Diamond Shruumz Recall: What Is Causing Illnesses in Mushroom Edible Users?

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Key Takeaways

• Diamond Shruumz’s Amanita muscaria products have been linked to 175 cases of illness and potentially three deaths since September 2023.
• Lab testing has shown psilocybin, psilocin, DMT, kratom and many other chemicals in products from Diamond Shruumz and other manufacturers.
• The cause of the illness has not yet been determined, but it is likely caused by multiple substances, with muscimol and psilocin being the most likely culprits.
• The edible mushroom market is much like the early days of the delta-8 THC market, with little oversight and companies attempting to cash in on the mixture of customer interest and the lack of regulation.
• Consumers are advised to avoid any edibles promising a psychedelic experience. At a bare minimum, products should have a recent lab report from a reputable lab showing exactly which compounds create the advertised experience.

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For the past year, there has been an outbreak of illnesses linked to Diamond Shruumz, a brand of mushroom edible. To date, 175 people have gotten sick, 70 people have been hospitalized and three people have potentially died as a result.

So what is happening? Is it just related to Diamond Shruumz or are all mushroom edibles potentially dangerous?

While the ultimate cause is still a mystery, we’ve looked into what’s happening, what we know so far, and how you can stay safe if you choose to use a mushroom edible.

What Are Diamond Shruumz Products?

Diamond Shruumz products market themselves as “microdose” products, with gummies, chocolate bars and cones (like filled ice cream cones) for sale which contain a “proprietary blend of nootropic and functional mushrooms.”

This is not particularly informative, though, but luckily they were more descriptive when they announced the recall back in June, saying that their “products contain muscimol, a chemical found in mushrooms of the genus Amanita.”

Amanita muscaria is a mushroom otherwise known as the “fly agaric,” which you’ll likely recognize from fairy tales and games as the red-capped, white-spotted mushroom.

It’s actually not so much like typical magic mushrooms, which contain psilocybin, and produce its effects through muscimol, ibotenic acid and muscarine. They are called “deliriants” rather than psychedelics, with a kind of relaxing, dreamlike and sedative effect.

These products are sold at smoke shops and gas stations, because A. muscaria is currently legal everywhere in the U.S. except Louisiana, not to mention around much of the world.

The Illnesses: Symptoms and What We Know So Far

The CDC’s summary has most of the key information about the illness.

The reported symptoms include:

• Seizures
• Decreased level of consciousness
• Respiratory failure
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Hallucinations
• Uncontrolled movements
• Abnormal heart rate (e.g., too fast or too slow)
• High or low blood pressure
• Excessive sweating or secretions
• Flushed skin

However, it’s important to stress that these are just reported symptoms. It’s entirely possible – though admittedly unlikely – that there are other causes in some cases that could lead to errors here.

Additionally, the CDC’s Notes from the Field report about the illnesses looked in detail at four cases that were managed in Charlottesville, VA’s Blue Ridge Poison Center.

All four patients experienced rapid heartbeat, nausea, confusion and anxiety or excessive sleepiness. All of them were treated with intravenous fluids, three were given antiemetics and two were given benzodiazepines, and they were all discharged within 12 hours.

The report also describes one additional case of a 3-year-old child who had accidentally eaten two gummies and was sent to the hospital due to vomiting and excessive sleepiness. Luckily, the child needed no intervention and was released a day later.

Lab Testing the Edibles: What Do They Really Contain?

So if the edibles are causing people to develop these symptoms, the natural question is why?

Unsurprisingly for products sold in gas stations, the industry is not really regulated and there isn’t much oversight as to what goes in the products.

This is why both CDC and FDA researchers have conducted testing of the products (and similar ones) to look for potential compounds of interest.

University of Virginia Testing: Kratom, DMT, and Psilocybin

The CDC/University of Virginia Notes from the Field investigation used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry testing to test products for specific components in comparison to a library of standard materials.

