There’s no hiding what’s being sold inside Shroomyz Dispensary in downtown Toronto. A giant rainbow mushroom covers the windows, with a sign below inviting customers to “walk into a new reality.”
The shop is one of three locations the company has in Ontario, and there are plans to expand further.
“We are operating a medical protest,” James, who would only give his first name as what he and the others who work at Shroomyz are doing is illegal, told CTV National News.
“We are here to give the public easier access than having to go to street dealers,” James said. “It’s a safer alternative.”
Magic mushroom dispensaries are popping up in cities across Canada, with customers ranging from those looking for treatment for depression or PTSD to people wanting to “micro-dose” a small amount of psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound in magic mushrooms.
A Shroomyz locations was raided by Toronto police on Nov. 13, 2022, a couple of months after it opened. Two men were arrested and charged with drug and trafficking related offences. The store re-opened two days later.
“We all know the risk that’s here,” James said. “It’s all fighting for the cause, to legalize it.”
While the situation is in some ways reminiscent of when cannabis retailers set up shop before marijuana was legalized in 2018, Health Canada says there are no plans to legalize or decriminalize psilocybin products.
“Health Canada is aware of increasing interest in the potential therapeutic uses of psilocybin,” the federal agency wrote in a statement, adding “there are no approved therapeutic products containing magic mushrooms or psilocybin in Canada or elsewhere.”
While legislative and regulatory changes are not planned, there also appears to be little effort to stop people from opening dispensaries and selling products containing psilocybin.
It’s a frustrating situation for Thomas Hartle, who has Stage 4 cancer that’s terminal. In 2020, the Saskatoon man became the first person in Canada to legally gain access to psilocybin-assisted therapy to help deal with his end-of-life anxiety.
“I don’t really know when the end is going to come for me,” Hartle told CTV National News. “And there isn’t really anything I can do about that. The looming nature of that gives me really bad anxiety, as you might imagine.”
Hartle says traditional medication helped take “the peaks” off the anxiety, but they also numbed him to other emotions like joy and love, things he wants to experience with his family as much as possible. For him, psilocybin-assisted therapy helped ease his anxiety without compromising other emotions.
But his legal exemption for psilocybin expired more than a year ago, and Health Canada has not responded to his renewal application. As he waits for a legal way to obtain psilocybin he’s watching an illegal market grow.
“It seems a push in the wrong direction, to be encouraging Canadians to do something illegal,” he said.
Hartle and six others are taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of the current controlled substance status of psilocybin, calling it a roadblock to health care. Hartle says he could access doctor-assisted death in a matter of weeks, yet is being prevented from accessing a drug that could improve the life he wants to keep living.
“It has taken 400 or 500 days to try to get access to a therapy that will improve my quality of life,” he said.
Health Canada says the best way to access psilocybin is through a clinical trial, of which a number are being conducted. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto just began a three year clinical trial looking at whether psilocybin can be an effective treatment for mental health issues like depression without the psychedelic effect.
While other studies have shown some promising results, CAMH clinician scientist and psychiatrist Dr. Ishrat Husain says much more “robust science” is needed to determine the safety of psilocybin.
“I’m concerned about the increase in access to psilocybin and other psychedelics,” Dr. Husain told CTV National News. “We don’t know who it’s helpful for, who it’s safe to use in. And you often don’t know what you’re getting when you’re getting it from these dispensaries.”
Some argue legalizing psilocybin would lead to more regulation and a safer drug supply, pointing to the legalization of cannabis as a roadmap. But Dr. Husain says there are key differences, especially given the psychedelic nature of psilocybin.
“I don’t see it becoming a product that would be suitable for personal consumption,” he said. “My view is that it will be hopefully a treatment option because we definitely need more, but it will probably be delivered at places like CAMH with the proper support.”
But with thousands of Canadians experimenting with “micro-dosing,” the shops and websites supplying them magic mushrooms have no plans to stop.
“We are trying to give accessibility to the people who need it,” said James.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
A female shooter wielding two 'assault-style' rifles and a pistol killed three students and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville on Monday, authorities said. The suspect also died after being shot by police.
A pair of Saskatchewan sisters have been granted bail after spending almost 30 years in prison for what they describe as a wrongful conviction.
Toronto MP Han Dong says he is taking legal action over a media report that alleged he spoke to a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 about delaying the release of two Canadians detained in China at the time.
The Calgary Fire Department says at least 10 people were injured in a 'sudden and devastating' explosion in the city's northeast on Monday that completely destroyed one home.
Dramatic video shows a loose tire crashing into a vehicle and launching it several feet into the air on a Los Angeles freeway.
