• LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    It’s not entirely clear what is in the chocolates or what could be causing the illnesses. The FDA said it was working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as America’s Poison Centers to “determine the cause of these illnesses and is considering the appropriate next steps.”

    On its website, Diamond Shruumz says that its chocolate bars contain a “primo proprietary blend of nootropic and functional mushrooms.” The website also contains reports of laboratory analyses on their products, some of which indicate the absence of select known fungal toxins and compounds such as the hallucinogen psilocybin and cannabinoids.

    My guess is that they accidentally grew/used the wrong type of mushroom. PCR tests on the bars will tell us for sure.

    Second, really really shitty of the article to imply these bars have cannabis or psilocybin when they do not have either of these compounds according to the manufacturer’s website.

    • ameancow@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      they do not have either of these compounds

      Instead what many of these “shroom” products do is use other kinds of fungus that is known to cause altered states and hallicinations, such as the perfectly legal Amanita Muscaria, which if you’re not familiar is that iconic red mushroom with white spots, which you may have also been taught is extremely toxic.

      It is, but in low doses it can bring about states of relaxation or sleepiness and the head-shops and shady online dealers sell the stuff promising to get you “high.” The trip from a high dose of Amanita Muscaria is akin to torture people have said, so if people are eating whole bags of this shit trying to get high, they’re poisoning themselves and having horrible experiences.

      • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        An amanita species being mixed in accidentally is actually exactly what I suspect happened to their bars. But there are many many other mushrooms that could do this too. Per their product page, there’s no amanita in these, either. Mushrooms also tend to absorb toxins, pesticides, and heavy metals, so they may be the right species but otherwise contaminated as well. Many options.

        • ameancow@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          I bet they mixed something up. My mother loved mycology and could identify a thousand different mushrooms, and the more she learned the more she learned not to trust fungus gathered in the wild, they all have a lot of imitators and lookalikes that can be incredibly dangerous.

    • clearedtoland@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      I was wondering how they’d manage to sell them without getting slammed by FDA and law enforcement. Of course it doesn’t contain the real deal! I’d guess you’re right about the mushroom strain, or at least some contamination occurred.

    • rockSlayer@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      I haven’t had these bars, but I’ve had many similar “shroom” products. A lot of the time they’ll use real mushrooms like lion’s mane for the flavor and weak “it’s healthy” claims. While I don’t know what the psychoactive plants they use, they’re typically legal plant sources of DMT. One of the products I buy even lists a couple plants from their proprietary blend, and includes roots from a cousin of ayahuasca. Well, other plants in that same genus are poisonous.

      • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        They don’t contain anything like that: https://diamondshruumz.com/shop/chocolate-bars/dark-chocolate/

        No they do not! Our Diamond Shruumz products are meticulously crafted with a proprietary blend of natural ingredients. There is no presence of psilocybin, amanita or any scheduled drugs, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience. Rest assured, our treats are not only free from psychedelic substances but our carefully crafted ingredients still offer an experience. This allows you to indulge in a uniquely crafted blend designed for your pleasure and peace of mind.

    • Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works
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      5 months ago

      Second, really really shitty of the article to imply these bars have cannabis or psilocybin

      Do they imply that? Doesn’t seem like it to me. They quote the website where the company says

      The website also contains reports of laboratory analyses on their products, some of which indicate the absence of select known fungal toxins and compounds such as the hallucinogen psilocybin and cannabinoids.

      Then they say the company did not respond to a request for comment before press.

      Dr. Beth Mole does good reporting (you can look at her past articles about Covid, for example), it seems there is limited information about this currently.

      • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        I already quoted that fully. Just because they have “articles” about thlse substances, does not make them relevant here. No where does she clarify that these products do not contain psilocybin. The article is misleading at best. The author is a human subject to bias and error like anyone.

        • Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works
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          5 months ago

          I never said they had articles about these substances. Please feel free to re read my comment.

          No where does she clarify that these products do not contain psilocybin.

          That is correct, I will take a guess that’s because no one knows what is in them. The company did not comment, there does not seem to be any other information.

          When someone does an analysis they will know. Why would a credible reporter say ‘it does not contain psilocybin’ if they don’t know and have no way to verify?

          • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            I used “articles” as a synonym to the word “reports” in the quoted text.

            The company’s literal website (linked in the article) has an FAQ that states this, which is where I got the info. The author should’ve done better. She should’ve stated that psilocybin isn’t in the original recipe.

            https://diamondshruumz.com/shop/chocolate-bars/dark-chocolate/

            No they do not! Our Diamond Shruumz products are meticulously crafted with a proprietary blend of natural ingredients. There is no presence of psilocybin, amanita or any scheduled drugs, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience. Rest assured, our treats are not only free from psychedelic substances but our carefully crafted ingredients still offer an experience. This allows you to indulge in a uniquely crafted blend designed for your pleasure and peace of mind.

            Further, read this thread. There are numerous comments from users who are confused what these bars are made of. Doesn’t seem like good reporting to me.

            • floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              5 months ago

              Am I having a stroke or are you?

              indicate the absence of select known fungal toxins and compounds such as the hallucinogen psilocybin and cannabinoids.

              The article says that the tests say there is no psilocybin.

              • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
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                5 months ago

                some of which indicate the absence of select known fungal toxins and compounds such as the hallucinogen psilocybin and cannabinoids.

                ‘Some of which’ sounds like perhaps some reports indicated the presence.

                Let’s agree to disagree. There are clearly numerous people itt “having a stroke” because they all thought these mushrooms were psychoactive after reading the article. That’s bad writing. It’s a bad piece. It is what it is. We don’t all do our best work on everything. But if she’s supposed to be informing us, she failed.

                • Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works
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                  5 months ago

                  I take it more that the company is opaque about what is in them, so no one really knows.

                  They seem to be trying to say ‘hey bro, we got the good shit, he he,’ , but it turns out it’s oregano and hemlock.

    • mPony@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      PCR tests on the bars will tell us for sure

      That sounds like some “science hippie” words.
      I say they should give the chocolates to the folks that run things in Texas. They’re good at making decisions using only their gut.

      EDIT: well, that’s what I get for not putting a /s on my comment

      • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        What? PCR is used constantly every day by the CDC and in the medical industry to identify species (usually pathogenic) via genes. Kary Mullis got a Nobel prize for it. It’s literally as mundane as any other lab test now.