NY Man Arrested For Allegedly Hiding Drugs in Chocolate Bars

Offcials say a 29-year-old New York state man was arrested Thursday and charged with a number of offenses, including 1st degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Deputies say the suspect was found with quantities of illegal narcotics, including possession of chocolate bars containing psilocybin (or magic) mushrooms inside.

Magic Mushrooms

Psilocybin is the key ingredient in magic mushrooms, according to the ADF website. The website says the mushrooms are naturally occurring and are consumed for their hallucinogenic effects.

Many people, including New York state lawmakers and mental health groups, have debated both the negative and positive effects of magic mushrooms for years. In 2023, a bill was introduced by three New York lawmakers to legalize "possession, use, cultivation, and production of magic mushrooms" in the state.

According to PIX11, another bill was just introduced by the New York State Assembly Tuesday, that would allow the "growth, cultivation, and regulated adult use of psilocybin for the treatment of certain health conditions".

Man Busted For Allegedly Hiding Mushrooms in Chocolate Bars

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office says a New York man was arrested in Grand Island after the discovery of chocolate bars containing mushrooms. WIVB says the bust took place after a vehicle was initially stopped where offcials allegedly found over eight ounces of cocaine inside.

Around and hour later, deputies said they searched an address where they sound paraphernalia, additional cocaine, and over 600 milligrams of the suspected psilocybin mushrooms. Some of the mushrooms were found sinned chocolate bars, says the Sheriff's Office.

Legality in New York and Beyond

According to the website of The Law Offices of Stephen A. Bilks & Associates, psychedelic mushrooms are illegal to possess, distribute and cultivate in New York. The website specifies this also means that it is illegal to grow psychedelic mushrooms even for your own personal use.

PIX11 says that the states of Oregon and Colorado have already legalized magic mushrooms, though, while cities like Washington D.C. and San Francisco have decriminalized the drug.