The bright yellow storefront is hard to miss. It’s not trying to hide, and the owners have no intention of doing so either. That’s because this is not your typical cannabis retailer. It’s a place that sells magic mushrooms, and the owner hopes the storefront will spur the legalization for the hallucinogenic drug in Canada.

Magic mushrooms dispensary canada, sale and production of magic mushrooms are illegal in Canada, though Health Canada does acknowledge the psychedelic drug has therapeutic value in certain circumstances. That discrepancy is creating a loophole that’s giving retailers an opening, says Jack Lloyd, a lawyer who represents marijuana and mushroom shops.

Navigating Regulations: Understanding Magic Mushroom Dispensaries in Canada

There is a growing body of research showing psilocybin, the compound that causes the hallucinations in mushrooms, may help treat PTSD and depression. It is also being studied for its potential to reduce addiction, in treatment-resistant depression and in psychological distress in end-stage cancer patients. But despite the evidence, governments have historically similarly responded to psychedelics to how they’ve handled medical marijuana – by creating bureaucratic hurdles that deter people from buying and using the drugs.

But while a number of shops have opened across the country, many remain under threat of police raids. The chain Fun Guyz has already been raided in Windsor and London, and a spokesperson for the company is hoping that a court case in London will change those laws. He declined to speak to CBC News for fear of reprisal, but he said the lawsuit will argue that the law violates freedom of thought and religion under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.