The full details are in the report, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that muscimol, ibotenic acid, and muscarine were not in the library and so the researchers couldn’t determine if they were present.

We spoke to Dr. Avery Michienzi, Assistant Professor of emergency medicine at the University of Virginia and lead author on the Notes from the Field report, who also explained to us that:

“For the cases we managed through the Blue Ridge Poison Center, we did not get to test the exact brands of gummies they had ingested so I cannot say definitively what they got. Based on what we found in other brands, it is possible our patients got gummies that had any mixture of psilocin (active metabolite of psilocybin), Amanita. muscaria toxins, or stimulants (hordenin, 2-phenethylamine, ephedrine).”

In summary (and keeping the limitations in mind), the researchers found:

• Psilocybin
• Psilocin
• Caffeine
• 2-phenethylamine/2-Phenylethylamine (central nervous system stimulant)
• Ephedrine (a stimulant used medically to treat low blood pressure, banned in supplements due to significant risk of seizures, stroke, and heart dysrhythmias)
• Mitragynine (kratom)
• Hordenine (a component of barley, used in supplements for athletic performance and weight loss)
• N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT)

(Note: only psilocybin, psilocin and caffeine were found in Diamond Shruumz brand edibles, with the other components found in similar products from different brands.)

There are a few very obvious stand-out findings here.

First, psilocybin and psilocin are the most important “magic mushroom” compounds, with psilocin being the bioavailable component that is responsible for most of the effects of magic mushrooms. Psilocybin is processed by the liver into psilocin, which “activates” it when ingested.

Secondly, DMT is a powerful hallucinogen that creates short-acting and intense hallucinations and is the psychoactive component of ayahuasca.

And thirdly, kratom is a plant that has opioid and stimulant-like effects.

The fact that all of these components were present speaks to a key point: these edibles are not simply Amanita muscaria or mushroom-based. In reality, they are mixtures of different drugs; cocktails apparently devised to justify vague claims of “nootropic” (cognition-enhancing) effects and subtle suggestions that they will make you trip.

FDA Testing: Muscimol, Acetylpsilocin, Pregabalin and More

The FDA’s investigation covered more Diamond Shruumz products and could detect a wider range of compounds.

Arguably the most interesting element of this testing is that they conducted multiple tests on the same flavors, and the results were not the same each time.

The FDA has tested 32 products in total, as well as one raw ingredient, and they found the following components:

• Muscimol
• Ibotenic acid
• Acetylpsilocin (suggested as a semi-synthetic alternative to psilocybin)
• Psilocin
• Pregabalin (nerve pain medication)
• Desmethoxyyangonin (monoamine oxidase inhibitor, increases dopamine – these remaining compounds are all components of the kava plant called kavalactones)
• Dihydrokavain (anxiety-reducing)
• Kavain (monoamine oxidase inhibitor)

There is a full table of which components were present in which flavors, but there are a few important points:

• The kava components were always present together, and they were found in all but four of the 22 chocolate bars tested and in every cone.
• Muscimol was found in 9/22 chocolate bars and 5/10 cones, and acetylpsilocin was found in the same number of products, but notably never alongside muscimol.
• Psilocin was found in 4/22 chocolate bars and 5/10 cones, always ones also containing acetylpsilocin.
• Finally, pregabalin was found in 3/22 chocolate bars and 5/10 cones. In all but one case (a chocolate bar), this was detected alongside both psilocin and acetylpsilocin.

The FDA also notes that the raw ingredient tested also contained ibotenic acid and muscimol.

What Is Causing the Outbreak of Illness? An Overview of the Suspects

The big question – and one that remains unanswered – is what is causing the reported illnesses?

Muscimol and Ibotenic Acid

The answer from Diamond Shruumz is that, “higher levels of Muscimol than normal” are responsible for the illnesses.

Generally speaking, the fly agaric’s combination of ibotenic acid and muscimol can cause central nervous system effects like agitation, disorientation, euphoria and sometimes seizures, with debate about how common gastrointestinal symptoms are. It is also known to cause lethargy, decreased alertness and excess sleepiness, and these groups of symptoms often alternate.

