The U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning on June 7 about these products after several illnesses and hospital visits were linked to them. The company issued the recall 20 days later. Symptoms included seizures, central nervous system depression (loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness), agitation, abnormal heart rates, hyper/hypotension, nausea and vomiting.
In a statement posted on the Diamond Shruumz website, the company said the health and safety of its consumers was a priority above all else. The company said, “Due to consumers becoming ill after consuming the entire chocolate bar and some products containing higher levels of Muscimol than normal, it is crucial that all our consumers refrain from ingesting this product while we, alongside the FDA, continue our investigation as to what is the cause of the serious adverse effects.”
The FDA put out a summary of the recall notice on its website on June 28 with some additional information. The agency said the products were being recalled because they contained muscimol, a chemical found in mushrooms of the genus Amanita. The muscimol could be causing the reported illnesses, according to the FDA.“Consumption outside of a legal ceremony may be a violation of the law." – Diamond Shruumz disclaimer
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The company has ceased production and distribution of Diamond Shruumz products and has urged retailers to stop selling the products and contact their sales representative for a return and refund. Prophet Premium Blends also told consumers to stop using the product and return it to 1019 Arlington St., Orlando, FL 32805, for a full refund.
A few days before the recall, the FDA reported that it tested two Diamond Shruumz candy bars and found a hallucinogen called 4-acetoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, otherwise known as 4-ACO-DMT. The chemical has been called “synthetic mushrooms.” There was no mention of this in the company’s statement.
On its website, the company claims its products don’t contain any psychedelic substances. But 4-ACO-DMT is in fact psychedelic. The main psychoactive compound in real magic mushrooms is psilocybin. According to the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, a drug diversion training organization in the U.S, both 4-ACO-DMT and psilocybin turn into psilocin when metabolized, which makes people trip.
4-ACO-DMT is unscheduled in the U.S., according to the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, but manufacturing, distributing or possessing the compound for human consumption violates the Federal Analogue Act. This law basically says substances that are “substantially similar” to Schedule I or II substances are treated as if they were listed as Schedule I.
After the health agencies’ initial warnings about the product, we went to our local health and wellness store to pick up a Diamond Shruumz candy bar. The packaging has some interesting disclaimers on it. It says the product may cause hallucinations and that it’s intended to be consumed only in a legal and approved religious ceremony.
“Consumption outside of a legal ceremony may be a violation of the law,” the packaging says. “This product does not contain any scheduled substances and is not illegal to possess."
OK? So, which is it? Are we allowed to have this product or not? Or are we allowed to have it but not consume it? So many unanswered questions, and the company has previously not responded to requests for comment from the media, including the Observer. The health agencies, along with America’s Poison Centers and state and local partners, are continuing their investigation into the Diamond Shruumz products.
