Florida's new farm bill bans mushroom spores, sparking debate
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A sweeping new farm bill signed into law last week by Governor Ron DeSantis focuses on fluoride in drinking water — but there’s another provision buried deep in its 111 pages: The banning of certain mushroom spores in Florida.
Big picture view:
The bill, which officially takes effect July 1, makes it illegal to sell or possess certain mushroom spores — often used to cultivate psychedelic mushrooms. While the spores themselves are federally legal and do not contain the psychedelic compound psilocybin, opponents of the measure argue that the potential for them to grow into illegal mushrooms justifies the ban.
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"I know the DEA has said that they are not schedule one, they're not illegal like psilocybin, but they're used to grow psilocybin," said Ellen Snelling with the Hillsborough Anti-Drug Alliance. "So once they start growing, they are illegal. So to me, it makes sense to just ban them."
What they're saying:
Florida now joins three other states that have outlawed mushroom spores. But for Carlos Hermida, the owner of Chillum Mushroom and Hemp Dispensary in Ybor City, the new law feels like the beginning of an attack on all his products.
"We've thrown all our liquid cultures away," Hermida said. "I think it's pretty shameful that the legislature would care about these things."
Hermida fears the ban is just the beginning: "They'll probably come for the rest of my products in the future. They don't like what we do. They want to suppress it."
He argues that mushrooms have medicinal value and are being studied in Florida.
"It actually has been researched at USF and in Florida schools for the potentiality of treating anxiety, depression, PTSD," he said. "Microdosing has become very popular and has shown to be great for anxiety and great for just your general well-being."
The other side:
Snelling, however, wants to see more restrictions.
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"I have a bigger concern about other mushroom products that I'm seeing out there, and I'm hearing they're more popular these days," she said. "People think it's a good alternative to alcohol. I've heard from an emergency room physician that he's seeing more people come into the emergency room after using these products."
What's next:
Under the new law, possession or sale of mushroom spores could result in a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
FOX 13 reached out to the Florida Department of Health and the DEA’s local office for comment, but neither responded.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Evyn Moon.
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