Magic mushrooms have shown potential to extend treatment options for depression, PTSD, and substance use disorders, leading to easier access to a Schedule I controlled substance. Walking into convenience stores in Oregon or Colorado might lead you to products labeled as “Magic Mushroom” edibles, banking not just on consumer curiosity but also on the attention of public health professionals.

To find out more about the actual ingredients of products casually sold in retail stores, scientists from Oregon State University’s College of Pharmacy purchased magic mushroom edibles in Portland and discovered that what’s inside doesn’t match their labels.

Not only did the products not contain psilocybin, but instead a range of undisclosed active ingredients, such as synthetic psychedelics, posing a public health risk. The aim of their study, published in JAMA Network, is to encourage collaboration among academia, public health, and industry to ensure consumer safety.

Allowing Magic Mushroom Use Under Strict Regulations

Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound in certain mushroom species, giving them the name “magic mushrooms.” While some might consume psilocybin solely for recreational purposes, research into psilocybin and its metabolite, psilocin, to treat depression and substance use disorders is gaining traction, leading to its distribution in some states under strict regulations.

In Oregon and Colorado, licensed cultivation facilities, testing laboratories, and supervised service centers uphold the laws designed to protect consumers.

With that in mind, it might be surprising to see inconspicuous retail stores carrying magic mushroom products openly available to anyone who walks in, despite the rigorous restrictions put in place by the state. It begs the question: are those edibles living up to what they claim on the label?

Read More: Psilocybin Legislation Is Helping Psychedelic Drugs Make A Comeback

No Trace of Psilocybin But Synthetic Psychedelics Instead

To find out, researchers bought 12 magic mushroom products (11 gummies and one chocolate) from several retail shops in Portland. Using chromatographic and mass spectrometric technology, they identified the ingredients of those unregulated mushroom products.

Interestingly, most of them didn’t contain psilocybin or psilocin at all, and none included muscimol, the psychoactive molecule in Amanita mushrooms. Instead, they carried a wide array of undisclosed ingredients, from caffeine and botanical hemp to kava extracts — and even synthetic psychedelics, known as syndelics, without any mention on the label.

“Syndelics represent a rapidly growing area of drug design, where medicinal chemists create novel compounds inspired by known psychedelic agents like psilocybin and LSD,” explained Richard van Breemen, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Oregon State University, in a press release. These are ingredients not expected in commercial retail.

Collaboration Is Key to Protect Consumers

Because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 180 emergency cases linked to magic mushroom products in 2024, transparency is crucial, especially when it comes to maintaining public trust in emerging psychedelic therapies.

“Although [syndelics] offers therapeutic potential for the discovery of drugs that might be useful for treating a range of mental health conditions, any new drug entity requires years of development to evaluate human safety and efficacy, and premature exposure to these compounds poses significant public health risks due to unknown pharmacology and toxicity,” said van Breemen.

He added that “advances in analytical chemistry are needed to detect new syndelics and other adulterants in consumer products, to expose misbranding, to support law enforcement and regulatory agencies, and to assist poison control centers and hospitals as they encounter overdoses caused by unknown compounds.”

According to van Breemen, advancing the field requires research efforts that unite academia, public health, and industry, while also pushing forward the development of cutting-edge detection methods using biomedical mass spectrometry to better safeguard consumers.

This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.

Read More: Psilocybin Use Increases in the U.S. for Those with Chronic and Mental Health Conditions

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