Queensland police have laid charges over an allegedly commercial-scale psilocybin production operation south of Brisbane, as separate and unrelated investigations continue into high-profile deaths suspected to be linked to mushrooms in Australia.
Officers from the major and organised crime squad raided two houses in Logan on Thursday, at First Avenue in Marsden and Rossmore Road in Chambers Flat, where they say they discovered large quantities of illicit psilocybin – commonly referred to as magic mushrooms.
They allegedly located 200 plastic tubs of hallucinogenic mushrooms and a large quantity of dried mushrooms at the Marsden address, which is a suburban home.
Police will allege the rooms in the house had all been converted into a facility for producing the drug.
A 31-year-old man from New South Wales has been charged with one count each of production of a dangerous drug, possessing a dangerous drug, possessing anything used in the commission of crime, possessing proceeds, and contravening a magistrates order.
He faced Beenleigh magistrates court on Friday, and has been remanded in custody ahead of another court appearance on 24 April.
Psilocybin is regarded as among the safest illegal drugs. The mushrooms create a psychotropic effect and occur in the wild, including in parts of Australia.
But there are still dangers associated with the substance, most seriously the risk of accidentally consuming fatal death cap mushrooms.
Victoria police are now investigating whether Rachael Dixon consumed mushrooms in a substance she drank at a health retreat where she died earlier this month.
Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson died due to suspected mushroom poisoning after consuming a beef wellington pie at a lunch in Leongatha last year. Erin Patterson has been charged with their murder and is expected to face court next week.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration released guidance on the advertising of magic mushrooms, after psychiatrists were permitted to prescribe them for mental health illness for the first time in April last year.
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The advice requires advertisers to get approval from the administration before selling them, and restricts the types of health claims that can be made to do so. They cannot be advertised to the general public.
Det Insp Craig Bowman from the organised crime gangs group said “these criminal syndicates have no regard for the wider harm illicit drugs cause to the community.
“They are motivated by profit, which is often used to fund further criminal activity.”
Specialist officers from the synthetic drug operations unit removed the items from the location.