The appreciation and respect shown by the public after two Edmonton Police Service officers were killed in the line of duty has not gone unnoticed, their families said in a statement ahead of the regimental funeral on Monday.
Whether it's gas, food or booze, consumers can expect to pay more for these goods next month. Two of the biggest changes include the federal carbon tax will increase to $65 per tonne of greenhouse emissions, up from $50, and the federal beverage alcohol duty that will increase by 6.3 per cent, which both come into effect on April 1.
Flying over the Grand Canyon was a highlight for the Gellisen family during their trip to Phoenix, but their flight home to Toronto was a much different experience, with several family members forced off of the flight over tensions related to a teen's wheelchair.
CTV W5 speaks with members of the comedy industry, including Russell Peters, for a wide-ranging look at how political correctness and 'cancel culture' has changed the world of stand-up comedy.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. Watch W5's 'Something in the Water' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. An interactive map and chart on W5.CTVNews.ca shows where in Canada these asbestos cement pipes are being used.
An Ontario couple has filed a request with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) to appoint a new police force to investigate the death of their 17-year-old son Benjamin, who died during a hockey team-bonding event in September 2019.
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in CTV W5's 'What Happened to Ben,' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in 'What Happened to Ben' on CTV W5.
The RCMP knew about a potential cocaine shipment from the Dominican Republic to Toronto aboard a Canadian charter flight but inexplicably allowed the crew that discovered and reported the drugs to be detained for months without intervening, a W5 investigation has revealed.
CTV W5 investigates what authorities knew about plans to smuggle cocaine out of the Dominican Republic on a Toronto-bound Pivot Airlines flight. The airline's crew is demanding justice following their eight-month detention.
Politicians and advocacy groups are speaking out following the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old boy a Toronto subway station on Saturday.
Ontario’s minister of health says the province will not reverse the decision to end funded health care services to the uninsured.
A truck driver has pleaded guilty to careless driving causing the death of a 65-year-old animal rights activist.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is in Ottawa today with a schedule that includes meeting with the mayor, officials from the National Capital Commission and attending the Senators game against the Florida Panthers.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
Despite delayed decision-making by parliamentarians, Canada's massive renovation of Parliament Hill's Centre Block is being effectively managed so far, according to a new audit. However, 'rigorous' cost management will be needed as the work proceeds, cautions auditor general Karen Hogan.
An Innisfil woman faces charges for allegedly driving impaired and speeding 70 kilometres over the posted limit in Bradford West Gwillimbury.
A Barrie resident who has been playing the lottery for 40 years is celebrating winning $50,000 with Instant Crossword.
A passenger accused of assaulting a Barrie Transit driver, kicking a police officer and damaging a bus faces multiple charges.
Stratford police are praising a cashier at a St. Marys Foodland that recognized a case of fraud and helped stop it.
A truck driver has pleaded guilty to careless driving causing the death of a 65-year-old animal rights activist.
Police say four men entered the home armed with airsoft guns.
The victim of a suspicious death in London over the weekend has been identified and police have now deemed the incident a homicide.
A man is recovering in hospital after being hit by a vehicle in London early Monday morning.
A 61-year-old has been charged with stunt driving after police stopped them allegedly driving more than double the speed limit in Central Elgin.
Windsor police say an active investigation in the Walkerville area has been resolved.
A Windsor mother said she had “butterflies in her stomach” when she arrived at the OLG Prize centre to spin the wheel, winning big with $500,000.
A 23-year-old man has been arrested after Windsor police say he used a Taser during an altercation with employees at a downtown grocery store.
Police say they have found the sixth and seventh bodies inside a building in Old Montreal that burned down 11 days ago and do not expect find any more victims. With the death toll now expected to remain at seven, police said they can begin to focus their efforts on finding the cause of the deadly March 16 fire.
Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel is proposing the bonuses paid to nurses — which are set to expire next Thursday — be extended at least through June.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
After nine days with no answers, a Moncton-area woman is asking for the public’s help in finding her missing brother, Brian Lewis.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
A woman who was the subject of an emergency alert in Nova Scotia Sunday night turned herself in to police and was released without charge.
Manitoba’s new park reservation system is launching on Monday.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
Nearly five years after the legalization of marijuana in Canada, one local cannabis retailer feels Manitoba should be more proactive and flexible when it comes to regulating pot sales in our province.
The Calgary Fire Department says at least 10 people were injured in a 'sudden and devastating' explosion in the city's northeast on Monday that completely destroyed one home.
The appreciation and respect shown by the public after two Edmonton Police Service officers were killed in the line of duty has not gone unnoticed, their families said in a statement ahead of the regimental funeral on Monday.
Officials have announced another of the artists set to take the stage when the Cowboys Music Festival returns this summer.
