National and regional trends in seizures of shrooms (psilocybin) in the United States, 2017-2022.
Joseph J Palamar, Nicole D Fitzgerald, Thomas H Carr, Caroline Rutherford, Katherine M Keyes, Linda B Cottler
Drug and alcohol dependence May 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111086 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSeizures of psilocybin mushrooms by U.S. law enforcement rose sharply between 2017 and 2022, suggesting increasing availability. The number of seizures grew from 402 in 2017 to 1,396 in 2022, a 368.9% increase, with the Midwest accounting for the most seizures (36.0%) and the West next (33.5%). The total weight seized rose from 226.0 kg to 844.0 kg, a 2,749.7% increase; the West had the greatest total weight (1,864.2 kg, 42.6%) followed by the South (1,831.9 kg, 41.8%). Significant increases occurred in all four U.S. regions. The authors call for more prevention and harm reduction education.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational study of law enforcement seizure data Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 4,526 |
| Population | Psilocybin mushroom seizures reported to High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas in the United States |
| Duration | 2017-2022 |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Drug laws Drug seizures Psilocybin mushrooms Law enforcement surveillance Controlled substances |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key finding | Seizures of psilocybin mushrooms increased substantially in number and weight across all U.S. regions from 2017 to 2022, indicating rising availability. |
Abstract
Psilocybin, the principle psychoactive component in "shrooms", is regaining acceptance in therapeutic settings, leading to media coverage of medical benefits associated with use. Possession is also becoming increasingly decriminalized throughout the United States. There is a lack of data on prevalence of shroom use, but trends in law enforcement seizure data can provide one indicator of shroom availability in US communities. We determined whether seizures of shrooms have shifted between 2017 and 2022. This study examined national and regional trends in counts and total weight of shroom seizures reported to High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas in the US between 2017 and 2022 (N=4526). There were 402 seizures in 2017 compared to 1396 in 2022 with the plurality occurring in the Midwest (36.0%), followed by the West (33.5%). Between 2017 Quarter 1 (Q1) and 2022 Quarter 4 (Q4), the number of seizures increased by 368.9% (AQPC=7.0; 95 CI: 5.9-8.1) and there were significant increases in all four regions. In terms of weight, 226.0kg was seized in 2017 vs. 844.0kg in 2022, and the greatest total weight in seizures was in the West (1864.2kg, 42.6%), followed by the South (1831.9kg, 41.8%). Between 2017 Q1 and 2022 Q4, the total weight seized in the US increased by 2749.7% (AQPC=6.2, 95% CI: 0.3-12.4) and there were significant increases in all four regions. Seizures of shrooms have increased, suggesting that availability may be escalating; thus, increases in prevention efforts and harm reduction education are warranted.