A person in North Dakota died after consuming recalled microdosing candies that are linked to illnesses across the country, the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday.

The death is under investigation by state agencies, the poison control center and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA published a recall on June 28 of some Prophet Premium Blends Diamond Shruumz products. The products include microdosing chocolate bars, infused cones and micro-dose and mega-dose/extreme gummies.

The products are marketed as containing a proprietary blend of mushrooms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of July 1, 48 illnesses, including 27 hospitalizations, have been reported in 24 states, according to the CDC. North Dakota is the only state where a death is being investigated, the agency said. One person has been reported getting sick, according to the CDC.

North Dakota officials are warning the public because the recalled products could still be available for sale online, in stores that sell hemp-derived products, or in smoke and vape shops, said Michelle Dethloff, director of the infectious diseases and epidemiology unit.

The products are not illegal in North Dakota but they are not licensed or regulated by the state, Dethloff said.

Retail locations in Montana, including two places in Yellowstone County, were selling the products, and they’re available online.

State officials would not provide specifics about when or where in North Dakota the death occurred or the person’s age, citing privacy reasons. The person who died is an adult, Dethloff said. The exact cause of death remains under investigation.

The cases of illness reported nationwide have been severe, Dethloff said. Symptoms reported include seizures, loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness, abnormal heart rates, high or low blood pressure, nausea and vomiting.

People who suspect poisoning can call the Poison Center at 800-222-1222.

This story was originally produced by the North Dakota Monitor which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, including the Daily Montanan, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. 

Darrell Ehrlick in Montana contributed to this report.

New Economic Frontier, which is behind the push to legalize marijuana in North Dakota, said on Tuesday that the campaign had gathered enough signatures to place the initiative on the November ballot, reported Marijuana Moment.

The deadline to submit the signatures to the state is Monday, July 8.

“After months of hard work and incredible community support, we are ready to submit our collected signatures at the North Dakota State Capitol,” New Economic Frontier said in an email on Tuesday.

Chairperson Steve Bakken, a Burleigh County commissioner and former mayor of Bismarck, said last week that the signatures have been self-validated so far.

“Once we know the bill is going to be on the ballot, then it turns into opportunities to talk about what cannabis can do for North Dakota from a judicial and law enforcement perspective,” Bakken said, according to Minot Daily News. “There’s a lot of different layers on this, and giving the public the information to make their own decision as a voter is vitally important.”

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Campaign organizers said in June that the initiative was on the verge of hitting the goal. “With 15,179 signatures collected so far, we are nearing our goal of 15,582 required signatures,” representing 2% of the state’s population, the campaign announced in a press release.

However, a new poll showed most North Dakota voters don’t want legal marijuana. More precisely, 57% of those asked said they oppose the recreational cannabis reform, while 43% are in favor, according to a survey of 500 likely voters completed by Opinion Strategies on behalf of the Brighter Future Alliance.

Under the measure, personal recreational marijuana use at home would be legal for adults over 21. The measure also proposes setting up a regulatory framework for the production and processing of cannabis as well as prohibited uses.

Bakken explained that the group behind the legalization campaign want to avoid “the Wild West” other states have experienced after enactment of similar laws, nor does it seek an “unfettered recreational law in North Dakota. It’s very important to us that the state can regulate it, have oversight, license it, tax it how they see fit.”

Previous efforts in 2018 and 2022 to legalize recreational cannabis in North Dakota failed.

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FARGO — On Sunday, June 30, a silver alert was issued for 84-year-old Alpha “Al” Ault who went missing in Morton County. The man was safely located near Huff Hills.

“When somebody’s missing, we always utilize the same amount of resources. So an aircraft, a bloodhound who is trained to track people, a lot of law enforcement agencies, volunteer organizations,” said North Dakota Highway Patrol Sergeant Jenna Clawson Huibregtse.

Huibregtse says it doesn’t matter if you’re qualified or not to search. It matters when you pay attention to what the alert says.

“Look at the clothing description, what that person might be driving and be the eyes and ears for us out there,” Huibregtse said. “Because the public is across the whole state, and we are just, you know, in a few select areas as law enforcement officers.”

She says almost every missing person is found by a community member before police, especially in rural parts of North Dakota.

“We’re typically finding people within five or 10 minutes, somebody gets the alert on their phone and they’re right in the right place at the right time,” Huibregtse said.

If you’re that person who finds an elder that may be at risk of wandering, the Alzheimer’s Association urges you to approach them calmly, then call police.

“Just ask them, you know, ‘Are you doing OK? It looks to me that you may be lost. Can I help you?’ And then ask them their name, ask them where they’re coming from,” said Alzheimer’s Association North Dakota Program Director Joan Danks.

With that information, Danks says you’ll be to help keep that elder safe until police arrive.

“Six in 10 people living with dementia will wander at least once, and many people do so repeatedly,” Danks said. “So it’s very common, and it can also be very dangerous — even sometimes life threatening. And that stress of this risk really does weigh heavily on caregivers and family members.”

They say it’s never too late to report a missing person if you find them.

If you’re a caregiver or family member looking for help to reduce the risk of wandering, you can enroll into the

Alzheimer’s Association’s wandering response service online for free.

My name is Anne Sara, better known as Sara.
I was born an only child in Port-au-prince, Haiti and moved to the U.S at the age of 2.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is where I was raised.
After graduating with my bachelor degree at Albright College, I moved to Florida to continue my studies.
WDAY is the reason why I moved to North Dakota.