As cannabis shops have opened across Canada, mushroom stores have also sprung up to serve customers ranging from those suffering depression and PTSD to people just looking to micro-dose. These shops have become known as “magic mushroom dispensaries” even though psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound in magic mushrooms, is illegal to sell and possess under Canadian law.

One of the first mushroom dispensaries in Ottawa  to open in Toronto is called Shroomyz. Inside, it’s a lot like any other weed store in the city with an entrance you buzz into, ID checks, knowledgeable staff and Apple Store style display cases with carefully arranged products. Shroomyz’s regional district manager, who would only give his name as James, says the store is operating a kind of medical protest.

Magic Mushrooms in the Capital: Exploring Ottawa’s Psychedelic Renaissance

He explains that before legalization in 2021, the only way to purchase cannabis was by prescription. Now, Health Canada has cleared the way for some seriously ill patients to receive prescriptions for psilocybin. But that hasn’t stopped people from opening up shopfronts to sell it on the black market.

In Ottawa, the Golden Teacher and a recently opened Fun Guyz are among the shops selling the illicit drug. Despite mayor Jim Watson telling the CBC that they should shut down, the shops remain open and thriving. CBC News visited the new Fun Guyz location on Dalhousie Street, which has only been open a week, to get a behind-the-scenes look at how they operate. They ask customers to fill out a liability form, self-diagnose themselves and pay in cash before they can buy anything.