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 veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 5,781
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 Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California
#5414285 - 03/17/06 06:59 PM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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Police bust interstate ring of psychedelic mushroom candies
March 17, 2006 - heraldextra.com
A cache of a seasonal delicacy of illegal narcotics users -- hallucinogenic mushrooms fashioned into caramel candies -- is off the streets in Utah County after police broke up an interstate ring.
Approximately $100,000 worth of narcotic bonbons were seized in Provo and Arcata, Calif., in the past month by Utah County Major Crimes Task Force members and their California counterparts after a monthlong investigation into the distribution of psilocybin mushrooms, said Lt. Mike Forshee, the task force's commander.
The mushrooms, which give a user a psychedelic effect similar to LSD or peyote, are a main ingredient in the candies that were being produced in Arcata and then mailed to Provo as a distribution point, he said.
Investigators seized approximately 300 of the candies in Provo and 2 to 3 pounds of the psilocybin mushrooms along with candy molds, wrapping paper and the finished candies in Arcata. California police also discovered large quantities of marijuana and lab equipment used to convert it into hash oil.
"This was a multi-state distribution ring and fairly significant," Forshee said. "We've never seen mushrooms packaged like this made into candies. This is unusual."
Psilocybin mushrooms grow naturally in moist forests in the Northwest, he said, yet a farm or lab is required to grow them in any sizable quantities.
The mushrooms and their byproducts, in this case caramel candies, are popular club drugs and are found at raves, Forshee said.
"We won't see them for a year ... then all of sudden they'll pop up for a month," he said. "It's kind of bizarre."
Taran Newson, 21, of Orem, was arrested Feb. 15 by the task force on charges of distribution and possession of the mushrooms and possession of ecstasy and hash oil.
Ammon R. Wilkinson, 24, of Provo, was arrested on a federal warrant this month for conspiracy to distribute psilocybin mushrooms.
Forshee said the two Utah suspects and single California suspect both face federal prosecution in the case.
"Other arrests are pending," he said.
Melodie Rydalch, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Salt Lake City, said federal conspiracy to distribute psilocybin complaints were filed against Wilkinson and Aaron L. Struth, the Arcata-based suspect in the mushroom ring, on Tuesday.
Wilkinson is scheduled to appear today before a U.S. magistrate judge at 11 a.m., she said. Struth had a detention hearing before a judge Thursday.
"The potential penalty for the charge is up to 20 years in federal prison," Rydalch said.
It's not uncommon for further charges or defendants to be added to a case prior to it going before a grand jury, she said.
Getting drug-filled mushroom candy off the street wasn't the only thing keeping task force members busy this week.
On Tuesday, Major Crimes officers broke up a Pleasant Grove methamphetamine operation netting nearly 4 ounces of the drug with a street value of $11,000, along with other drugs and cash.
After detectives apprehended one suspect who fled on foot during a traffic stop, Forshee said police were aided by an unlikely source -- a young man on a blind date with a girl. He saw the driver leave as police chased the other suspect, and he followed the car into American Fork and called police.
That led to the arrest of three other suspects and search warrants seizing methamphetamine, marijuana and other drug paraphernalia at two Pleasant Grove residences.
Arrested were: Nathan Karner, 23, of St. George; Jarred Campbell, 31, of American Fork; Gregory Brereton, 38, of Pleasant Grove; and Michelle Lowery, 40, of Pleasant Grove.
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 Snaggletooth
Stranger in aStrange Land
Registered: 10/24/05
Posts: 5,618
Loc: blinks stupidly
Last seen: 8 months, 6 days
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Re: Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California [Re: veggie]
#5414593 - 03/17/06 09:27 PM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
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Gr8fulJ420
strange but nota stranger
 
Registered: 02/17/01
Posts: 2,062
Loc: maui
Last seen: 1 day, 12 hours
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Re: Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California [Re: veggie]
#5415051 - 03/18/06 02:23 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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I've had those before!!!! But my problem with caramels like that is ya never know how potent they are....
