Reality of ayahuasca retreat revealed as police, health experts warn of hallucinogen dangers

Adelaide mum Sophia turned to illicit hallucinogens after her divorce. Now, health authorities and police are ramping up against the dangerous drugs.

Social media platforms are being used to deal hallucinogenic “magic mushrooms” to a growing number of vulnerable South Australians, prompting warnings the drugs could be laced with other, dangerous illicit substances.

A leading expert says platforms like Meta and TikTok are contributing to a resurgence in recreational use of hallucinogenic drugs – particularly among young people - with an Advertiser investigation unearthing illegal psychoactive drug retreats across the country.

‘Magic mushrooms’ — also called ‘shrooms’ — contain chemicals psilocybin and psilocin which can cause hallucinations and alter a person’s thinking, sense of time and emotions.

Under new regulations that came into effect on July 1, Australia became the first country to legalise the use of psilocybin for depression that has resisted other treatments.

But SA Network of Drug and Alcohol Services executive director Michael White warned the move could be “normalising” use of the dangerous drugs, inadvertently encouraging some to experiment illegally.

Adelaide mother-of-three Sophia* turned to an illegal psychoactive drug retreat after experiencing a traumatic divorce, thinking a powerful hallucinogen could help ease her pain.

Dealers are using social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to sell illicit drugs to vulnerable South Australians. Picture: Supplied

“I’m not a party girl at all — at that time, I was actually completely sober — but this was sold to me definitely like therapy, it almost didn’t feel like it would be a ‘trip’,” she said.

All communication for the event was done through an encrypted platform, with an email warning the “sacred medicine” is “not for the faint-hearted or flippant”.

The sacred medicine in question was ayahuasca, a South American psychoactive beverage that is illegal to possess, use, make, sell or import the hallucinogen in Australia, with its active ingredient — dimethyltryptamine — illegal in all states and territories.

Ayahuasca retreats are held by invite only across Australia.

Attendees are asked to avoid illicit drugs, pharmaceuticals and alcohol for a minimum of two days before and after the ceremony, and asked to “refrain from orgasms and sexual activity” for the same time period.

Those taking antidepressants are banned from attending.

When Sophia arrived she was taken to a “teepee” structure, where the 35 attendees set up their bedding in a ring around a number of candles in the middle of the room. But Sophia said the experience was far from relaxing.

“There were people next to me who were not having a good experience. You purge with (the drug), so they were vomiting and sh*****g themselves,” she said.

“To be honest, most of the time I was just feeling uncomfortable and thinking: ‘Oh my God, what is this’.

“You know in Alice in Wonderland where the flowers have faces? It was like that.”

The accounts were removed following enquiries by The Advertiser to Meta. Picture: Supplied

While Sophia escaped her experience unscathed, for others, hallucinogenic retreats have been fatal.

Earlier this year, a Melbourne mother went into cardiac arrest and died after ingesting a psychedelic drink believed to contain magic mushrooms during an overnight event in regional Victoria.

“I wouldn’t do it again and I wouldn’t recommend it to other people,” Sophia said.

“You can’t just hallucinate your way through a traumatic life, there’s no silver bullet.”

Data from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-23 showed more Australians were now consuming hallucinogens than ecstasy, opioids or meth, while a 2024 report found 70 per cent of participants were using social media to buy illicit substances.

An investigation by The Advertiser found a number of accounts on Meta-owned platforms Facebook and Instagram purporting to sell illicit mushrooms to SA buyers — but Mr White said non- prescription substances purchased online posed significant risks.

While deaths by magic mushrooms are “extremely rare”, he warned the drugs could be laced with other substances.

In June, an urgent health warning was issued when a South Australian teenager collapsed after eating contaminated mushroom gummies, which were believed to be laced with cannabis products.

“You don’t know that (dealer’s) qualifications and you have no way of substantiating the quality of the mushrooms they’re getting or where they’re getting them from,” Mr White said.

“We’re seeing a lot of substances on the web sold with additives or contaminants, like very strong opioids, methamphetamine or other drugs.”

SA Police says proactive policing measures are in place to prevent the online and physical sale of illicit drugs. Picture: Supplied

Following enquiries by The Advertiser, A Meta spokesperson said the accounts had since been disabled and any content that promoted the buying or selling of non-medical drugs was prohibited and removed when found.

They said proactive detection technology was used to find content that violated its policies.

Mr White, who has been a vocal advocate for the South Australian government to follow in the footsteps of other states and introduce pill testing, urged anyone thinking of taking the drugs to reconsider.

“People who are experimenting themselves, they’ve got no idea whether or not they’ve got the right mushroom, what the strength of the mushroom is or its potency,” he said.

“From a risk management point of view, we urge people who buy stuff off the web to stop putting themselves at risk.”

Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (DASSA) Director Dr Willy Liaw said potential adverse effects of hallucinogens included panic, paranoia, confusion, and long-term psychological changes such as flashbacks or hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD).

“Hallucinogens affect individuals differently and a person may have different experiences on different occasions,” Dr Liaw said.

“Their unpredictable and potentially dangerous effects, especially from synthetic forms, have led to strict legal controls.”

SA Police Serious and Organised Crime Branch detective superintendent Shane Addison said police were aware that illicit drugs were sold on a variety of online platforms and were active in disrupting drug deals, both online and physical.

“It is concerning that drugs are sold in the community in both online and physical environments where young people have a strong presence,” Mr Addison said.

“Drug trafficking in both physical and online environments pose a threat to community safety and police are committed to adopting innovative practices to disrupt and apprehend people who sell or traffic controlled drugs.”

Following enquiries by The Advertiser, A Meta spokesperson said the accounts had since been disabled and any content that promoted the buying or selling of non-medical drugs was prohibited and removed when found.

They said proactive detection technology was used to find content that violated its policies.

Mr White, who has been a vocal advocate for the South Australian government to follow in the footsteps of other states and introduce pill testing, urged anyone thinking of taking the drugs to reconsider, or do so in extremely small doses.

“People who are experimenting themselves, they’ve got no idea whether or not they’ve got the right mushroom, what the strength of the mushroom is or its potency,” he said.

“From a risk management point of view, we urge people who buy stuff off the web to stop putting themselves at risk — but, if they’re going to do that, start slow and go low. Take a quarter of the dose and then wait an hour.”