Amid the recent news of a face-biting slaying and an accused Chipotle-eating baby neglecter, it’s easy to forget that Florida has always been a land of weird behavior. Here’s an example from 2013, when five Florida men learned a valuable lesson: psychedelic mushrooms plus marijuana plus alligators does not equal a good time.
The Orlando Sentinel reported the June 2013 incident in which a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer found four men and a teenager in Little Big Econ State Forest near Oviedo with a bag full of narcotics. Those arrested included Rick Myers, 30; Tyler Salzman, 20; Gregory Sansota, 22; and Jacob Russell, 20. The juvenile’s name was not released, and a woman with the group was not booked.
According to the wildlife commission, the group had psilocybin mushrooms in the bag while one of the men was holding a 2-foot alligator that was “tucked into a bandana.” FWC reported that the gator was unharmed and released. FWC cautioned that having young gators could pose a problem since their bite “can transmit a bacterial infection.”
“If not treated, (the infection) can kill,” a FWC spokeswoman told the Sentinel.
The psilocybin mushrooms, which also go by the name “magic mushrooms,” have been a staple of “native rituals dating to ancient times” with the products usually eaten or brewed in water to make tea, the Sentinel story added.
The incident inspired the viral photo that read: “Do Not Feed Hallucinogens To The Alligators,” which was featured on the podcast, “DamnWeek.”
Read more at the Orlando Sentinel.
Weird Florida throwback: Psychedelic mushrooms and alligators don't mix – Palm Beach Post
