A new retail operation has added a psychedelic vibe to Osborne Village. It’s one of several mushroom therapy vancouver popping up across the country as more Canadians turn to psilocybin for its supposed mind-sharpening properties. But, while cannabis is legal for most users, psilocybin is still illegal and these shopfronts are operating in a grey area.

The owners of this particular storefront, which Kagan says is a “test run,” hope to use the same model as Canada’s first pot cafes. It’s not open to the public and has no business name listed, but it does offer a variety of dried and edible mushrooms for customers to purchase. Customers must also show identification to prove they are over 19.

Kagan says the store is not selling magic mushrooms for recreational use but for the therapeutic effects psilocybin has on some people. He believes the mushroom industry is growing so quickly because a lot of people are looking for alternatives to opioids and other hard drugs.

Navigating the City’s Psyche: Magic Mushrooms in Vancouver

Mushroom picking, or a walk in the forest to find these wild fungi, is a popular pastime for many people in the temperate regions of Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia. People pick the common button mushrooms and other species for food or to enjoy their psychoactive properties.

But, even if you are a seasoned mushroom hunter and know what to look for, the laws around these psychedelics are complicated. For example, mushrooms containing psilocybin, like the ones in this photo of a Psilocybe baeocystis, are classified as Schedule III substances under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, making their possession, sale and production illegal.