As more psychedelics move from the fringe to the mainstream, entrepreneurs like Cote see a lucrative opportunity. His company, Wake, is among a handful of for-profit startups that are raising money to stake their claim in the “magic mushroom” space. Their goal is to treat depression, PTSD and end-of-life dread with the hallucinogenic drugs — while avoiding the stigma of illegality. Go here https://magicmushroomsdispensary.ca/

Inside a dark room at Fun Guyz, a new illegal magic mushrooms dispensary that opened in Kitchener, Ont., this week, customers eagerly browsed a selection of sealed mushrooms and mushroom-infused gummies and drinks. The shop is the latest in a chain of dispensaries that has expanded across Ontario and in places like London and Windsor, where police raided them only to find them open again days later.

Legalization and Decriminalization: The Changing Status of Magic Mushrooms

The owner, Carlos Hermida, a former politician who helped push through medicinal marijuana in Florida, also sells mycology growth kits that could allow customers to grow their own magic mushrooms, though he asks them to sign a form saying they won’t. He says he’s prepared for a regulatory crackdown and plans to add more strains.

His storefront is a little more low-key than some of the other psychedelic shops that have sprung up around the country, such as Colorado’s first licensed psilocybin service center. It’s a small space with wind chimes, a tie-dye mattress and a display of mushrooms sorted by color, size and place of origin. There are also edibles, tinctures and capsules with a variety of doses, from less than one gram to more than $200 for an ounce.