San Diego police are investigating after parents reported finding a package labeled as containing psilocybin in a trick-or-treat bowl in Ocean Beach. The department has not confirmed what the gummies contained or how they came to be on the porch.
Frank Carey and Cameron Hunter were trick-or-treating with their children and other neighborhood families when Carey’s 2-year-old picked up a package from the bowl, according to NBC 7 San Diego. Carey told the station the package showed a giraffe, melting-looking lettering and a five-gram dosage, and was labeled “psilocybin mushrooms.” Carey and Hunter told 10News the bags were labeled as containing five grams of psilocybin.
The parents said they checked their children’s other candy, returned to the home and then contacted police. Hunter recorded part of the exchange, the pair told 10News.
Homeowner Says the Candy Wasn't His
The homeowner, Shawn Barger, denied that the bowl or gummies belonged to his household, according to NBC 7 San Diego. He said his wife was confused when the parents came to the door and that the house rarely gets visitors, even on Halloween, because of its reputation in the neighborhood. Barger estimated the gummies cost about $20 apiece and said the bowl’s contents were probably worth around $300.
The San Diego Police Department confirmed it received a report on Halloween about a home potentially distributing drugs to children. Police are working to determine what the gummies contained and how they ended up on the porch, according to NBC 7 San Diego. In a statement to 10News, the department said it was investigating but could not comment further.
Police Say Parents Did the Right Thing
Lt. Cesar Jimenez told NBC 7 San Diego that testing is needed to determine whether a crime occurred and whether anyone could face charges. He said the parents’ response—accompanying their children, checking their candy, speaking with people at the home and contacting police—was what authorities would recommend. Carey and Hunter told 10News that Ocean Beach was otherwise a good spot for candy that night and urged parents to check what their children bring home.
A Pattern of Mislabeled Mushroom Products
Other investigations show why labels alone may not establish what a product contains. The Los Angeles Times reported that testing of 33 mushroom products bought at smoke shops in Los Angeles and San Diego counties found that 40% contained no psilocybin. The paper also reported that the FDA warned about products from Santa Ana-based Prophet Premium Blends after consumers fell ill or died; the company recalled all of its candies.
A separate San Diego County case involved chocolate bars that, after testing at the San Diego County Regional Crime Laboratory, were found to contain the controlled substances 4-Acetoxy-DET and 4-Hydroxy DET rather than the initially suspected Amanita muscaria, according to NBC Los Angeles. Workers surrendered 95,000 bars, weighing more than seven tons and estimated to be worth $3 million, to the California Department of Public Health, which turned them over to sheriff’s deputies. The Sheriff’s Department said no arrests had been made in that case.
What testing and poison-control guidance can tell families
In a November 15, 2024, update on its separate investigation of Diamond Shruumz products distributed nationwide, the FDA said it had tested 22 chocolate-bar samples, 10 infused-cone samples and 22 gummy samples. It reported finding muscimol in nine of the chocolate-bar samples and five of the infused-cone samples. Those were different products, and the results do not establish what was in the Ocean Beach bag. If a child may have been exposed to an unknown substance, the California Poison Control System advises calling its hotline at 1-800-222-1222 right away.
There is no information establishing a connection between those cases and the Ocean Beach gummies. San Diego police have not confirmed what the Halloween packages contained, and their investigation into how the bags ended up in the trick-or-treat bowl is ongoing.
