Unverified Mushroom Gummies and Similar Products

If someone feels unwell after one of these products

Call 911 for a life-threatening emergency (seizure, trouble breathing, unresponsive). For other concerns, call US Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 and say what was eaten. The FDA gives the same advice and asks people to tell their clinician which product was consumed. [1]

What these products are

This page covers edible products (gummies, chocolate bars, cones and similar) sold as "mushroom," "microdosing," "nootropic" or "legal psychedelic" items. They are not the same as a mushroom species, a purified compound or a clinical medicine. A name on a package describes marketing, not verified contents. We do not name brands or say where to buy anything. Evidence labels: established (reported by a government agency), insufficient evidence.

The 2024 US outbreak

The FDA reports that CDC identified 180 illnesses from 34 states by October 31, 2024, with 73 people hospitalized and three potentially associated deaths. [1] People reported seizures, loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness, agitation, abnormal heart rates, high or low blood pressure, nausea and vomiting. [1]

CDC's Arizona report described a cluster that began in June 2024, including two adolescents who developed decreased consciousness and breathing problems within two hours and needed breathing tubes. [2] Its conclusion: edible products marketed as containing mushroom-based psychoactive substances could provoke life-threatening illness. [2]

What was found in the products

The company had said the recalled products contained muscimol (a compound from Amanita mushrooms). FDA testing found muscimol in only some samples and said it cannot explain all the symptoms reported. [1] Other compounds found included psilocin, a prescription drug (pregabalin) and kava-plant compounds, and the mix varied even within the same flavor. [1] The FDA adds that there is less research on how these compounds interact when taken together. [1]

The cause of the illnesses is therefore insufficient evidence: we do not have a confirmed single explanation.

Other products, other findings

In Virginia, five people (including a 3-year-old who swallowed two gummies by accident) were evaluated after eating gummies listing Amanita muscaria; adults had fast heart rate, confusion, anxiety or sleepiness and nausea. [3] Testing of gummies bought at gas stations and smoke shops found unlabeled psilocybin or psilocin in four of six bags, plus caffeine, ephedrine and mitragynine (kratom). [3] The authors note that edible products marketed as mushroom nootropics might contain undisclosed ingredients and have been linked to severe illness. [3] These were small convenience samples, so they do not show how common any ingredient is across the market.

Children and teens

The FDA warned that such products may appeal to children and teenagers and asked caregivers to talk with young people about the advisory. [1] Keep any such product away from children, and call Poison Help right away after a child eats one. [3]

What a label cannot tell you

• Whether the listed ingredient is actually present. [3]
• Whether other drugs are present. [1][3]
• Whether two pieces from the same batch or flavor are alike. [1]

Related reading

• Contamination and Adulteration
• Amanita muscaria, Muscimol and Ibotenic Acid
• When to Seek Urgent Help