Quick answer: No. Georgia is one of two states (with Idaho) that ban mushroom spores outright, possession included. The state’s “dangerous drug” list, O.C.G.A. § 16-13-71(b), names “Mushroom spores which, when mature, contain either psilocybin or psilocin.” Section 16-13-72 makes it unlawful to sell, give away, distribute or possess a dangerous drug outside licensed channels, and § 16-13-79 makes a violation a misdemeanor.
No reputable vendor ships Psilocybe spores to Georgia, and neither do we.
Intended use and disclaimer. We sell Psilocybe cubensis spore syringes for microscopy, taxonomy and educational use only, and we do not ship them to Georgia. This page is general information, not legal advice; only a lawyer licensed in Georgia can tell you how the law applies to you.
In this guide
- What Georgia law says
- What a “dangerous drug” is in Georgia
- Misdemeanor, not felony
- The mushrooms themselves
- Any reform in Georgia?
- What it means if you live in Georgia
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
What Georgia law says
Three sections of the Georgia Code work together.
- § 16-13-71(b) is Georgia’s list of “dangerous drugs.” Deep in that list, among hundreds of numbered entries, is: “Mushroom spores which, when mature, contain either psilocybin or psilocin.” (It appears as item (627) in the current code; the number shifts as the list is amended, so cite the words, not the number.)
- § 16-13-72 makes it “unlawful for any person to sell, give away, barter, exchange, distribute, or possess in this state any dangerous drug” except as the article allows — that is, through licensed manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacists, physicians and similar channels.
- § 16-13-79(a) sets the penalty: “Any person who violates this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.”
Taken together, these laws mean that possessing or selling psilocybin-producing mushroom spores in Georgia is a misdemeanor, and there is no microscopy exception.
Note the phrasing “when mature.” Georgia does not claim the spores contain anything. It bans them for what they would contain later, which is the same approach Florida took in 2025. It also means the ban is limited to species whose mushrooms contain psilocybin or psilocin; spores of culinary species are not dangerous drugs.
What a “dangerous drug” is in Georgia
Georgia keeps two separate lists. Article 2 of Chapter 13 is the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, with Schedules I through V; psilocybin and psilocin are Schedule I there (§ 16-13-25). Article 3 is the “Dangerous Drug Act,” and its § 16-13-71 list is mostly prescription medicines — antibiotics, blood-pressure drugs and thousands of others — that are legal with a prescription and illegal to distribute without one.
Mushroom spores are on the second list, not the first. The practical effect is that Georgia treats spores like a prescription-only product that no one can lawfully prescribe, rather than like a Schedule I drug. That is why the penalty is a misdemeanor rather than the felony that applies to the mushrooms themselves.
Misdemeanor, not felony
Several websites, including at least one widely cited legal guide, describe Georgia’s spore offense as a felony. The statute says otherwise: § 16-13-79 makes any violation of the Dangerous Drug Act a misdemeanor. In Georgia a misdemeanor carries up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000 (§ 17-10-3).
The felony that people are thinking of belongs to the mushrooms. Psilocybin is a Schedule I controlled substance in Georgia, and possessing, manufacturing or distributing it is a felony under § 16-13-30.
The mushrooms themselves
Germinating spores in Georgia is manufacturing a Schedule I substance, a felony, on top of the misdemeanor for the spores. Nothing about Georgia’s spore ban changes the status of the mushrooms; it adds a smaller offense on top of the felony.
Any reform in Georgia?
No. No Georgia city or county has passed a psilocybin deprioritization measure, and the Reason Foundation’s 2025 and 2026 state policy roundups, which track every psychedelic bill filed nationally, list nothing from Georgia. As of September 2026 the spore listing reads the way it has for years.
What it means if you live in Georgia
- Vendors will not ship Psilocybe spores to you. Every vendor that follows the law refuses Georgia addresses, and so do we. Any vendor that ships spores into Georgia puts you at risk of a misdemeanor charge.
- Possession is covered. Unlike Florida, whose statute names only the seller and shipper, Georgia’s § 16-13-72 names possession.
- Culinary species are unaffected. The listing is limited to spores that “when mature, contain either psilocybin or psilocin.”
- Non-spore products ship normally. Our lab supplies and merchandise are not dangerous drugs.
For the picture in every other state, see our state-by-state guide.
For a neighboring state, see our guide to South Carolina.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to possess mushroom spores in Georgia?
Yes. Section 16-13-72 makes it unlawful to “possess in this state any dangerous drug,” and psilocybin-producing mushroom spores are on the dangerous-drug list.
Is it a felony or a misdemeanor?
A misdemeanor, under § 16-13-79 — up to 12 months and $1,000. The mushrooms themselves are a Schedule I felony.
Why are spores a “dangerous drug” instead of a controlled substance in Georgia?
Because the legislature put them on the Dangerous Drug Act list (§ 16-13-71) rather than in the controlled-substance schedules. The listing bans them for what they “when mature” would contain.
Can I order spores from out of state and have them shipped to Georgia?
Reputable vendors will refuse. Distributing a dangerous drug in Georgia is an offense for the sender, and possession is an offense for the receiver.
Are gourmet mushroom spores legal in Georgia?
Yes. Only spores of species that produce psilocybin or psilocin are listed.
Has Atlanta or any Georgia city decriminalized psilocybin?
No. No Georgia jurisdiction has passed a deprioritization measure, and it would not affect the state spore listing if one did.
Is there a research exception like California’s?
The Dangerous Drug Act allows distribution through licensed channels such as manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacists and physicians. There is no microscopy or hobbyist exception.
Sources
- O.C.G.A. § 16-13-71 — Dangerous drugs list (Justia, 2025 code)
- O.C.G.A. § 16-13-71 (FindLaw)
- O.C.G.A. § 16-13-72 — Unlawful sale, distribution or possession of dangerous drugs
- O.C.G.A. § 16-13-79 — Penalty (misdemeanor)
- DEA letter on the federal status of spores (January 2, 2024, PDF)
- Reason Foundation, State Psychedelics Policy Roundup (March 2026)
Not in Georgia?
We ship to the 46 states where spores are legal. Our Psilocybe cubensis spore syringes are 10 cc syringes filled in our ISO-7 cleanroom. Orders placed by 1 p.m. Eastern on a weekday ship the same day. You get free shipping on orders over $100, up to 40% off with our 3-, 5- and 10-packs, and a 30-day warranty. They are sold for microscopy and taxonomy use only.
