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On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration announced an investigation into products from the mushroom microdosing brand Diamond Shruumz, prompting the Arizona Department of Health Services to issue a consumer advisory Wednesday warning not to consume them.
According to both agencies, multiple people in Arizona and across the country have experienced serious adverse health effects after consuming Diamond Shruumz's line of gummies, chocolates and cones. Those effects included "seizures, hallucinations, and loss of consciousness," according to the state health department.
The health department said that "patients have required emergency transport, emergency department evaluation, and in some instances, intensive care admission." Additionally, six cases have been reported to Arizona's two poison centers, and similar cases have been identified in other states.
A June 18 FDA advisory said there have been more cases in Arizona (six) than in any other state. Nationwide, 26 illnesses have been reported, 16 of which required hospitalization. Notably, a recent University of Virginia study found mushroom-related calls to poison centers have risen since 2019, when some states and cities decriminalized psilocybin mushrooms.
One of those hospitalized was the son of Charity Martinez of Glendale. Martinez told Arizona's Family that after eating a Diamond Shruumz edible purchased from a local smoke shop in April, her son suffered respiratory failure and had to be ventilated and placed in a coma. She added that her son's heart stopped at one point and that he now has an ongoing heart condition.
Though Diamond Shruumz claims its products do not contain psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms that is illegal in much of the country, Martinez told Arizona's Family she does not believe that to be true.
“They lied,” she told the station. “They did determine at the hospital, they listed it as an overdose to psilocybin or psilocin.”
The California-based Diamond Shruumz bills itself as "nothing short of the future of microdosing," with treats "packed with a kick of Lion’s mane, a touch of Reishi and a bit of Chaga mushrooms." A disclaimer on its website warns that the FDA has not evaluated its products and that the company cannot guarantee its products are legal in every jurisdiction.
The state health department said consumers should not eat any Diamond Shruumz products "until further notice" and should dispose of any such products or return them to the retailer that sold them. It also noted that microdosing products, including Diamond Shruumz, are not FDA-approved and that "the ingredients listed may not be accurate."
The FDA said it has been in contact with Diamond Shruumz about a voluntary recall "but these discussions are still ongoing." Diamond Shruumz did not respond to an email from Phoenix New Times seeking comment.
Arizonans who become ill after consuming Diamond Shruumz products can call the state's Poison Control helpline at 800-222-1222. They can also contact their local health department and fill out a MedWatch online form, which sends their report directly to the FDA.
