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Mushrooms are banned at the moment. Today we found out that the old, familiar truffles (the philosopher's stones / Sclerotia) however, willnot be banned by the present Ministry of Health. Also the growkits that can grow shrooms remain legal. It has to do with the difficult position the Minister of Health is in: a few lawsuits of the Dutch Smartshop Association (www.vlos.nl, www.saveourshrooms.org), and the scientific reports that reported ‘in favour’ of the psilocybine containing mushroom products.
Minister Klink (Christian Party CDA) answered to the questions of the Parliament member Joldersma (CDA) on hallucinogenic truffles and grow kits (2080910170):
Question 1: Is the message true that hallucinating truffles and grow kits are currently not covered by the ban on magic mushrooms in the Opium Act?
Answer 1: Yes.
Question 2: What is known about the health risks of hallucinogenic truffles, and these risks are similar to magic mushrooms?
Answer 2: Examination of the VWA (Food/Drug authorities) in 2002 showed that the total psilocine in samples of sclerotia of Psilocybe tampanensis (truffles) was approximately 0.3%. The other types of mushrooms by the VWA in this framework are investigated had a value between 0.5 and 0.9%. It can be concluded that truffles a lower value than mushrooms contain hallucinogenic substances.
Question 3: Are they hallucinating truffles was included in the risk analysis of magic mushrooms from the Assessment Coordination and Monitoring New Drugs (CAM)? If not, you can still rise to investigate the health risks of hallucinogenic truffles?
Answer 3: In the risk analysis of the CAM is not specifically focused on the truffles. Although sclerotia (truffles) are another substance than mushrooms, the effect is similar to mushrooms. Therefore I see no reason for a new analysis carried out only on the effects of truffles.
Question 4: Does the not placing of growkits and spores have anything to do with the official amount of illegal substances that someone can posses for his/her own use?
Answer 4: No, the not placing of growkits and spores has nothing to do with this decision. Growkits consist of containers with soil and spores of certain types of halluninogenic mushrooms. Because there are no mushrooms yet in these sets, the sets are not illegal. For the same reason, for example, poppy seeds are not covered by the Opium Act (they are available at supermarkets worldwide and they can grow opium, the basic substance for heroine).
Question 5: Do you see reason to put the growkits / spores under the Drug Act?
Answer 5: No, because of answer 4 i do not see reason to place growkits and spores under Opium Act.
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