A chain that sells illegal hallucinogenic mushrooms is opening a Montreal location this week, risking a police raid and the arrest of its employees. The store, FunGuyz, advertises itself as a medical dispensary that sells mushrooms and other products containing the psychoactive compound psilocybin. The production, sale and possession of magic mushrooms is banned in Canada, with the exception of certain medical contexts that require special permission from Health Canada. Read more northcoastremedies.com
Psychedelics can be powerful and life-changing, but the experience is not for the faint of heart. They can bring about a variety of effects, including changes in perception, mood and cognition. Psilocin binds to serotonin receptors in the brain and alters neural signaling. This can lead to visual distortions, enhanced colors and a sense of introspection or interconnectedness.
Shrooming in the City: Where to Find Magic Mushrooms in Montreal
One of the founders of the company, Edgar Gorbans, says the mushrooms are therapeutic and his goal is to speed up the process for their legalization. He says he’s inspired by the path that cannabis took to become legal in Canada.
But Houman Farzin, a physician at Montreal Jewish General Hospital who uses psilocybin as part of psychotherapy with cancer patients in palliative care, disagrees. He says the mushroom industry could cause problems similar to the ones that the marijuana market faced in its early days, when it was used by people without proper training.
But he believes if the psychedelic industry is regulated correctly, it can be a long-term wellness play. And he points out that, like CBD, a legal substance now available in pharmacies, psilocin can be an integral part of the future of mental healthcare.