Notes from the Field: Schedule I Substances Identified in Nootropic Gummies Containing Amanita muscaria or Other Mushrooms — Charlottesville, Virginia, 2023–2024
MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report July 18, 2024 Avery Michienzi, Jeremy Hamlin, Rita Farah et al. 9 citations
Since late 2023, gas stations and smoke shops in Virginia have been selling mushroom gummies marketed as nootropics or psychedelics, labeled to contain Amanita muscaria or proprietary mushroom blends. Unlike psilocybin-containing mushrooms, A. muscaria is legal but can cause gastrointestinal upset, agitation, and seizures. Between September 2023 and June 2024, five patients, including one child, were evaluated in Virginia after ingesting such gummies. Because the actual contents are unknown, samples from five brands were tested using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.