Mushroom dispensaries near me contain the hallucinogen psilocybin and are classified as Schedule III drugs, meaning they’re illegal to produce, sell or possess in Canada. But that hasn’t stopped shops like FunGuyz from opening in Kitchener, Cambridge and elsewhere. The store’s owners know they’re taking a risk.

But they also say the business is legitimate, and that their customers are medically supervised by psychiatrists or naturopaths. Potential members must present a letter from a health practitioner saying they need the mushroom because of anxiety, depression or PTSD. In higher doses, psilocybin can lead to strong hallucinations. But researchers are examining whether it can reduce the symptoms of a number of mental health conditions, including chronic pain, cluster headaches, obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction to opioids.

A Guide to Finding Quality Magic Mushrooms in Ottawa

The Winnipeg Police Service says it works with federal inspectors to visit these types of businesses and make sure they’re operating legally. But they haven’t issued any tickets or seized any products at the Magic Mushroom dispensary. “We’re just monitoring it to make sure they’re not selling to minors or other things,” said WPS spokesperson Const. Paul Kagan.

But there’s no evidence that police in cities such as Edmonton and Vancouver have any plans to take a tougher stance on magic mushrooms stores. That’s partly because there are bigger issues that might better use police resources, such as noise complaints, reports of sales to minors or links between the stores and organized crime. Ottawa-based drug policy lawyer Eugene Oscapella points out that some factors may play a role in how aggressively police pursue magic mushroom stores, such as how well-established they are and how much support there is for them in the community.