mushroom blend” and promise a “mind-melting experience.” Each gummy contains 22.5 milligrams of a liposomal blend containing 5-HTP, Rhodiola rosea, lion’s mane, mimosa hostilis root, phenylethylamine hydrochloride, and cyanocobalamin (B12). They don’t claim to contain Amanita muscaria mushrooms, but the company’s website lists other ingredients that can have similar effects: 5-HTP, alpha-hydroxylase, b-hydroxybutyrate, tetrahydrocannabinol and CBD, as well as a combination of herbs called tetra-cyclic amides, or TCAM.