Two students ate psychedelic mushrooms at an Inland Empire middle school on Wednesday and had reactions that required medical attention, their school said.
In a message to families with students at Cope Middle School in Redlands, administration said the students consumed a chocolate bar containing the ‘magic’ mushrooms, resulting in an adverse reaction.
After learning about the situation, administrators called 911, and the pair were treated when an ambulance arrived at the school. Additional details, including what form of treatment and how high the dosage they ingested, were not immediately made available.
The school’s administration urged families to be “mindful” of the snacks brought onto campus.
“Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated as we work together to maintain the happiness and health of every student in our community,” the school said in the message to families. “Thank you for your continued partnership and support.”
The incident comes as “magic” mushrooms gain relevance in California and the rest of the country. In 2022, San Francisco joined Oakland and Santa Cruz in decriminalizing entheogenic plants and fungi.
A bill to perform a similar action, this time statewide, reached the desk of California Governor Gavin Newsom in October, but he vetoed it and urged lawmakers to add more therapeutic guidelines and a better framework in future bills.
The bill would have allowed the “possession, preparation, obtaining, or transportation” of certain amounts of some psychedelics, including mescaline and psilocybin.
Psilocybin, the compound found in most psychedelic mushrooms, has been decriminalized in Oregon and Colorado.