FDA Says Microdosing Candy Bars Are Making People Sick

According to the FDA, a brand of microdosing chocolate bars sent some consumers on a very unwanted trip, and now the agency is warning others not to eat the bars. Eight people so far have reported getting sick after eating one of the bars from Diamond Shruumz, and six of those people had to be hospitalized, CNN reports. Symptoms included "seizures, central nervous system depression (loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness), agitation, abnormal heart rates, hyper and hypotension, nausea and vomiting," says the FDA, which recommends anyone who has a chocolate bar from the company immediately discard it. The CDC, poison centers, and other state and local agencies are also investigating.

Microdosing involves taking a tiny amount of a psychedelic drug, including psilocybin mushrooms, in an act that proponents say can lift mood, improve concentration, and increase productivity. According to its website, the Diamond Shruumz-brand bars do not contain "psilocybin, amanita or any scheduled drugs," though, per Fox News, the bars are promoted as offering a "psilocybin-like experience." Rather, their ingredients are said to include a "proprietary blend of nootropic and functional mushrooms." The company has yet to publicly comment on the FDA's warning. Those affected include four people in Arizona, two in Indiana, one in Nevada, and one in Pennsylvania. (More Food and Drug Administration stories.)