The appreciation and respect shown by the public after two Edmonton Police Service officers were killed in the line of duty has not gone unnoticed, their families said in a statement ahead of the regimental funeral on Monday.
On March 27, a regimental funeral will be held for Edmonton Police Service Constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan who were killed in the line of duty on March 16, 2023.
The procession for two Edmonton police officers who were killed in the line of duty is scheduled to leave the Alberta Legislature grounds toward Rogers Place at approximately 11:45 a.m.
A drag story time event for children that was postponed earlier this month in Nelson, B.C., is at the centre of multiple investigations into suspected hate crimes, according to local police.
A new survey is highlighting safety concerns among women living in the tent encampment on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, with every respondent reporting they have been victims of violence, including sexual assault.
A fire in Vancouver’s Chinatown neighbourhood on Sunday evening is being investigated as suspicious.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
Despite delayed decision-making by parliamentarians, Canada's massive renovation of Parliament Hill's Centre Block is being effectively managed so far, according to a new audit. However, 'rigorous' cost management will be needed as the work proceeds, cautions auditor general Karen Hogan.
Toronto MP Han Dong says he is taking legal action over a media report that alleged he spoke to a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 about delaying the release of two Canadians detained in China at the time.
Hershey Co. is looking to reduce 'trace' amounts of lead and cadmium in its chocolate, chief financial officer Steve Voskiul told Reuters on Wednesday, after Consumer Reports found that some dark chocolate bars had potentially harmful levels of the heavy metals.
A growing number of Muslim doctors and psychologists are trying to bridge the gap between faith leaders and worshippers with eating disorders, who say they face marginalization when trying to access support within their own communities, as well as in the public health system.
Another harmful substance is spreading within Canada's unregulated street drug supply and, without more aggressive intervention from policymakers, one expert says a growing number of people could be at risk of serious illness, injury or death.
The Webb Space Telescope has found no evidence of an atmosphere at one of the seven rocky, Earth-sized planets orbiting a nearby star.
Scientists now say they know outerspace object ‘Oumuamua is, and the answer is more simple than some previous theories have suggested.
The recently rolled-out bot dubbed Bard is the internet search giant's answer to the ChatGPT tool that Microsoft has been melding into its Bing search engine and other software.
Oscar-winning actor and producer Reese Witherspoon and her talent agent husband Jim Toth said on Friday they had made the 'difficult decision to divorce.'
The Fox News producer who accused the right-wing network of pressuring her into giving misleading testimony in the Dominion defamation case has been fired, she disclosed in new court filings.
The man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 skiing collision at one of the most upscale resorts in North America took the stand Monday, saying he was rammed into from behind and sent "absolutely flying."The trial in Utah hinges on who crashed into who.
North Carolina-based First Citizens will buy Silicon Valley Bank, the tech industry-focused financial institution that collapsed earlier this month, rattling the banking industry and sending shockwaves around the world.
Trains, planes and public transit systems stood still across much of Germany on Monday as labour unions called a major one-day strike over salaries in an effort to win inflation-busting raises for their members.
Strength in the financial and utility sectors helped Canada's main stock index move higher in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were mixed to start the trading week.
Some 200 protesters gathered beneath Rio de Janeiro's world-famous Sugarloaf Mountain to protest the ongoing construction of ziplines aimed at boosting tourism, alleging it will cause unacceptable impacts.
This past week, Parks Canada opened up its reservation system for the 2023 season, offering places to stay, hikes to take and national historic sites to visit across the country. According to three experts, here's where to travel this summer.
Japanese chef Tomoya Kawada has achieved a feat no other restaurateur has before; he's created the world's only three-Michelin-star Chinese restaurant in a non-Chinese-speaking city.
Tereza Vanisova scored 4:23 into overtime, and the Premier Hockey Federation's Isobel Cup is heading to Canada for the first time in its eight-year history following the Toronto Six's 4-3 win over the Minnesota Whitecaps on Sunday night.
Cristiano Ronaldo is feeling at home again. It took only two games for him to make his peace with Portugal's national team and show he is not done impressing at the international level just yet.
LeBron James said he visited the 'LeBron James of feet' to evaluate his injury -- and now he's back on the court.
The federal auditor general says two-thirds of people with disabilities encountered barriers on federally regulated planes and trains in 2019 and 2020, and is highlighting a lack of consultation and enforcement by agencies involved.
Germany and the European Union announced Saturday that they have reached an agreement in their dispute over the future of cars with combustion engines, allowing the registration of new vehicles with such engines even after 2035 provided they use climate-neutral fuel only.
A new survey conducted by Research Co. found that the majority of Canadians support tying speeding ticket fines to income, otherwise known as ‘progressive punishment.’