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Koala Koolio
TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG
Registered: 01/07/04
Posts: 7,727
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Re: Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California [Re: Gr8fulJ420]
#5415076 - 03/18/06 02:45 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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Well, at least you know these ones had "4 hits of mushrooms" in them. hehh.
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You're not like the others. You like the same things I do. Wax paper, boiled football leather... dog breath. We're not hitch-hiking anymore, we're riding!
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RemainRandom50
Do You Need ToKnow Me?
Registered: 01/15/06
Posts: 1,550
Last seen: 4 hours, 3 minutes
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Re: Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California [Re: Koala Koolio]
#5415603 - 03/18/06 11:16 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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nice
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At times I get consumed by my everyday life and will leave the Shroomery. Yet, every time drugs come falling into my life for fun.....I always think about the Shroomery and then I'm back!
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pshawny
Mycobian
Registered: 09/11/04
Posts: 1,328
Loc: Shroomery
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Re: Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California [Re: RemainRandom50]
#5417736 - 03/19/06 12:14 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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4 hits, what's a hit of mushrooms. I'd put like 1g per chocolate. Then they showed what looked like 1 p.c. and 1 non-p.c. mushroom growing. Oh well...
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biglo
Shroomery BabySitter
Registered: 11/22/02
Posts: 599
Loc: US of A
Last seen: 11 days, 15 hours
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Re: Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California [Re: veggie]
#5423683 - 03/20/06 10:16 PM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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"We won't see them for a year ... then all of sudden they'll pop up for a month," he said. "It's kind of bizarre."
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Microcosmatrix
Spiral staircasetechnician
Registered: 10/20/05
Posts: 11,293
Loc: Ythan's house
Last seen: 1 year, 8 months
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Re: Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California [Re: biglo]
#5424042 - 03/20/06 11:24 PM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yeah how ridiculous is that? These people just say anything with a gay abandon.
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Koala Koolio
TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG
Registered: 01/07/04
Posts: 7,727
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Re: Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California [Re: Microcosmatrix]
#5424082 - 03/20/06 11:38 PM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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Sometimes the donut shop carries jelly-filled, but then they go away for a while, and we only see creme filled.
It's kind of bizzare.
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You're not like the others. You like the same things I do. Wax paper, boiled football leather... dog breath. We're not hitch-hiking anymore, we're riding!
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Microcosmatrix
Spiral staircasetechnician
Registered: 10/20/05
Posts: 11,293
Loc: Ythan's house
Last seen: 1 year, 8 months
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Re: Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California [Re: Koala Koolio]
#5424090 - 03/20/06 11:40 PM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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They're just trying to make drugs sound mysterious to the unsuspecting public.
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Koala Koolio
TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG
Registered: 01/07/04
Posts: 7,727
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Re: Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California [Re: Microcosmatrix]
#5424841 - 03/21/06 11:26 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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Some say these candies make themselves.
Others say they make themselves, and then make other candy, which in turn creates hybrid candy/cupcake/popsicles.
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You're not like the others. You like the same things I do. Wax paper, boiled football leather... dog breath. We're not hitch-hiking anymore, we're riding!
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Microcosmatrix
Spiral staircasetechnician
Registered: 10/20/05
Posts: 11,293
Loc: Ythan's house
Last seen: 1 year, 8 months
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Re: Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California [Re: Koala Koolio]
#5424997 - 03/21/06 12:07 PM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yeah, these candies are 100% natural, in fact they "all of a sudden pop up" on their own!
They obviously want to charge people with cultivating candies. 
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Koala Koolio
TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG
Registered: 01/07/04
Posts: 7,727
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Re: Hallucinogenic candy seized in Utah, California [Re: Microcosmatrix]
#5426780 - 03/21/06 06:43 PM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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You grew dem sugarcane.
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You're not like the others. You like the same things I do. Wax paper, boiled football leather... dog breath. We're not hitch-hiking anymore, we're riding!
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