Fake magic mushroom products: what lab tests and recalls found
Many "magic mushroom" gummies, chocolates and bars sold in shops contain no psilocybin at all. Lab tests have found Amanita mushroom compounds, kava, synthetic psychedelics and prescription drugs instead, and an outbreak tied mainly to one recalled brand involved 180 illnesses in 34 states. Here's what investigators found and how to protect yourself.
On this page
- Biggest outbreak
- Diamond Shruumz (2024): 180 illnesses, 73 hospitalizations, 34 states; recalled June 27, 2024
- Lab test
- Oregon State University tested 12 "magic mushroom" edibles bought in Portland: none contained psilocybin
- Regulators
- FDA says Amanita muscaria isn't authorized in food; California warned about TRE House products (December 2025)
- Bottom line
- A label saying "mushroom" tells you almost nothing about what's inside
What investigators have found
| When | Product or study | What was found |
|---|---|---|
| June 2024 | Diamond Shruumz bars, cones and gummies (FDA and CDC) | Recalled June 27, 2024 after illnesses including seizures, loss of consciousness and breathing failure. FDA testing found muscimol, acetylpsilocin, psilocin, pregabalin and kava compounds. 180 illnesses and 73 hospitalizations in 34 states; the CDC's final count lists 2 deaths (earlier reports cited 3 potentially associated deaths) |
| July 2024 | Mushroom gummies from Virginia gas stations and smoke shops (CDC report) | Of five brands tested, three contained psilocybin or psilocin, including two labeled as Amanita products |
| December 2024 | FDA constituent update | Amanita muscaria and its compounds (ibotenic acid, muscimol, muscarine) are not authorized as conventional food ingredients and are not generally recognized as safe |
| September 2025 | Oregon State University, JAMA Network Open | 12 "magic mushroom" edibles bought in Portland: none contained psilocybin; testing found undisclosed caffeine, kava and hemp extracts, and synthetic psychedelics |
| December 2025 | TRE House gummies, chocolates and syrups (California Department of Public Health) | Consumers told not to eat them; testing found synthetic 4-AcO-DMT and 4-AcO-DET rather than natural psilocybin |
| 2022 onward | Florida's "magic mushroom dispensary" (Tampa) | Sold Amanita, not psilocybin; the state agriculture department issued a stop-sale order citing a "poisonous or deleterious substance" |
Why mislabeled products are dangerous
- You can't predict the effect. Amanita compounds act on GABA receptors, not serotonin receptors, so they cause different effects (sedation, confusion, agitation, and in serious cases seizures or coma).
- Hidden drugs interact. Pregabalin, kava and synthetic tryptamines can combine badly with alcohol, prescription drugs or each other.
- Potency is a guess. Even real psilocybin mushrooms vary widely; a 2022 study of 226 mushrooms found psilocybin content was "extremely variable" between and within species, with a risk of unexpectedly strong effects.
How to spot a fake or risky product
- "Legal" psilocybin is a red flag. Psilocybin is federally illegal, so a product sold openly as "legal magic mushrooms" almost certainly contains something else, usually Amanita or unlisted compounds.
- Look for a batch-specific certificate of analysis (COA) from an independent lab that names the compounds and amounts and matches the product's batch number. A generic COA with no batch number proves little.
- Vague labels like "proprietary mushroom blend," "nootropic," or "mushroom extract" without species names are warning signs.
- Check recalls on the FDA's recall page before buying any mushroom product.
- Drug checking services and reagent kits from groups like DanceSafe can screen some substances, though they can't confirm a product is safe.
Lab testing is one reason people prefer retailers that test each batch. My Mushroom Dispensary, for example, says batch lab reports for its dried mushrooms and capsules are available on request; whoever you buy from, ask to see one. Read more in our guide to buying magic mushrooms online, and see My Mushroom Dispensary's FAQ for how it handles COAs. (Disclosure: this site's publisher has a business relationship with My Mushroom Dispensary.)
If someone has a bad reaction
- Seizures, trouble breathing, unresponsiveness or chest pain: call 911.
- Poison Control, 24/7: 1-800-222-1222. Bring the package if you go to the ER.
- Emotional distress during a trip: Fireside Project, call or text 62-FIRESIDE.
Frequently asked questions
Are mushroom gummies real psilocybin?
Often not. Oregon State University researchers found no psilocybin in any of 12 "magic mushroom" edibles bought in Portland, and many shop products contain Amanita muscaria instead. Others have contained synthetic psychedelics or prescription drugs. Without a batch-specific lab report, you can't know what's in them.
What was in Diamond Shruumz?
FDA testing of recalled Diamond Shruumz bars, cones and gummies found muscimol (an Amanita compound), acetylpsilocin and psilocin, pregabalin, and kava compounds. The products were linked to 180 illnesses and 73 hospitalizations in 34 states in 2024 and were recalled on June 27, 2024.
Can fake mushroom products show up on a drug test?
It depends on what's in them. Standard workplace drug tests don't screen for psilocybin or Amanita compounds, but products containing undisclosed drugs could trigger other results. See our drug test guide.
Is it legal to sell "mushroom" gummies?
Products with psilocybin are illegal to sell everywhere outside Oregon and Colorado's licensed systems. Amanita products aren't federally scheduled, but the FDA says Amanita isn't authorized in food, Louisiana bans it, and states have ordered stores to stop selling some products.
Sources
- Outbreak investigation: Diamond Shruumz products, CDC, page updated August 11, 2026.
- Investigation of illnesses: Diamond Shruumz-brand products, FDA, updated November 2024.
- Severe illness associated with Diamond Shruumz products, Arizona, MMWR, January 9, 2025.
- Amanita muscaria considered a toxin in food (FDA and CDC actions), FoodNavigator, January 8, 2025.
- Analysis of "magic mushroom" edibles finds no psilocybin, many undisclosed active ingredients, Oregon State University, September 2025.
- CDPH: Don't eat this brand of magic mushroom gummies, chocolates and syrups, KQED, December 2025.
- Florida's first "magic mushroom dispensary" halts sales, Miami New Times.
- Leas et al., research letter on Amanita muscaria products, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2024.
- Gotvaldová et al., psilocybin and psilocin content in Psilocybe mushrooms, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022.
- DanceSafe, drug checking resources.