RCMP officers in the Queen Charlottes and Vancouver Island have not arrested mushroom pickers this year, but the fungi can be dangerous, particularly for those picking Psilocybe semilanceata, also known as Liberty Cap mushrooms, that grow in wet pastures. The slender, bitter-tasting mushrooms contain psilocybin, an hallucinogen, and the federal government lists it as a restricted drug under the Food and Drug Act. Read more https://northcoastremedies.com/magic-mushrooms-vancouver/

At a mushroom shop in Osborne Village, customers are greeted by a minimalist interior with magic mushroom art and books about the drug. They can also buy hemp lip balm and stoner-centric comic books that the owners penned themselves.

Psychedelic Paradise: A Guide to Magic Mushrooms in Vancouver

Owner Dana Larsen says he and his wife opened the store last year because they wanted to help people who struggled with mental health issues, addictions or end-of-life distress. He also aims to dispel the stigma associated with psychedelic drugs and help people understand that a bad trip doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll become addicted.

Some users experience flashbacks, where they relive a drug-induced portion of their trip months or even years later. Others can experience severe anxiety or panic attacks, including intense paranoia. In rare cases, a bad trip can cause death.

The Osborne Village shop is just one of many mushroom shops popping up across Canada, as a wave of psychedelics challenges existing laws on the drug. While a growing number of doctors are supporting the use of psilocybin to treat depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, the drug remains illegal for recreational or medical purposes in Canada, and the production, sale and possession of mushrooms containing psilocybin remain offences.