Observational · 2026
US poison centre reports on psychoactive mushroom edibles, 2023-2024
- Original title
- Psychoactive mushroom edibles: trends and toxicities reported to the United States National Poison Data System®, 2023-2024.
- Authors
- Jorgenson DM, Santos Leon E, Vakkalanka JP, et al.
- Journal
- Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.), 2026
- Molecules
- Psilocybin, Other
- Conditions
- Other
- Participants
- 362
- Evidence grade
- Low
- Source
- Read the original paper
The question
What kinds of harm are reported when people take commercially sold “psychoactive mushroom” edibles, and which factors predict a hospital admission or more severe poisoning?
What they did
Researchers reviewed calls made to the United States National Poison Data System between 2023 and 2024 involving edible products said to contain Amanita muscaria, psilocybin, or unspecified mushrooms. All ages were included, along with cases where other substances were also taken. They compared patient characteristics and symptoms against two outcomes: being admitted to hospital, and having poisoning rated moderate or worse.
What they found
They identified 362 exposures. Most involved only the mushroom edible (78 per cent) and most were intentional (58 per cent). Three factors were linked to hospital admission: taking other substances at the same time (adjusted odds ratio 2.58, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.23-5.40), confusion (3.06, 1.36-6.86), and central nervous system depression, meaning slowed breathing or reduced consciousness (2.55, 1.29-5.06). The same three factors were linked to moderate or worse poisoning, with central nervous system depression showing the strongest association (4.92, 2.45-9.88). No deaths were reported.
The fine print
Poison centre data capture only cases that someone chose to report, so they miss both mild cases and possibly severe ones, and they cannot show how common harm is among all users. The products are unregulated, so what people actually swallowed is uncertain and often not verified by testing. Associations here do not prove cause, and this summary is based on the abstract alone.
What it means
Unregulated mushroom edibles sold to the public produce varied and unpredictable effects, and combining them with other substances was linked to more hospital admissions and more severe poisoning in these reports.
Evidence grade: Low. Retrospective observational analysis of voluntarily reported poison centre calls, with no control group and reliance on incomplete second-hand records.
This summary is based on the study’s published abstract.