HONEY WITH PSILOCYBE MUSHROOMS - A REVIVAL OF A VERY OLD PREPARATION ON THE DRUG MARKET

In 1996 samples of suspicious honey preparations were confiscated at t he Dutch-German border. The labels on the 50 ml jars indicated that th e honey contained Stropharia cubensis (better known as Psilocybe cuben sis). The jars were filled with honey with a ca. 1 cm layer of fine pa rticles on the top. The particles were collected and subjected to micr oscopic and chemical analysis. By microscopy mushroom tissue (plectenc hym) and spores typical for the genus Psilocybe were identified in all samples. The HPLC analysis with atmospheric pressure mass spectrometr y and diode array detection revealed psilocine but psilocybine was not found. The quantitative analysis was very difficult due to the matrix problems. A search showed that the honey with Psilocybe can be purcha sed in Dutch coffee shops without any limitations although psilocine a nd psilocybine belong to listed substances according to Dutch law.