💧Lab tests reveal Diamond Shruumz deception

PLUS, is your Zoom doctor who they say they are?

Happy Monday, friends! Welcome back to The Drop In, DoubleBlind’s newsletter serving you the latest in news, happenings, and piping hot tea from the fascinating world of psychedelic intoxicants. A lot of mindblowing revelations have emerged from the underbelly of the plant “medicine” spaces over the past two weeks. Maybe you’ve caught wind of the chemical chaos, but in case you haven’t, I’ll break it down for you because it relates to our feature story this week.

The past few semanas have been, uh, eye-opening in regards to toxins being found in popular psychoactive products. The LA Times dropped a bombshell investigative story about pesticides being found at alarming levels in legal cannabis products—yes, including in well-known brands we all have likely consumed. A flurry of lawsuits have since ensued and the Department of Cannabis Control has remained largely silent on the issue, despite issuing a few random product recalls.

While that story has caused an absolute utter shitstorm in the cannabis space, the FDA and CDC also launched an investigation into a “mushroom” brand called Diamond Shruumz from Santa Ana, CA earlier in June. These products landed 23 people in the hospital and rendered 36 others ill with an array of symptoms, including seizures, nausea, vomiting, and abnormal heart rate and blood pressure. The FDA and CDC released some lab tests they conducted on a few Diamond Shruumz products, but they only tested two products out of dozens available, so it’s impossible to know what’s causing the illness with certainty.

However, journalist Michelle Lhooq investigated the COAs on Diamond Shruumz’s website, and… well, you’ll have to read the story to see what she discovered after talking to the labs the brand employed. What I will say is product safety is not looking great right now, despite the recent recall of Diamond Shruumz.

The takeaway? Either know your dealer or grow your own. Oh, and read the full story linked below for the piping hot juicy tea.

Stay hydrated 🫶,

Mary CarreĂłn
Senior Editor

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Lab Tests From Diamond Shruumz Mushroom Brand Reveals Deceptive Practices

Recent lab results from the FDA and CDC reveal that the products responsible for sending 23 people to the hospital and making 39 others ill contained 4-AcO-DMT and other compounds.

The CDC has warned against Diamond Shruumz products after 39 people fell ill and 23 were hospitalized in 16 states from consuming the company’s mushroom chocolates, edibles, and gummies. The illnesses included seizures, abnormal heart rate and blood pressure, nausea, and vomiting, with several requiring intensive care. 

In June, the CDC and FDA, alongside America's Poison Centers, investigated and found that two products contained 4-AcO-DMT and kavalactones.

Our Latest

Is your Zoom doctor (or practitioner) actually who they say they are? Recent reporting by Jules Evans found that a popular MDMA Zoom shrink isn’t who he says he is. In his investigation, Evans uncovered that Jonathan Robinson’s license as a marriage and family therapist lapsed in 2007. Yet, he still claims he's a licensed therapist in articles, podcast appearances, and on his website.

A landmark ruling in Canada has granted Jody Lance, a cluster headache patient, legal access to psilocybin mushrooms. This federal court decision deemed the initial refusal by Health Canada as “unreasonable” and set a significant precedent for other patients in need of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Tracing the origins of cubensis strains can be tricky. It involves chasing down internet rumors and underground growers — and several are connected to Jedi Mind Fuck.

& More Must-Reads

Trip Tales

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Psychedelics helped me accept that I’m bisexual. I was deeply depressed before this but am now living happily and authentically with my partner of almost a year.

— Cole S., Pennsylvania, US

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Our summer fun(gi) flash sale ends today! 

With our How to Grow Mushrooms course, you get direct access to the DB team of mycologists (including Dr. K Mandrake and Virginia Haze, authors of The Psilocybin Mushroom Bible) in a safe and supportive online community, plus lifetime access to the videos and written materials.

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🍄 How long does it take for magic mushies to kick in? Well, it depends on a lot of things, from your body to how you take them.

💜 Lavender essential oil is commonly used to promote relaxation, alleviate stress, and aid sleep. Here’s how to make it. 

📕 Psychoactive plants in the Bible may seem few and far between, but the Holy text is ripe with botanical medicines, ceremonial incense, and purifying extracts

💊 Are there any risks to microdosing every day? We asked the experts all about microdosing protocols.

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ATTEND: It’s official. The International Psychedelic Conference, hosted by our friends at Oakland Hyphae, is going down in Jamaica this September. Tickets are on sale now! 

SUPPORT: For over a decade, Chaikuni has partnered with local families, indigenous students, and Amazonian leaders to regenerate the Amazon through positive, solution-driven approaches. Our work in Permaculture, Intercultural Education, and Human & Nature Rights relies on a network of dedicated supporters. Join them in preserving this vital ecosystem and its people.

At DoubleBlind, we believe in reciprocity—the idea that everything in the world is interconnected and that we have a responsibility to uplift a psychedelic ecosystem that centers equity, inclusivity, and healing for all. Through our work, we hope to help our community participate in this effort with us.

Together With…

Testing your substances is a vital harm reduction practice that helps you confirm your substances are what you expect, free from potentially dangerous adulterants. 

With the rise of fentanyl and new research chemicals emerging rapidly, it’s more important than ever to test before you take. 

DanceSafe’s kits are easy to use at home, providing reliable results with just a few reagents.

From the Magazine

What happens when one undergoes what's referred to as a spiritual emergency? Psychedelics don't always make folks feel better; in fact, they can even make them feel worse. Then where do they turn? 

Shelby Hartman explores the shadow side of psychedelics in DoubleBlind Issue No. 5. Click here to get a copy of the magazine.

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If you want to know how to trip sit, learning how to "hold space" can determine the difference between a transformative trip and a challenging one. We’re diving into the basics of how to trip sit on our YouTube. Consider this a perfect intro to our more in-depth trip sitting course. 😉

Around the Web

  • Recent study by RAND finds mushrooms are the most commonly used psychedelic. Read more in Axios.

  • California lawmakers have withdrawn a bipartisan bill for a pilot program offering psilocybin treatment to veterans and former first responders. Read more in Marijuana Moment. 

  • A warning has been issued over super-strength ecstasy pills ahead of the Glastonbury festival, with drug charity The Loop highlighting the increased risk to young festivalgoers as potency returns to pre-pandemic levels. Read more in The Guardian.

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