The FDA’s Bad Bug Book (p222) points out that this combination can cause fatalities in adults, and children who accidentally consume them may experience convulsions, coma and other neurological issues for up to 12 hours after ingestion.

We asked Dr. Michienzi about whether the gastrointestinal upset detected in the University of Virginia analysis could have been related to muscimol. She answered that, “it is certainly possible that some of the GI upset symptoms we saw were from untested substances. We are working on being able to test for muscarine, muscimol and ibotenic acid.”

However, the FDA’s investigation crucially points out, “Muscimol does not appear in all products and cannot explain all the symptoms reported by ill patients who consumed the Diamond Shruumz-brand products.”

Psilocybin/psilocin

The more typical magic mushroom compounds could also have a role to play in the reported illnesses.

A Medscape article from Dr. Louis Rolston-Cregler points out that while visual hallucinations are the most common symptom, unpleasant effects like fear, agitation, confusion, delirium, psychosis and more general schizophrenia-like symptoms can occur. Additionally, children may experience high fever and seizures.

The FDA Bad Bug Book (p223) points out that cases are similar to ibotenic acid poisonings except without drowsiness and coma. It also points out that while it’s rarely fatal for adults, this is not the case with children, who may fall into a coma and possibly die.

We asked Dr. Michienzi about the possibility that these compounds played a role: “I think it is a definite possibility that psilocin contributed to the symptoms the patients had but other substances may have also played a role.”

Adding that, “Though psilocin is less commonly associated with GI upset than A. muscaria, it still can cause those symptoms for some people.”

Kavalactones – Kava Plant Compounds

One of the most striking results of the FDA’s testing is that kavalactones were actually more commonly found in the products than any compounds you’d expect from either Amanita or psilocybin mushrooms.

This may naturally make people wonder whether the observed effects are potentially due to these kava plant compounds.

While it’s certainly possible that some of these symptoms – especially gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and abdominal pain – could have been caused by kava compounds, evidence suggests most of the reported symptoms aren’t from consuming kava.

Additionally, alongside gastrointestinal discomfort and nausea, headaches are one of the most commonly reported kava side effects, and this has not been reported in the outbreak.

However, it is worth pointing out that two of the detected compounds (desmethoxyyangonin and kavain) are monoamine oxidase inhibitors, which are known to increase the effect of magic mushrooms.

Other Potential Causes

The lab analyses conducted so far have also detected a wide range of other compounds, and it’s possible that these have a role to play in the illnesses or the specific symptoms observed.

For instance, pregabalin’s side effects include drowsiness, nausea and vomiting. Acetylpsilocin is generally considered to have comparable effects to psilocin. Kratom could explain cardiovascular symptoms such as elevated blood pressure and heart rate, and gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and vomiting.

However, most of these additional substances have only been found in a minority of products, so it’s generally unlikely that they’re a major contributor to the illnesses.

So What Is Causing the Illnesses?

The results of testing and investigation so far make it unlikely that any one component is responsible for all of the illnesses.

We put this to Dr. Michienzi, and she agreed that:

“Based on the newest information from the FDA Diamond Shruumz investigation, it is likely that multiple substances are involved in the illnesses seen.”

The nature of the ongoing investigation makes it difficult to be certain about what exactly is happening and what exactly is responsible, so it’s important to keep in mind that any conclusions at this point are ultimately guesses. More specific information about the individual cases would make this much clearer.

That said, looking at the list of reported symptoms, a very large proportion of them have been previously observed following Amanita muscaria consumption, related to muscimol and ibotenic acid.

In fact, all of the reported symptoms aside from excessive sweating (and possibly flushed skin) can be caused by eating too many muscimol and ibotenic acid-containing mushrooms.

However, excessive sweating is the characteristic symptom associated with muscarine toxicity, and this is another component of A. muscaria mushrooms.

