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Psilocybin, Amanita or something else? San Diego's 'mushroom' products compared

Products sold as 'magic mushrooms' in San Diego range from dried Psilocybe cubensis, which is Schedule I and illegal to possess, to Amanita gummies the FDA calls adulterated food and candy that state testing found laced with synthetic psilocin analogues. The label often won't tell you which one you're holding, and the public lab tests below found labels that didn't match what was inside.

Updated , by the Magic Mushrooms San Diego desk.

Paper-cut illustration of a shop's glass display case holding jars of colorful gummy candies and wrapped chocolate bars, with a magnifying glass and a potted cactus on the counter.
AI illustration: gummies and chocolate bars in a display case, with a magnifying glass for reading the label.
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What gets sold as a 'magic mushroom' in San Diego?

Five kinds of product travel under the "magic mushroom" name in San Diego County, with different chemistry, legal status and risks. The table sorts them by what's actually inside, using government warnings and published lab tests.

The original is dried psilocybin mushrooms: the fruiting bodies of Psilocybe cubensis, a species whose key psychoactive compounds are psilocybin and psilocin.12 Dried cubensis is sold under strain names, such as Golden Teacher mushrooms (that link goes to the shop our publisher runs), but no name changes the law. Psilocybin and psilocyn are Schedule I in California under HSC 11054(d)(18) and (19) and under federal law,12 so possessing them is a crime in San Diego (see our penalties guide) and ordering them online is illegal everywhere in the US.

ProductWhat it isLegal status (California and federal)How it shows up in San DiegoWhat public testing foundLabel red flags
Dried psilocybin mushrooms
Dried P. cubensis containing psilocybin and psilocin.12
Schedule I in both.12 No legal sale anywhere in California.
On March 12, 2026, police, the DEA, NCIS and deputies seized more than 100 pounds of products from four Oceanside smoke and vape shops, some suspected of containing psilocybin.10
Potency varied between strains and between mushrooms of one strain.14
Claims it's legal in California; potency promised by strain name; no batch number.
Amanita muscaria products
A different mushroom. Its psychoactive compound is muscimol; ibotenic acid is considered a neurotoxin. No psilocybin.16
Not federally controlled. FDA calls it and its compounds unapproved food additives, so food containing them is adulterated.6 Unregulated in every state but Louisiana as of February 2026.16
Gummies and chocolate. UC San Diego researchers found some sold as "magic mushroom gummies" without naming the species.17
Muscimol in 9 of 22 Diamond Shruumz bar samples.4 A gummy labeled with muscimol and muscarine held neither.11
"Magic mushroom" with no species named; mental-health claims borrowed from psilocybin research.17
Candy with synthetic psilocin analogues
Gummies, chocolate and syrup containing lab-made tryptamines such as 4-AcO-DET, 4-HO-DET and 4-AcO-DMT.
CDPH: "an analogue of psilocin, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) schedule I drug."8
The San Diego County Regional Crime Laboratory found 4-Acetoxy-DET and 4-Hydroxy-DET in PolkaDot bars turned over to deputies.18
4-AcO-DET in all TRE House products CDPH tested, 4-AcO-DMT in most.8
"Amanita" or "microdose" on a candy label, with no lab report for that batch.
"Proprietary" or "nootropic" blends
Products named for a blend, not a species or compound, such as "Proprietary Nootropic Mushroom Blend."8
Depends on what's inside, which the label may not say.
Sold online and in smoke shops statewide.20
Of 12 retail edibles, 4 had no active ingredient detected; others held kava, caffeine or cannabis extract.11
On supplement labels, a proprietary blend lists only its total weight, not each ingredient's.9
Functional culinary mushrooms
Edible species such as lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus), studied for polysaccharides, erinacines and hericenones.15
Not controlled: psilocybin isn't among its studied compounds.15
Sold as food and supplements, not as a psychedelic.
None of the warnings on this page involved it.
"Magic," "trip" or "microdose blend" on a lion's mane label.

What happened with Diamond Shruumz?

