Sheriff’s deputy finds men in possession of magic mushrooms

Two men were found in possession of these magic mushrooms earlier this week. (Courtesy: Cameron County Sheriff’s Department)

It wasn’t your ordinary drug seizure.

Cameron County sheriff’s deputies earlier this week arrested two 18-year-old men found in possession of psilocybin or magic mushrooms.

Alonso Padilla and Jose Manuel Noriega are each charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance, the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department said in a media release.

A Cameron County sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop on a traffic violation on the vehicle the men were riding in Harlingen, the release stated.

The deputy saw a clear plastic bag with a brown substance in the center console, and after a probable cause search of the vehicle, a total of 5.72 ounces of psilocybin (mushrooms) were recovered from the vehicle.

The men were arrested and transported to the Carrizales-Rucker Detention Center in Olmito for processing.

According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, psilocybin or magic mushrooms are naturally occurring and are consumed for their hallucinogenic effects.

“They are psychedelic drugs, which means they can affect all the senses, altering a person’s thinking, sense of time and emotions. Psychedelics can cause a person to hallucinate, seeing or hearing things that do not exist or are distorted,” according to the ADF.

The ADF states magic mushrooms are eaten fresh, cooked or brewed into a tea. The dried version is sometimes smoked, mixed with cannabis or tobacco.

Although psilocybin mushrooms are considered one of the most well-known psychedelics, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services said their use is not at all common.