Revised February 24, 2006 and November 2, 2007
Copyright 1998-2007 by John W. Allen
NEWS ARCHIVES
Hello and welcome to our News archives.
In this section you will find several newspaper clippings regarding the occurrence and use of visionary mushrooms in Alabama.
They are arranged alphabetically by newspapers and then Chronologically by dates.
Arkansas
A page devoted to newspaper clippings from Arkansaw
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Smores May Have Contained Hallucinogenic Mushrooms POSTED: 3:56 pm CDT April 16, 2005 UPDATED: 4:07 pm CDT April 16, 2005 ROGERS, Ark. -- Benton County authorities said a person became sick and was taken to a hospital in Rogers after eating Smores that may have had psilocybin mushrooms in them. Smores are usually made with graham crackers, marshmallows
and chocolate. A sheriff's deputy said the person apparently bought the
homemade cookies, knowing it had the hallucinogenic mushrooms in them, but not
knowing what affect they would have. |
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Sheriff's Office Investigating Spiked
S'mores By Matt McGowan The Morning News ROGERS -- Make sure you know who made that S'more before you eat it. The Benton County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force is investigating sales of the popular Girl Scout dessert possibly laced with psilocybin mushrooms, an illegal hallucinogen. Authorities learned of the mushroom-laden S'mores after an individual who consumed one was treated for abdominal cramps and serious mental disorientation at a local hospital, said Deputy Doug Gay, spokesman for the Sheriff's office. Gay said the cookies, which were homemade, contained concealed chunks of mushrooms that initial tests proved were hallucinogenic. Samples of the mushrooms have been sent to the Arkansas Crime Lab in Little Rock to confirm whether the hallucinogenic agent is psilocybin. Gay said the Sheriff's office has a possible suspect, who was already under arrest on a charge of writing hot checks. The Sheriff's office is waiting for the results from the crime lab before making a decision on an arrest for drug-related charges. Gay said the individual who purchased and consumed the S'more probably knew it contained the drug but did not know what the drug's effect would be. The potency of organic drugs may vary widely from day to day, Gay said. "Even if you've had experience with mushrooms in the past," Gay said, "the next time they may have a different effect on you." Drug investigators think the mushrooms came from out of state because this kind of organic drug is not often seen in Northwest Arkansas. The Sheriff's Office urges people to contact the Sheriff's Office criminal investigation division at 271-1009 if they hear of or come into contact with anything containing psilocybin mushrooms. No Date. http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2005/04/16/news/rogers/04rzshroomsmores.txt |
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Judge Rules Mushroom Search Legal By Marcus Blair April 6, 2004 POTEAU — Two Bokoshe residents will stand trial on charges of illegally growing psychedelic mushrooms, a LeFlore County judge has determined. Associate District Judge Ted Knight overruled a motion to suppress evidence in the case against Jennifer S. Engel, 24, and Kevin S. Lafferty, 40, according to a ruling filed Monday. Engel and Lafferty claimed they were unlawfully arrested by police who had an invalid search warrant, according to their motion. The warrant was obtained by Pocola Police Chief Eric Helms after he said a confidential informant bought narcotics from the pair. Police followed the law when they raided the alleged mushroom lab in Bokoshe, Knight ruled. Knight found that Helms was acting as a member of the District 16 Drug Task Force when he obtained the warrant and was not outside his jurisdiction, as Engel and Lafferty claimed. When the task force raided Lafferty’s home in 2002, it found psychedelic mushrooms growing, drying and being processed, court records state. Investigators said the suspects added the mushrooms to their marijuana to produce a heightened sense of euphoria. The mushrooms were growing in a 50-gallon drum rigged with a watering system and a timer, court records state. The suspects used a dehydrator and coffee grinder to pulverize the mushrooms into a hallucinogenic powder. Investigators found a book, “The Mushroom Cultivator,” in a desk drawer, court records state. The task force also seized marijuana, methamphetamine, a loaded shotgun and weighing scales, court records state. Engel and Lafferty are charged with cultivating mushrooms containing a controlled substance, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm while committing a felony. Both face up to life imprisonment if convicted. Fort Smith Arkansaw Times Record – online news service |
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