This would be convincing if these components were in every tested product, but that is not the case. However, as noted in the section on the FDA testing, products never contained muscimol and a psilocin-related compound together, and all but three products contained at least one of them.

Additionally, the known side effects of psilocin/psilocybin/acetylpsilocin cover the majority of reported symptoms of the illnesses.

Overall, our judgment is that these illnesses are likely being caused by muscimol or psilocin (depending on the product), primarily, with some cases involving other, less-commonly detected compounds and many cases being exacerbated by the monoamine oxidase inhibitors detected by the FDA.

What the Hell Is Going On With the Mushroom Edible Market?

Whatever the specific cause of the outbreak, one thing is abundantly clear: something is wrong with the mushroom edible market.

We spoke to Kelly Lombard, founder of Forge Hemp, about this, and she commented that:

“I think psychedelics are the new Delta-8-circa-2018 in many ways: consumers are very curious, but not well informed; there are legal loopholes to be gamed; brands are trying to cash in on the hype; manufacturers are experimenting with an array of new ‘technically-legal’ compounds; 3rd-party testing isn’t expected; and regulators only react when something goes wrong. And just like cannabinoids, psychedelics show potential breakthrough medical benefits for millions of Americans, but may be thwarted because of a handful of bad actors and unsafe products.”

This attempt to exist within legal loopholes is shown clearly by the way they describe (and avoid describing) their products, as Kelly adds:

“Looking at Diamond Shruumz’s website and packaging, they were clearly trying to communicate to potential buyers that their products would produce a psychedelic experience. Phrases like, ‘mind-bending,’ ‘trippy little gummies,’ and ‘Warning: if consumed, may cause spiritual experience,’ are not subtle. At the same time, they needed to assure law enforcement and their banking partners that everything was completely legal. Their website features statements like, ‘[our products] do not contain psilocybin or scheduled drugs,’ and ‘free from psychedelic substances,’ (not true, according to FDA).”

Noting that, “A huge red flag is Diamond Shruumz’s failure to list ingredients for any of its products on its website, and they don’t display a photo of the back of the package that would have shown warnings and ingredients. Anyone purchasing through their website had no clue what was in the products.”

The most striking thing is the contradictions in the descriptions of the product.

As Kelly points out, phrases like “trippy little gummies” are not-so-subtle hints that these products will give you a psychedelic experience, and yet they are completely opaque about how exactly they create this experience.

They stress that their products don’t contain psychedelic substances for the regulators but use the language of psychedelic substances to sell their products.

Combine this with the FDA’s testing, which shows that most of the products contain either muscimol or psilocin but never both together. Why might this be?

One compelling explanation is that the manufacturers know that customers expect a psychedelic experience, and so they ensure that there is something present that will offer that experience – but they don’t really care what it is. And when they’re worried that something will not be quite as expected or advertised, they aren’t above adding other substances (like prescription drugs, stimulants or even DMT) to produce the intended effect.

Kelly summarizes this in a clear way: “From an outside perspective, this looks like a calculated attempt to dress up an illegal line of products as something safe and legal for store shelves.”

Of course, there are other potential explanations – an honest error, perhaps an open container of psilocybin ‘slipping’ into a batch of chocolate unnoticed? – but none of these really hold any weight and almost all of them would require some level of dishonesty. Whatever the reason: at present, this industry is rotten.

Advice for Consumers: Avoid Unregulated Mushroom Edibles

We contacted the FDA about the outbreak, and they gave us a comment which really underpins all of the advice in this section:

“Amanita muscaria and its chemical constituents muscimol, ibotenic acid, and muscarine are not FDA-approved food additives. We have safety concerns about these substances being used as a food ingredient as there are documented toxicity concerns, and serious side effects including delirium with sleepiness and coma, among other psychotropic effects.”

Likewise, Dr. Michienzi, lead author on the Notes from the Field investigation, commented to us that:

“I would not recommend the purchase or consumption of any mushroom nootropic product that is marketed as a psychedelic. These products are not regulated and may contain unlabeled substances. […] As seen in the Diamond Shruumz brand investigation, consumption of these products has led to severe illness including seizures and death.”

