Accused 'Magic Mushroom' Grower Takes Trip to Jail

While Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies have shut down a number of illegal marijuana grow houses in recent months, it’s not everyday law enforcement officers stumble on a mushroom production facility inside a home.

That, however, is what Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies say happened around 5 p.m. Wednesday. It seems a deputy was conducting a neighborhood survey following a burglary when a smashed sliding glass door was noticed at 3450 Palencia Drive, No. 2304.

“Upon clearing the residence, the deputy observed multiple bins containing Psilocybin mushrooms, which were being cultivated,” an email to media from the sheriff’s office said.

That sighting prompted detectives to obtain a search warrant. When they returned with warrant in hand, they found 63.9 pounds of “cultivating mushrooms, 29.9 grams of loose mushrooms, 35.9 grams of marijuana, three cellphones, four glass pipes with residue, a scale, $3,330 in cash and a 12-gauge shotgun,” the email said.

Timothy Lizardi, 25, was subsequently arrested. He was charged with manufacture of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana over 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia.

See Also:

• Underground Grow House Unearthed in Florida
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Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as “shrooms” and “magic mushrooms,” are considered a controlled substance in the United States, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency states in a fact sheet. The mushrooms are generally eaten or consumed as tea and are known to promote “hallucinations and an inability to discern fantasy from reality. Panic reactions and psychosis also may occur, particularly if a user ingests a large dose,” the DEA states.

Lizardi was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail Wednesday evening and remained there Thursday afternoon in lieu of $7,000 bond, according to jail records.

Photos courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office