On the evening of December 31, 2024, investigators from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in Southern California discovered approximately $200,000 worth of magic mushrooms and products containing psilocybin in San Diego County.
According to the Big Bear Lake Police Department in San Bernardino County, starting from early December, residents had been lodging numerous complaints about advertisements selling psilocybin mushrooms popping up in various locations in the city.
Authorities traced the source of the drugs and carried out a search warrant in a commercial area in San Diego City on New Year’s Eve, seizing 15 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, 185 pounds of psilocybin mushroom products (including gummies, chocolates, capsules, etc.), a substantial amount of cash in US dollars, and items indicating drug sales. No suspects were reported arrested. The authorities stated that the total market value of these psilocybin and related products is estimated at $200,000.
The investigation is currently ongoing, and law enforcement is urging anyone with information to contact the Big Bear Lake Police Department at 909-866-0100. For anonymous tipsters, they can call the We-Tip hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or leave a message on their website www.wetip.com.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) website, psilocybin mushrooms, also known as “magic mushrooms,” can be consumed in dried or powdered forms and belong to the hallucinogen category of drugs.
Ingesting magic mushrooms typically leads to altered perception, causing individuals to see, hear, or feel things that are not actually happening in real life, resulting in what is often referred to as a “mystical experience.” This may include seeing colors, shapes, or scenes, hearing unreal sounds, or losing the sense of time and space. The experience can be both awe-inspiring and potentially anxiety-inducing or unsettling.
Consuming psilocybin can elevate blood pressure, increase heart rate, posing risks for individuals with heart conditions. It can also induce anxiety, confusion, vomiting, nausea, and other severe side effects. However, researchers have been studying its potential to improve mental health conditions. NIDA is collaborating with partners like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research the effects of microdosing psilocybin in treating depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.