Overall, the best advice for consumers is to simply avoid such products, because the risk is very high and the benefits are uncertain at best.

But If You Buy, Exercise Serious Caution (Even With COAs)

That said, many people – and this would include myself at times in the past – will not necessarily want to avoid these products entirely.

Just like with cannabis, the lack of a regulated and undeniably safe supply does not prevent use, but unlike with cannabis, there is no well-regulated alternative market for mushroom products across much of the U.S..

Forge Hemp’s Kelly Lombard also gave some important advice that will probably be familiar to you if you read our site often:

“Consumers interested in trying retail mushroom products that are marketed with ‘trippy’ vibes need to insist that those products be tested by a third-party lab for natural and synthetic psychedelic compounds. If the test results don’t seem to match up with the product claims, then it probably won’t deliver a psychedelic experience, or they’re hiding the real active ingredients.”

This advice can immediately be applied to some of the products sold by Diamond Shruumz. For instance, the COA for their Cookie Butter chocolate bar shows no muscimol, ibotenic acid, muscarine, psilocin or psilocybin.

So how exactly are these “trippy little squares,” as advertised? As Kelly said, either they are hiding the real active ingredients or it will not deliver a psychedelic experience. There are simply no other options.

So how can the COA help you spot unreliable products? Well, there are some crucial things to consider:

• Is the lab reputable? The example COA comes from ACS Laboratory, which is DEA-certified and generally considered to be a reliable lab. While we can’t be sure of this, it’s unlikely that they have faked this result.
• Can you verify the report? The lab report has a QR code, and scanning it takes you to a version stored on the ACS website. This does indeed match the COA given.
• How old is the report? This is where this example unravels. This product was tested over a year ago, in May 2023. Notably, this was also before any issues were reported. They are clearly not batch-tested, and we already know from FDA testing that there is substantial variation between individual products even if the flavor is the same. At best, the information this offers is substantially out of date.
• Does it test the right thing? Although this COA is testing for mushroom compounds, many others on the site (for example) are tested for cannabinoids, not psilocybin, muscimol or any other compound relevant to mushrooms.
• Does it explain the purported effects? If there are no psychedelic or mushroom-associated compounds in the results, it is simply impossible for the effects to be true. That’s a major issue with our example COA. This is like somebody selling you weed and showing a lab report with no THC of any type detected. How could it possibly get you high? The only way it could is if the report is inaccurate.
• Is there safety testing? Testing for potency just tells you if the compounds you want are in there. If you want to know if something is safe to use, there needs to be safety testing, for pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals, solvents and microbial contamination.

On top of all of this, there is a big issue that cannot be so easily overcome with faked reports, as Dr. Michienzi told us:

“The lab tests linked via QR code have been proven to be false in many instances and cannot be viewed as trustworthy.”

Overall, unfortunately, it is incredibly difficult to be sure that any of these products are safe and offer what they claim to.

This is why Dr. Michienzi and the FDA’s advice is best: avoid buying them altogether.

However, if you can verify the COA, it’s recent and it passes all of the tests above, you have the best chance of getting what you actually paid for.

There are also Facebook groups that have active communities dedicated to calling out deceptive products and helping users identify safe ones.

Conclusion: Oversight Is Desperately Needed

Psychedelic experiences can expand your mind in a way very little else can. You can have profound, eye-opening experiences that positively reframe your view of yourself and the world around you.

But Diamond Shruumz and similar companies are not the people to offer you this experience unless they’re willing to make some major changes to how they operate and what they do.

States like Oregon and Colorado are moving forward on this front, and in the future, there may be a way to safely enjoy these experiences without depending on untested, unregulated, and potentially unsafe products. But as this outbreak shows, across much of the country this future is not yet here.

Diamond Shruumz did not respond to our request for comment.