While marijuana is legal in Canada Shrooms, psilocybin-containing mushrooms remain a controlled substance. Despite this, the illicit drugs are increasingly available at brick-and-mortar shops like Canada Shrooms.

Amid psychedelic paintings and drug war posters, Canada Shrooms is one of several illegal psychedelic mushroom stores that have opened in the wake of Canada’s legalization of weed. On a sparse stretch of Vancouver’s East Hastings Street, the store stands out with its lurid blue and pink fungi illustrations and its menus that offer microdoses of psilocybin, shamanic journeys, and shroom kits, among other offerings.

Growth and Regulations: The Canadian Perspective on Magic Mushrooms

Inside, the shop’s legally dubious offerings include a number of fungi (some dried and others in their edible form) along with peyote, kratom, and Bolivian coca leaf products. Those items are sold in addition to “psychedelic mushroom teas” and other psychedelic-inspired drinks. A barista takes orders behind a counter that offers snacks like mushroom and peyote sandwiches.

Despite the fact that the store sells a number of illegal substances, the owners say they have had no issues with law enforcement or city hall. They hope that as they continue to operate and educate people about the potential benefits of the drugs, regulators, law enforcement and government will begin to see their operation as a legitimate way for people to get access to psilocybin.

The store’s founders, who say they work closely with Health Canada to understand the potential effects of psychedelics, want to work with the Canadian government to help establish regulations for medically supervised use of MDMA and psilocybin. They believe this could expand treatment options for people with debilitating mental illness.