With a growing demand, evolving medical research and small but significant changes to federal drug policy, shops peddling magic mushrooms are cropping up across Canada. The stores, known as shroom dispensaries, sell fresh, dried and powdered mushrooms that contain the psychoactive chemical psilocybin and can be ingested, inhaled or injected. The owners hope to legitimize the psychedelic mushroom as an alternative to alcohol and pharmaceutical drugs. More info shroomscanada.cc

The gray exterior of Dana Larsen’s shop in Vancouver belies the mosaic of psychedelia within. The walls are adorned with Incan gods spewing fire and lightning, and shelves are lined with hemp lip balms and stoner-centric comic books — many of them penned by Larsen himself. He opened two more locations last year, citing customer demand.

But despite the demand, psilocybin remains an illicit substance in Canada. Possession and trafficking remain offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, though some shops are reporting a lack of police pressure. A spokesperson for the RCMP told Postmedia that police departments are not prioritizing raids on mushroom stores because they have to spend their resources dealing with other issues, such as organized crime and the opioid epidemic.

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But a lawyer who specializes in drug policy says that doesn’t necessarily mean the shops won’t face legal problems. Whether or not police choose to investigate them will depend on factors such as noise complaints, reports of underage consumption and links to organized crime.