Researchers at UC San Diego have noted a significant increase in interest in Amanita muscaria, a potentially harmful mushroom, with a 114% rise in Google searches from 2022 to 2023. Unlike psilocybin mushrooms, which are being studied for their antidepressant effects, Amanita muscaria contains muscimol and ibotenic acid, compounds that can be more toxic than fentanyl and cocaine. Despite this, Amanita muscaria products are being misleadingly marketed with health claims similar to those of psilocybin.
The researchers argue that this lack of distinction violates consumer rights and call for stricter regulations, including possibly adding Amanita muscaria to the Controlled Substances list. New research shows a concerning increase in interest in the highly toxic Amanita muscaria mushroom, often misleadingly marketed as a therapeutic substance akin to psilocybin , highlighting an urgent need for stricter regulations and consumer education to prevent potential harm. Interest in the potentially harmful “magic mushroom” Amanita muscaria has surged among Americans, with Google searches increasing by 114 percent from 2022 to 2023, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California San Diego’s Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science .
The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine , suggests that the growing market for Amanita muscaria may be partly driven by emerging clinical research supporting the safety and.
