CanadaShrooms hands on good quality magic mushrooms used to be tough not too long ago. Not only did you have to worry about getting caught, but a lot of people were afraid to even talk about it. Now, the fungi that contain the hallucinogenic ingredient psilocybin are much easier to find.

But that doesn’t mean the drug is legal in Canada. Psilocybin is considered a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The sale, production and possession of the drugs is illegal without a Health Canada exemption or special access program request.

Beyond Recreational Use: The Medicinal Aspects of Magic Mushrooms in Canada

Recently, a psychiatrist in Edmonton became the first in the country to offer psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy as part of a regular treatment regimen for patients with anxiety and depression. The therapy involves taking medical-grade psilocybin alongside counseling sessions. It’s similar to the ketamine-assisted psychotherapy offered for veterans in the U.S., but with a therapist overseeing the entire process and ensuring that participants take appropriate doses.

Meanwhile, a Vancouver-based store called FunGuyz is selling legal psilocybin mushrooms for research purposes to a small group of people. The company says it’s not a dispensary, but if it were to get busted it would face the same consequences as cannabis retailers. The owners of the store want to take their case all the way to federal court, and they’re confident they will win.

Josh Crabb is a reporter with CBC Manitoba. He has worked in news since 2005 and has covered a wide range of stories. He has covered everything from Manitoba’s wildfires to the war in Ukraine, and is currently based in Winnipeg.