A California-based company that makes microdosing candies and gummies is being investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following a dozen reported illnesses across the country.
Candies, cones and gummies manufactured by the Diamond Shruumz brand, headquartered in Santa Ana, as of Monday had led to 12 illnesses and 10 hospitalizations in eight states: Alabama (one), Arizona (four), Indiana (two), Kentucky (one), Missouri (one), Nevada (one), Pennsylvania (one) and South Carolina (one). No deaths have been reported. The last illness onset was reported on June 9.
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"People who became ill after eating Diamond Shruumz-brand products reported a variety of severe symptoms including seizures, central nervous system depression (loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness), agitation, abnormal heart rates, hyper/hypotension, nausea, and vomiting," the FDA said.
The FDA said it is working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in collaboration with America's poison centers and state and local partners, to determine the causes of the incidents. The products in question include Microdosing Chocolate Bars, Infused Cones, and Micro Dose and Macro Dose Gummies.
Newsweek reached out to the FDA and Diamond Shruumz via email for comment.
Consumers who purchased the products are being encouraged to discard them immediately. Parents and caregivers are also being instructed to check if children or teenagers possess them, as the products "may appeal" to those demographics due to packaging.
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Diamond Shruumz-brand products can be purchased through the company's wholesale store online and in an unknown number of retailers, including smoke/vape shops and those that sell hemp-derived products such as cannabidiol (CBD) or delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8 THC).
Retailers that have the products in stock are instructed not to sell or distribute them to consumers, pending further instruction by the FDA, which told Newsweek: "The FDA is working to determine the cause of these illnesses and is considering the appropriate next steps. Updates to the advisory will be provided as they become available."
The Diamond Shruumz website refers to microdosing as "candy for the creative soul," selling products on its website for costs ranging between $25 and $30.
"We've made microdosing a real treat for those seeking a subtle, sumptuous experience and a more creative state of mind," the website says. "We're talkin' confections with a kick. So if you like mushroom chocolate bars and want to mingle with some microdosing, check us out. We just might change how you see the world."
Microdosing refers to taking a fraction of a regular dose of a psychedelic rather than an entire dose that would routinely cause one to hallucinate or "trip" on such substances. Proponents have claimed that microdosing enhances daily life by benefiting aspects including creativity, mood, concentration and productivity.
A September 2022 study published by Harvard Medical School found that tracking the efficacy of microdosing is a "complicated" process due to each individual's minimized recreational dose varying in amount.
A "microdose" may allude to one-fifth or even one-20th of a recreational dose, whereas a traditional medium-strength dose of psilocybin (known colloquially as magic mushrooms) can equate to two or three grams of dried mushrooms. A psilocybin microdose would equate to roughly 0.3 grams.
"Given its current illegality and lack of regulation, there is no good way to know what dosage you are taking unless you have an extraordinarily reliable supplier," the study said at the time, alluding to a lack of long-term research at the federal level.
"LSD is an extremely powerful and long-acting drug, and you don't want to take more of it than intended. Further, psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD can produce physiological tolerance, which might suggest that, even if microdosing does help, there could be diminishing returns if one stays at the same dosage."
An August 2022 study published in Nature found similar results that were more anecdotal than all-encompassing. Researchers as part of the analysis, which pertained only to psilocybin and not products like those made and sold by companies like Diamond Shruumz, recruited 34 individuals starting to microdose as part of a double-blind placebo-controlled experimental design.
"According to our findings, low doses of psilocybin mushrooms can result in noticeable subjective effects and altered EEG rhythms, but without evidence to support enhanced well-being, creativity and cognitive function," researchers said. "We conclude that expectation underlies at least some of the anecdotal benefits attributed to microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms."
Uncommon Knowledge
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