Psychedelic mushrooms are having a moment. As the potential health benefits of psilocybin are revealed, more Americans are turning to ‘shrooms as a way to improve mental health. However, magic mushrooms remain illegal on the federal level. As an alternative, many turn to “legal” psychedelics, including products derived from amanita muscaria mushrooms.
Amanita muscaria gummies and similar goods contain the active ingredient muscimol, which is known to elicit psychedelic effects. Currently, the compound is not considered a controlled substance—meaning amanita products are technically okay to sell, purchase, and consume. But a new warning from the federal government teases potential restrictions on these popular products coming soon. Psychedelic journalist Dennis Walker, aka the Mycopreneur, broke the news in a recent email, calling it “the crackdown we all saw coming.”
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent out a letter to several manufacturers earlier this week, cautioning that “Amanita muscaria, its extracts, and certain constituents (muscimol, ibotenic acid, and muscarine)” are not approved by the government for use in “conventional food.” The letter states these compounds “do not meet the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) standard and are unapproved food additives.”
The FDA also reviewed research into amanita muscaria, highlighting its findings in the note. Officials state, “There is not enough safety evidence to show that the consumption of these substances as food ingredients would be safe. In fact, the information available indicates that their use as food ingredients may be harmful.”
In addition to publicly available studies, the FDA referred to its own Bad Bug Book in its research. The text, which highlights pathogens known to cause foodborne illness, discusses amanita muscaria mushroom toxicity at length. Adverse reactions to ingestion may include “gastrointestinal symptoms, delirium, and sleepiness” at small doses and “severe neurological symptoms, such as convulsions and coma” from larger doses.
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The letter also cites an increase in “adverse event reports” stemming from amanita products. The most high-profile cases involve the brand Diamond Shruumz, whose chocolate bars, cones, and gummies have been linked to dozens of illnesses and potentially two deaths. The government issued a nationwide recall of the products in the aftermath.
While amanita muscaria is still technically legal, the FDA letter illuminates the writing on the wall for makers of gummies and other consumable products. It’s unclear what’s next for the booming amanita market, but fans and makers of the products could be in for a rude awakening in the near future.
