Parsons reports that 23-year-old Joshua Adam Stiltner, was stopped on Highway 58 near the top of Powell Mountain, coming back into Lee County, with an ounce of mushrooms. Parsons said the bust was based on an informant’s tip.
Parsons said the mushrooms had been dried, bagged, and prepared for sale. He said the street value of the drug runs around $1,000. Mushrooms are an uncommon drug for the region, according to Parsons, and can only be grown under certain conditions. They are native to Mexico and parts of South America and can only be smoked or ingested.
According to www.drugfree.org, mushrooms have “hallucinogenic principles” that can cause distorted perceptions, nervousness and paranoia, and even fears of insanity or death. In Central America, the “magic” mushrooms were often used in native rituals for thousands of years.
A schedule 1 drug is the highest classification in Virginia, which are the most dangerous drugs and have no medicinal purposes, according to Parsons. A schedule 1 conviction is a felony. Maximum jail time for the conviction runs up to ten years and a fine of up to $2,500.
Stiltner is being held at the Duffield Regional Jail on a $1,000 bond.
Stephen Woodward is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. He may be contacted at swoodward@middlesborodailynews.com.
This is a bunch of bull! You can murder someone or rape an underage girl and get less time than this!
Psilocybin mushrooms.
They were often used in religious ceremonies dating back thousands of years.
There may be medical uses for them as treatment of OCD and OCD associated depression as they have been shown to cause complete, immediate long term remission, as opposed to the current drugs available.
Unfortunately, like so many possible cures for debilitating diseases, they have a bad reputation from past abuse, which seems to scare researchers away any meaningful controlled studies.
Just my two cents worth...;)