ROGERSVILLE — A Church Hill man arrested last year with five ounces of psilocybin mushrooms was sentenced Friday to eight years by Judge John Dugger.
Edgar Marshall Presley, 59, 195 Okolona Road, Lot 10, Church Hill was arrested during a Jan. 25, 2011 raid on his home in which Hawkins County deputies seized five ounces of the "psychedelic" mushrooms, as well as four baggies of marijuana with a combined weight of about 3 ounces, and several pills including Clonazepam and Xanax.
Other items seized from Presley’s home included digital scales, a marijuana grinder, rolling papers and pipes.
Presley pleaded guilty Friday to possession of Schedule I narcotics (the mushroom) with intent to deliver, which is a Class B felony; as well as possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. Aside from the eight year sentence Presley was also fined $4,225.
During a search of Presley’s home, deputies reported finding seven quart-sized baggies containing a total of approximately 5 ounces of the "psychedelic mushrooms which sell on the street for about $150 per ounce.
Psilocybin mushrooms — also known as "magic mushrooms" — are classified as a Schedule I narcotic by the federal government.
Schedule I narcotics are determined by the federal government as having a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and there is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.
The mind-altering effects of psilocybin mushrooms are comparable to LSD and can include hallucinations; changes to the audio, visual and tactile senses; and heightened emotional sensitivity.
The only other Hawkins County arrest for trafficking psilocybin mushrooms this century occurred in 2004 and resulted in an eight-year prison sentence for the defendant.
