Although the production, sale and possession of magic mushrooms are illegal in Canada, the Funguys company plans to open a shop selling the drug on Monday in Montreal.
Near the Jacques-Cartier bridge, a former tattoo parlor clearly displays its new colours. Magic mushroom shop, we read in the window, where mushrooms with psychedelic colors are drawn.
This is FunGuyz’s 12th store in Canada, with all others located in Ontario, according to the company’s website.
The owners of these businesses claim to be activists for the legalization of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms.
We are fighting and we will not give upa spokesperson for FunGuyz, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Radio-Canada. Those who get in the way deprive the people of Quebec of safe access to psilocybin. The online demand we get from Quebec is already phenomenal.
This type of drug is popular in recent years for its therapeutic effects. Studies, many of which are still ongoing, are considering using it to treat ailments such as otherwise intractable depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
However, its long-term effects remain poorly understood.
Shops already popular
According to the company spokesperson, it is already easy to get magic mushrooms in the metropolis. There are hundreds of online stores where you can order. The difference between buying in our store and online is that on the site customers can chat with us and learn about the product.
For the company, the game plan is clear.
We will stay in the shop. Our windows will be covered. We will not sell to anyone under the age of 19. And customers will need to sign a waiver.
Such businesses have multiplied in recent years in cities such as Toronto and Vancouver. They have been subject to seizures and prosecutions by the police, but still manage to maintain a storefront.
What will be the reaction of the SPVM on Monday? The mystery remains for now. However, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante’s office indicates that while she supports decriminalizing mere possession of drugs, the law will need to be enforced.
In a gray area
Last week, Australia became one of the first countries to allow the medical use of psilocybin.
The Australian Health Agency has deemed it relatively safe to consume this hallucinogen in a medically controlled setting under certain circumstances.
In Canada, the medical use of psychedelic drugs such as magic mushrooms is now licensed, but only in clinical trials or with special clearances.
Health Canada mentions on its website that it has not approved any psilocybin-containing therapeutic products. Clinical trials are the most appropriate and effective way to advance research on unapproved drugs like psilocybin while protecting the health and safety of patients, the federal agency said.
While some initial clinical trials have shown promising results, the evidence is currently limited.
Taking magic mushrooms can make you see or hear things that aren’t there, anxiety, fear, nausea, and muscle spasms with increased heart rate and blood pressure, adds Health Canada.
According to Jean-Sébastien Fallu, a professor at the University of Montreal’s School of Psychoeducation, the situation feels like deja vu. A parallel can be drawn between magic mushroom shops in Canada and cannabis dispensaries when the drug was not legal.
It’s kind of inevitable, which is to say it’s the same trajectory again, notes the professor. We have seen “compassion clubs” selling cannabis before legalization, initially under therapeutic pretexts. After that, it became a bit more silliness, I would say, as consumption reasons.
(Radio-Canada from 07/08/2023)
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