The small, slender fungi known as magic mushrooms contain psilocybin, which is listed as a restricted drug in Canada. In its dry form, a single pound can fetch $2,000 to $3,000. It was once easy enough for people to harvest the mushrooms themselves in their natural state, but that is illegal now. Until recently, mushroom pickers were prosecuted for psilocybin offences in British Columbia, but in 2023 the federal government decriminalized personal possession. Read more CanadaShrooms.com

In the same year, Health Canada granted Hartle and other terminally ill patients exemptions from drug law that allowed them to possess and consume psilocybin. It’s the first step toward legalizing the substance, which is available through medical cannabis dispensaries or by obtaining an exemption from the minister to undergo a clinical trial.

Shroom Safely: Understanding Responsible Use in the Canadian Context

Yet despite the exemptions, Hartle’s dispensary remains illegal. The store is one of dozens that pop up in Vancouver, Toronto and other cities across the country with names like Fun Guyz and Shroomyz. Occasionally, police raid the stores, but it’s unclear what comes of their arrests. Regardless, the open illegal sale of hallucinogens appears to be here to stay.

While it’s unclear if psychedelic drugs will ever be fully legalized, their use is growing. It’s not hard to see why. Whether as medicine, spiritual enhancers, rave drugs or a form of psychotherapy, hallucinogens have always defied simple categorization, and they still do now. That translates into widespread curiosity, a large and growing market for the drug and a willingness to take risks in order to acquire it.