On June 27, 2024, Prophet Premium Blends of Santa Ana recalled all flavors of its Diamond Shruumz chocolate bars, cones and gummies.4 FDA and CDC agree on the case count but not on the deaths:

MeasureFDA (final update Nov. 15, 2024)CDC (investigation closed)
Illnesses180180
Hospitalizations7373
States3434, including 3 cases in California
Deaths"three (3) potentially associated""two (2) associated"

It wasn't one brand's problem: FDA tied 36 of the 180 illnesses to an unspecified mushroom bar and 26 to other brands. Its lab found muscimol in 9 of 22 bar samples and 5 of 10 cones, plus acetylpsilocin, psilocin, the prescription drug pregabalin and, in most samples, kava compounds.4 CDC lists seizures, decreased consciousness and respiratory failure among the severe symptoms.5

What did lab tests of retail mushroom edibles find?

In a study published in JAMA Network Open on Sept. 11, 2025, researchers tested 12 products (11 gummies and 1 chocolate) bought at retail shops in Portland, Oregon. None contained psilocybin, including a gummy whose label claimed it. Psilocin turned up in 3 products and the synthetic tryptamines mipracetin and 4-HO-DET in 2; one gummy each held kava, caffeine or cannabis extract; 4 had no active ingredient detected.11

The authors' conclusion: "Many unregulated retail magic mushroom edibles lack psilocybin and are adulterated with synthetic tryptamines, botanicals, or other undeclared compounds."11 It's a small sample from Oregon, but California's warnings below involve the same kinds of products.

What have California health officials found?

PolkaDot, Nov. 22, 2024. CDPH warned against three PolkaDot Mushroom Magic Blend chocolate bars labeled as containing amanita muscaria; testing found "an additional synthetic psychoactive drug." The investigation was joint with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, and the bars were embargoed and destroyed. CDPH said they "may be particularly dangerous to young children."7 NBC 7 put the haul at about 95,000 bars, more than seven tons.18

TRE House, Dec. 11, 2025. CDPH warned against gummies, chocolate bars and syrup from TRE House, a Chatsworth brand, labeled "Magic Mushroom Microdose Blend" or "Proprietary Nootropic Mushroom Blend." The warning covers "all products regardless of lot numbers"; complaints go to (800) 495-3232.8 On Dec. 17, 2025, FOX 5 San Diego reported, deputies and CDPH seized about 20 pallets of food items from a Vista business, a seizure the Sheriff's Office linked to CDPH's TRE House warning.19 Our San Diego enforcement log tracks county actions like these, and the parents' guide to mushroom edibles covers children.

Is Amanita legal to sell as food?

Not under federal food law. In a Dec. 18, 2024 letter to industry, FDA said Amanita muscaria, its extracts, muscimol, ibotenic acid and muscarine "do not meet the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) standard and are unapproved food additives." Food containing them "is adulterated" and "subject to enforcement action." The letter covers conventional food, not dietary supplements.6

A March 2026 fact sheet from the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association found that, as of February 2026, Amanita wasn't federally controlled or regulated by any state except Louisiana; it doesn't discuss California law specifically.16 UC San Diego researchers reported that Google searches for the mushroom rose 114 percent from 2022 to 2023, and senior author Eric Leas called the market "the 'Wild West.'"17

How do you read a certificate of analysis?

A certificate of analysis (COA) is a lab's report on a tested sample, and it answers just the questions the lab was asked. TRE House posted lab reports as recently as Dec. 8, 2025 saying no psilocin or psilocybin was detected;20 three days later, CDPH said its testing found 4-AcO-DET and 4-AcO-DMT.8 Check five things:

  1. The lab. A named lab with an address and contact details you can verify.
  2. The batch. A lot number on the report that matches your package.
  3. What was tested. For a "mushroom" product, look for psilocybin and psilocin, muscimol and ibotenic acid, and synthetic tryptamines such as 4-AcO-DET, 4-HO-DET and 4-AcO-DMT. "Not detected" covers only what's listed.
  4. The date. A report dated before the batch was made can't describe it.
  5. The sample. Finished product or raw ingredient. In the Diamond Shruumz case, ibotenic acid showed up in an ingredient.4

Do strain names like Golden Teacher mean anything?

Golden Teacher, B+ and similar names are strains within one species, Psilocybe cubensis, and a 2025 review notes their descriptions come "predominantly" from non-academic, community-based reports.12 Sequencing of 86 commercial cultivars found generally low genetic diversity, with most founded from related populations,13 and a 2024 study found potency varied even between mushrooms of the same strain.14 A strain name isn't a lab result. More terms are in our magic mushroom glossary.

