In an unusual story out of Norwalk, a 25 year old man is facing charges for a home growing operation of psychedelic mushrooms. While the popularity of hallucinogenic mushrooms has come and gone over the years, Police Captain Richard Conklin states he is seeing a resurgence of the fungus.

The suspect in this case was reportedly growing the mushrooms within his apartment where police found around $3,000 worth of the drug. The man had also allegedly sold LSD and ecstasy to undercover investigators over the period of this investigation.

According to the Connecticut Post, “Police found syringes filled with mushroom spores, a sterile containment box, an area for hatching mushrooms, and several ounces of hallucinogenic mushrooms” in the home. Apparently, the suspect told guests at his home that the mushrooms were actually being grown for gourmet restaurants.

He now faces a variety of charges including 5 counts of possession of a hallucinogen, 4 counts of sale of a hallucinogen, and one count each of: manufacturing a hallucinogen, operating a drug factory, and possession of a hallucinogen with intent to sell. At the writing of this post he is being held on a $10,000 bond.

Hallucinogenic drugs like LSD, mushrooms, and ecstasy carry particularly harsh sentences. For your first possession offense you can be sentenced to up to 5 years in jail. This means the suspect in this particular case faces 25 years for the 5 counts of possession alone.

Intent to sell a hallucinogen carries an additional 15 years in prison for your first offense, not to mention an additional $50,000 in fines. Generally, charges like “Intent to sell” and “Manufacturing” carry far more severe penalties than possession.

It is easy to see how one incident can lead to numerous criminal charges and a very long prison term. Whether you are facing drug charges like these or a simple marijuana charge, I can help.

Contact me today to discuss the charges and evidence against you.