As of June 25, there have been 39 illnesses linked to Diamond Shruumz products, resulting in 23 hospitalizations, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There have been no deaths and no incidents in Texas, though the products are sold in the Lone Star State. The cases span 20 states.
The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with America’s Poison Centers and state and local partners, are investigating the products. The health agencies have tested two Diamond Shruumz mushroom candy bars and identified the presence of the chemical 4-acetoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, also referred to as 4-ACO-DMT. Redditors posting about the Diamond Shruumz products suspected this substance to be in them. They also suspect the substance to be in other, similar mushroom products on the market today.
Despite the company's assertion that its products don’t contain any hallucinogens, 4-ACO-DMT is in fact hallucinogenic. According to the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, 4-ACO-DMT is a semi-synthetic tryptamine closely related to the psychedelic mushroom molecules psilocin and psilocybin. Real magic mushrooms contain psilocybin that turns into psilocin when digested, which makes people trip. Like psilocybin, 4-ACO-DMT turns into psilocin when metabolized.
While 4-ACO-DMT is federally unscheduled, manufacturing, distributing or possessing the compound for human consumption violates the Federal Analogue Act, according to the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators. This act basically says substances that are “substantially similar” to a Schedule I or II substance are treated as if they were listed as Schedule I, defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
According to the FDA, the substances found in these products may vary between batches. The FDA has been in contact with the company about a possible voluntary recall. That hasn’t happened yet, and the company hasn’t responded to media requests for comment about the illnesses linked to its products.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are sounding the alarm on mushroom edibles sold in Texas smoke, vape and health and wellness shops. The edibles, brand named Diamond Shruumz, have made a dozen people sick, sending 10 to the hospital, according to health officials.
People who became ill after consuming the edibles reported a variety of severe symptoms, including seizures, central nervous system depression (loss of consciousness, confusion and sleepiness), agitation, abnormal heart rates, hyper/hypotension, nausea and vomiting. Several patients required intubation, mechanical ventilation and admission to an intensive care unit. None of the people who suffered these symptoms after taking the mushroom edibles have died, according to the report.
The two health agencies, along with state and local partners, and America's Poison Centers, are investigating the outbreak of illnesses possibly linked to these mushroom edibles. The company sells its edibles in the form of chocolate bars, ice cream cones and gummies. They can be found both online and in local brick-and-mortar retailers. At least one health and wellness shop in Frisco told us they are still carrying the Diamond Shruumz products. They didn’t seem to know about the outbreak of illnesses or the health agencies’ investigation into the products.
The company behind the edibles, California-based Prophet Premium Blends, did not respond to requests for comment.
The FDA and CDC are advising people not to buy, sell, consume or serve these products. The agencies are also advising people to stay away from edibles claiming to produce feelings of euphoria, hallucinations or psychedelic effects, as they might contain undisclosed ingredients that could be linked to severe illness.
You should discard these products if you have them, the two agencies say. Cases of illness have been reported in Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. The products are distributed nationwide, including in Texas.“What followed was what I can only describe as my mental descent into the fiery pits of hell.” – Redditor
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According to the CDC, products containing psychoactive compounds such as cannabis or mushroom extracts have been increasing in availability. We tried a couple mushroom edible products ourselves a few months ago. The effects varied drastically, with one producing little to no effects and another producing a full-on trip that reminded us of a mild mix of acid and mescaline. We could see an unsuspecting consumer taking these products and concluding they needed to go to the hospital.
Mushroom-containing products have been marketed for promoting or achieving nonspecific physical or psychoactive effects. Some claim to increase focus and energy, for example. However, the CDC says these products could contain illicit substances, other adulterants or potentially harmful contaminants not approved for use in food.
Common marketing terms for these products include microdosing, adaptogens (substances that help the body adapt to stress), nootropics or functional mushrooms.
Users of Diamond Shruumz mushroom edibles have reported a range of effects. A few of our friends took some of their ice cream cone edibles recently and said they didn’t feel a thing. If reports on Reddit are to be believed, not everyone is so lucky.
One Reddit post about the products from 15 days ago reads: “I recently had a very bad experience on these little devils and wanted to give a forewarning for anyone considering them.” The Redditor explained that they have some experience with psychedelics, taking magic mushrooms two or three times with no bad trips.
“Long story short, I purchase the Diamond cookies and cream mushroom chocolates and ate the whole bar which was 1g-1.5g approx,” they wrote. “What followed was what I can only describe as my mental descent into the fiery pits of hell.”
They said it started with the most intense come up, highly stimulating all of their senses. “My mind was spinning 100m an hour,” they wrote. “I became lost in the thoughts of my mind to the point where I didn't know where I was or who I was.” They said there was a 10-second lag between their thoughts and their actions.
They went on to explain that they "lost their mind," later being found screaming in the streets by police and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. They woke up strapped to a hospital bed, vaguely remembering having arrived. They struggled for the next four hours to come back to reality. “I came clear and saw my wife crying next to me holding my hand,” they wrote. “Quite literally the lowest/worst day of my life.”
There were other, perhaps even scarier, stories related to Diamond Shruumz found on other threads.
So, what exactly is in these products?
It’s hard to say. We went to that Frisco health and wellness shop and picked up one of the company's chocolate bars to try and find out. Here's what the packaging says is in the chocolate bar: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, milk, soy lecithin, unbleached enriched flour, canola oil, fructose syrup, corn starch, unsweetened chocolate, natural vanilla, sea salt, caffeine, mushroom nootropic, reishi mushroom, Chaga mushroom and lion's mane mushroom. Now, we're not sure what all is in this "mushroom nootropic."
Some on Reddit suspect the edibles contain a psychedelic chemical called 4 ACO DMT, but the company provides lab reports for its products which say they don’t contain any psychedelic substances. The company says on its website, “Our Diamond Shruumz products are meticulously crafted with a proprietary blend of natural ingredients.” It claims there is no presence of psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms), amanita muscaria (another psychoactive mushroom) or any scheduled drugs, “ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience.”
The company’s products are supposedly free of psychedelic substances, according to its website. But, after reading the packaging of the chocolate bar that we bought, we're not sure what to think. The packaging literally says: "if consumed, may cause hallucinations." Even more interesting, is this: "This product is intended only to be consumed in a legal and approved religious ceremony. Consumption outside of a legal ceremony may be a violation of the law. This product does not contain any scheduled substances and is not illegal to possess."
Prophet Premium Blends says its products will “still offer an experience.” If the FDA and CDC investigation is any indication, it just might not be the experience you’re looking for.