Questions people ask

Are shroom gummies illegal in California?

If they contain psilocybin or psilocin, yes: both are Schedule I under HSC 11054.1 If they contain Amanita, FDA considers the food adulterated.6 If they contain synthetic analogues, CDPH calls them "illegal psychedelics."8 None of the three is a lawful psychedelic food in California.

Is Psilocybe cubensis legal in California?

No. California's schedule names chemicals, not species: HSC 11054 covers any material containing "any quantity" of psilocybin or psilocyn, which includes P. cubensis.1 Cultivating it with intent to produce those compounds is a separate offense under HSC 11390.3

Can you buy mushroom chocolate in San Diego?

Mushroom-labeled bars have been sold in California smoke shops and online, but the brands in public warnings weren't what their labels said: PolkaDot and TRE House held synthetic analogues,78 and Diamond Shruumz bars held a mix of drugs.4 Our audit of San Diego "for sale" listings looks at who claims to sell them.

What should you do if someone gets sick after a mushroom gummy?

CDC advises immediate medical attention or a call to Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.5 Keep the package, and report the product to CDPH at (800) 495-3232.8 Our bad trip help page lists San Diego crisis numbers.

Sources

  1. California Health and Safety Code Section 11054. California Legislature, 2025 California Code via Justia, accessed October 21, 2026.
  2. 21 U.S. Code 812, Schedules of controlled substances. Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, accessed October 21, 2026.
  3. California Health and Safety Code Section 11390. California Legislature via FindLaw, accessed October 21, 2026.
  4. Investigation of Illnesses: Diamond Shruumz-Brand Chocolate Bars, Cones, & Gummies (June 2024). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, final update November 15, 2024.
  5. Severe Illness Potentially Associated with Consuming Diamond Shruumz Brand Chocolate Bars, Cones, and Gummies. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed October 21, 2026.
  6. Letter to Industry on the Use of Amanita Muscaria or its Constituents in Food. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, December 18, 2024.
  7. CDPH Urges Consumers Not to Eat PolkaDot Brand Mushroom Magic Blend Chocolate Bars (NR24-038). California Department of Public Health, November 22, 2024.
  8. CDPH Warns Consumers Not to Eat TRE House Brand Magic Mushroom Gummies, Chocolate Bars, and Syrup (NR25-024). California Department of Public Health, December 11, 2025.
  9. 21 CFR 101.36, Nutrition labeling of dietary supplements. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, up to date as of October 19, 2026.
  10. Multi-Agency Compliance Operation Results in Seizure of Illegal Products. Drug Enforcement Administration, March 12, 2026.
  11. Active Constituents of Psilocybin Mushroom Edibles. van Breemen RB et al., JAMA Network Open 2025;8(9):e2531345, September 11, 2025.
  12. Exploring Psilocybe cubensis Strains: Cultivation Techniques, Psychoactive Compounds, Genetics and Research Gaps. Kurzbaum E et al., Journal of Fungi 2025;11(2):99, PMID 39997393, January 28, 2025.
  13. Domestication through clandestine cultivation constrained genetic diversity in magic mushrooms relative to naturalized populations. McTaggart AR et al., Current Biology 2023;33(23):5147, PMID 38052161, December 4, 2023.
  14. Determination of psilocybin and psilocin content in multiple Psilocybe cubensis mushroom strains using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Goff R et al., Analytica Chimica Acta 2024;1288:342161, PMID 38220293, February 1, 2024.
  15. Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health-Promoting Properties of Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane) Mushroom Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia and Their Bioactive Compounds. Friedman M, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2015;63(32):7108, PMID 26244378, August 19, 2015.
  16. Amanita Muscaria (Fly Agaric). Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association, March 2026.
  17. Unregulated Sales of a Toxic and Hallucinogenic Mushroom Endanger Public Health. UC San Diego Today, June 10, 2024.
  18. Seven tons of fake magic-mushroom candy bars turned over to San Diego deputies. NBC 7 San Diego, November 22, 2024 (updated November 25, 2024).
  19. Investigators seize food items suspected to contain psychedelics in Vista. FOX 5 San Diego, December 18, 2025.
  20. CDPH: Don't Eat This Brand of 'Magic Mushroom' Gummies, Chocolates and Syrups. KQED, December 11, 2025.

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