The legalization of psilocybin in Colorado has generated renewed interest in the online mushroom spore trade. But it hasn’t necessarily yet made them any easier or safer to buy.
There are thousands of websites and online forums that sell spores, which are used to grow magic mushrooms, and it can be difficult for an inexperienced consumer to weed out the real listings from the fake ones.
Identifying legitimate spore providers can help consumers avoid a range of problems, from identity theft to being charged with a crime under federal law.
Understanding the complexities of Colorado’s new psychedelic law, resulting from the passage of Proposition 122, could prevent someone from being arrested. For example, the measure is silent about whether spores are legal to sell in Colorado, but the law says it is still illegal to sell “natural psychedelic substances” such as magic mushrooms outside of supervised facilities. People who violate the law could lose protections from professional discipline, loss of a professional license, or denial of eligibility for public benefits.
Spores do not have psychedelic substances in them, as magic mushrooms do. But as they grow into mycelium and then produce mushrooms themselves, psychedelic substances will be produced.
To help our readers navigate this new space, the Colorado Times Recorder spoke with Robert Rush, a lawyer and psychedelic advocate, about how to avoid falling for online scams involving spores. Here are a few tips that Rush offered.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Understand the difference between the two spore cultivation processes
One key to avoiding online scams involving spores is to better understand two products that are most commonly offered: spores and liquid culture.
The term “spore” most commonly refers to the genetic material that is necessary for mushrooms to grow. Spores develop in the gills of a mushroom and typically fall out of a mature mushroom. Spores can be captured by removing a mushroom cap and placing it on a piece of paper for up to 24 hours.
Spores are also marketed and sold for “microscopy use,” meaning that they are commonly sold to dedicated hobbyists and professional mycologists who often use spore samples for species identification. The spore sales are legal under federal law because no psilocybin is present in the spores themselves. People who live in states where psilocybin has been legalized can also purchase them for personal use, Rush said, although cultivation would still violate federal law.
Rush said spores are most often sold in large-gauge syringes containing sterile water. He added that they can be sold in 47 states across the country for scientific research purposes – with the exceptions being California, Georgia, and Idaho.
On the other hand, “liquid culture” can create headaches for psychedelic enthusiasts. Liquid culture refers to spores that are already producing mycelium, or the roots of a mushroom. Liquid culture is often transported in a syringe similar to regular spores, with the key difference being that liquid culture often contains minute amounts of psilocybin and is therefore illegal under federal law, Rush said.
“The organizations that are selling these walk a fine line between what is permissible and what is illegal,” Rush said.
Do some basic business research
Another way to avoid falling for an online spore scam is to do some basic research into the businesses that are selling spores, Rush said.
“As a consumer, you should do as much research as possible into companies selling spores to make sure their reputations are solid,” Rush said. “It’s a whole lot of Googling, but it’s worth it.”
Some basic questions that consumers should ask are what state is the business operating in? and does the business offer any products other than spores?, according to Rush. For example, a spore seller that is based in Idaho should raise red flags because it is illegal to sell spores in the state. Websites that sell spores and other “grow media” products like growing tubs or sterilized grain-filled spawning bags could also be illegal because these items may be considered paraphernalia under the federal Controlled Substances Act.
Websites Selling Shrooms Are “Almost Guaranteed To Be Scams”
If the websites offer to sell psilocybin mushrooms or other drugs in addition to spores, they are almost guaranteed to be scams, Rush added.
Two other red flags that Rush points to are websites that have blogs about how to cultivate mushrooms and sellers that accept credit cards. Websites that have blogs about cultivation could get in trouble for helping to manufacture a controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act. Meanwhile, credit card associations like Visa, Mastercard, and American Express do not allow spore sales.
“Credit card associations, for the most part, have no interest in allowing spores to be bought and sold with their products,” Rush said. “Just like cannabis, they have completely shied away from any sort of credit card processing.”
Most legitimate spore vendors who have operated for any duration of time will have had their credit card processing ability revoked, Rush added. Meanwhile, Rush said the legitimate spore vendors selling for years have learned to avoid potential criminal liability by selling growing materials or providing cultivation tips in a blog while selling psilocybin spores. Companies that accept credit cards, sell growing supplies, and offer tips on growing are more likely to be newly established businesses and less likely to have a verifiable history of legitimate sales.
Steer clear of promotional giveaways
In Colorado, promotional giveaways can also create issues since Proposition 122 prohibits licensed natural medicine businesses from giving away any amount of natural medicines as part of a marketing campaign or another kind of business promotion.
However, it is legal under Colorado law to be gifted spores or liquid culture without compensation, Rush said. Proposition 122 allows Coloradans aged 21 and over to legally grow magic mushrooms for personal consumption in their private residence as long as people under the age of 21 do not have access to them. So, if you and your friend are both of age, feel free to exchange samples back and forth, just not for compensation.
