magic mushroom dispensary aren’t as well known as marijuana, but that doesn’t mean they’re less available. Thanks to growing demand, evolving research and small changes in drug policy, stores selling magic mushrooms are popping up across Canada — a trend that resembles what happened before cannabis legalization.
A New Era of Healing: Inside Magic Mushroom Dispensaries
At his store in Winnipeg, owner Dana Hermida has found a way around the law. He sells Amanita muscaria, which don’t contain psilocybin, so they’re not regulated. But he treats and cooks the mushrooms to reduce their toxicity before he packages them into capsules, gummies and powders. He also offers mycology growth kits to allow customers to grow their own mushrooms.
Like all drugs, psilocybin can have negative side effects. Often, these are psychological (such as anxiety or depression) or physical, including nausea or stomach upset. But in the right conditions, psilocybin can be used for spiritual journeys or to alleviate chronic pain and trauma, according to studies.
Darren Lyman is one of those who believe in the healing power of magic mushrooms. His squat, gray-clad shop is decorated with mosaics of psychedelia and shelves lined with hemp lip balms and stoner-centric comic books. He sells mushrooms openly, advertising in the Westword and accepting phone orders. After you call ahead, he’ll sit you down and explain the various strains, such as “Knobby Tops” or the blue-streaked Penis Envy, before letting you choose your own.
He’s hoping that police, regulators and governments see mushroom sales through the same lens they saw with marijuana. It took years of public debate, lobbying and bill amendments to make pot legal in New Jersey. But he thinks the same process could be faster for magic mushrooms.