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Officer Michael D’Alesandro was on patrol in the area of Riverside Avenue and Copeland Avenue when he spotted an older model Honda Accord without any functioning brake lights, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said.
Sgt. Philip Reina joined his colleague at the stop and spotted a bag with several caps and stems of the well-known psychedelic on the front floorboard, Auteri said.
Grown wild or cultivated, so-called magic mushrooms the naturally-occurring psychoactive and hallucinogenic compound psilocybin.
It's classified as a Schedule I drug, which means it's not an accepted drug for medical treatment in the U.S. and has a high potential for misuse.
"The active compounds in psilocybin-containing 'magic' mushrooms have LSD-like properties and produce alterations of autonomic function, motor reflexes, behavior, and perception," the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported.
"The psychological consequences of psilocybin use include hallucinations, an altered perception of time, and an inability to discern fantasy from reality," the NIDA noted. "Panic reactions and psychosis also may occur, particularly if a user ingests a large dose. Long-term effects such as flashbacks, risk of psychiatric illness, impaired memory, and tolerance have been described in case reports."
At the same time, research has shown they can be used to treat mental illness and disorders.
A new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology tied psilocybin to a decreased likelihood that a user would commit a crime.
SEE: Psilocybin Use Associated With Lowered Odds Of Crime Arrests In US Adults
Cities such as Denver, Ann Arbor and Santa Cruz have decriminalized "shrooms," meaning they won't spend resources on criminal cases against those found carrying them.
Oregon two years ago became the first state to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy to treat certain medical conditions, similar to the use of medical marijuana. Other states have since begun considering doing the same.
Lyndhurst police charged Heriberto Caban-Perez, 20, with drug possession and released him. He also got a summons for the equipment malfunction.
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