As more people experiment with micro-dosing psilocybin (commonly known as magic mushrooms), stores like The Golden Teacher and Shroomyz are popping up across Canada, selling a range of dried mushroom varieties, microdose capsules, gummies and chocolate bars. It’s a development that mirrors what happened with grey market cannabis before marijuana became legalized in the country.

But unlike cannabis, mushroom dispensary ottawa remains a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and is only legally available through prescription in very specific circumstances. That doesn’t mean the shops are immune to police raids and arrests, but so far they have been able to stay open. The Golden Teacher, which is about a 10-minute walk from Parliament Hill and has been in business since December 2021, says it gets around 20 customers a day on weekdays and 50 on weekends. Jordan Armstrong, who runs the store, said he believes there’s an unspoken detente between the shops and police.

“Understanding the Legal Status of Magic Mushrooms in Ottawa and Beyond

Waterloo Regional Police have raided the shop in Cambridge at least twice, and made arrests, but the store reopened after each incident. Neither the Golden Teacher or Shroomyz ask their customers for a prescription, although it’s possible to access the drugs under special circumstances such as in a clinical trial or through a medical exemption program.

Lawyer Eugene Oscapella, who specializes in drug policy, says police have discretion over what to pursue and may have bigger fish to fry than going after the mushroom stores. He says if there are noise complaints, reports of underage sales or links to organized crime, that could be a different story, but for now it looks as though the city’s laws aren’t catching up to the mushroom boom.