Illegal “magic mushroom” chocolates for sale in Denver, officials warn

Denver officials are warning consumers that they have found edible products made with psilocybin mushrooms for sale, illegally, at local gas stations and smoke shops.

Officials recently tested chocolate bars from a brand called PolkaDot and confirmed the presence of psilocybin and psilocin, psychoactive ingredients in “magic mushrooms,” as well as synthetic compounds that can cause similar hallucinogenic effects. Those compounds include 4-ACO-DET, 4-HO-DET, and 4-HO-MET, according to a Tuesday alert from the Denver Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection.

While psilocybin and psilocin are decriminalized for personal use, cultivation and sharing in Colorado, it is illegal to sell the drug. The edibles the city tested were purchased from King’s Smoke and Vape at 550 E. 13th Ave., Broadway Smoke Shop at 108 S. Broadway, and Myxed Up Creations at 5800 E. Colfax Ave.

PolkaDot is a wildly popular – if illicit – brand that makes a variety of psychedelic edibles, including chocolates, gummies, liquid shots and seltzers. They are sold at local retailers like vape shops, convenience stores and gas stations, as well as online, officials said. A picture of one of the chocolate bars provided by the city advertises that it includes a mushroom blend of non-psychoactive varieties like turkey tail, reishi, lion’s mane and cordyceps.

“The lack of consistent regulatory oversight for these items increases food safety risks and the likelihood of undisclosed psychoactive ingredients,” the alert said. PolkaDot’s brand labeling and other materials are widely available online, making it possible for copycats to appear on the market, it added.