Cedar City man arrested for allegedly cultivating, distributing psychedelic mushrooms

Stock photo of amanita muscaria, a mushroom and psychoactive fungus | St. George News

CEDAR CITY — The Cedar City Police Department arrested a local man this week after allegedly finding a clandestine laboratory used to cultivate hallucinogenic mushrooms in his apartment.

Booking photo of Joshua Stephen Silard | Photo courtesy Iron County Sheriff's Office, St. George News
Booking photo of Joshua Stephen Silard | Photo courtesy Iron County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

According to court documents, authorities arrested Joshua Stephen Silard, 19, for cultivation of mushrooms and possession of mushrooms with intent to distribute, both second-degree felonies; and two class B misdemeanors for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Bail was set at $10,000.

Certain mushrooms can be used recreationally for their hallucinogenic effects. Often called “magic mushrooms,” they contain psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin, psilocin, or muscimol, depending on the variety.

Silard’s arrest followed a search of his apartment that began after he allegedly gave police permission to search his room. Once inside his room, Silard reportedly gave the officers illegal drugs and paraphernalia including a jar of marijuana along with a bong and pipe used to smoke it.

During the search of Silard’s dresser drawers, court records show officers located “a big baggy” filled with dried mushrooms consistent with what officers said they believed was a controlled substance. A scale was also allegedly found in the same place.

In the court record, the arresting officer wrote, “based on my training and experience the amount of mushrooms found is more than for personal use.”

At that point, Silard told officers they would need a warrant to continue the search.

After securing a warrant, officers continued searching Silard’s room and subsequently found a syringe with a liquid inside. Court documents state the suspect admitted the substance was “spores.”

Upon a further search, officers reportedly found a plastic bin with fertilizer in the bottom of it along with two additional bags of fertilizer.

Silard allegedly agreed to allow the officers to look at his cell phone and camera where they observed several photos of mushrooms being grown inside the plastic bin they had located in the suspect’s room.

In addition to finding more paraphernalia, the officers allegedly located a website on Silard’s phone identified as “Shroomery.com” that provides instructions on how to grow psychedelic mushrooms. Silard had reportedly accessed the site several times.

Court documents state Silard admitted to growing mushrooms.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews | @tracie_sullivan

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

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12 Comments

  • radioviking January 16, 2016 at 2:09 pm

    Check out why there are many in law enforcement who want to legalize drugs and end the prohibition (aka, the war on drugs, or war on human libert in the USA) which is wasting money from the tax payers, lives of law enforcers and citizens, and the court systems: http://www.leap.cc/about/why-legalize-drugs/

    .
    The USA will save precious lives and billions of dollars every year once we end prohibition laws.
    Punish violent crimes. What people do in their personal lives (millions do everyday and NEVER harm other individuals) is their right!

    • ladybugavenger January 16, 2016 at 7:32 pm

      Amen! It’s a waste of money fighting against marijuana. Start there and legalize it and make the states money from it too…that will open up the resources to fight crime and solve cases…

      • .... January 17, 2016 at 12:45 am

        What cases ?

        • .... January 17, 2016 at 1:12 am

          And which particular crime would you suggest they spend their time on ? I would like to know where Jimmy Hoffa was buried and who shot Kennedy and who was standing on the grassy knoll.

          • ladybugavenger January 17, 2016 at 3:20 pm

            Solve the identity of Jack the Ripper?

          • ladybugavenger January 17, 2016 at 7:41 pm

            And they will have so much free time they can investigate and indict corrupt public officials….ya, they will have so much time and money they can all turn on each other and I can get my popcorn and watch 🙂

      • .... January 18, 2016 at 7:07 am

        Mesaman was in London at the time..he was around when the pyramids were built

    • 42214 January 17, 2016 at 11:53 am

      Copenhagen is a real good example of legalized drugs, utter failure.

  • .... January 17, 2016 at 1:14 am

    Oh I almost forgot. see if they have time to find out who stold my neighbors garbage can

    • 42214 January 17, 2016 at 1:49 pm

      I bet Mesaman was raised on those mushrooms. It would explain alot.

      • .... January 18, 2016 at 7:04 am

        Oh so that’s what happened to my neighbors garbage can

  • mr.washington January 17, 2016 at 5:31 am

    Your telling me that I could’ve gotten shrooms in cedar instead of having to drive to Vegas twice a month to pick up

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