Shrooms Trends in Canada for 2023
Magic mushrooms are the rising star of the psychedelic movement in mental health and wellness. Psilocybin, the major hallucinogenic chemical found in over 180 mushroom types, has shown promising outcomes for disorders such as depression, anxiety, and drug and alcohol addiction, which have long proved resistant to conventional medical therapy.
A July study published in Nature indicated that those who ingested psilocybin mushrooms in small amounts—a practice known as microdosing—reported better moods and mental health. Similarly, popular media coverage of this substance as a tool for self-optimization, such as Louie Schwartzberg’s Fantastic Fungi documentary and Michael Pollan’s book How to Change Your Mind (now a buzzy Netflix series), has helped broaden acceptance.
But who gets to profit from magic mushrooms—and how they do so—remains a critical question. According to Data Bridge Industry Research, the global pharmaceutical psilocybin market, headed by businesses such as Johnson & Johnson, is expected to reach $6.9 billion by 2027.
Canada is a key player in this multi-billion dollar business, and psychedelic culture has really taken root here.
Patients Are Urging Ottawa to Regulate Magic Mushrooms as the Black Market Expands
Thomas Hartle was one of the first Canadians to acquire a federal exemption to use magic mushrooms to treat symptoms of his stage-four colon cancer a few years ago, and he was praised for it. But, not long after the landmark ruling, Mr. Hartle claims that legal access to the medicine has been “shut down,” even as the illegal market flourishes.
“The only places where I really run into problems are with the Minister of Health himself and with Health Canada being resistant to moving forward with opening the avenues of this,” Thomas said in an interview.
Psilocybin, the hallucinogenic chemical generated by mushrooms, is illegal in Canada. However, preliminary clinical trials are underway to determine its efficacy in treating mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
The drug, which is listed on Schedule III of the Controlled Substances and Substances Act, can only be obtained legally through a federal minister’s exemption, as part of a clinical trial, or through a special access program that allows physicians to request it for patients suffering from serious or life-threatening conditions.
However, psilocybin may be purchased at a rising number of brick-and-mortar shops openly selling magic mushrooms in some places, including Vancouver, Toronto, and Ottawa. A web search for such products reveals that they are widely available for delivery to Canadian homes.
Mr. Hartle was among a small group of patients, many of whom had terminal illnesses, who were granted permission to take psilocybin by former health minister Patty Hajdu in 2020.
The exemptions under Canada’s drug law did not allow patients to purchase or legally receive psilocybin, but they did allow their medical practitioners to utilize it for treatment without breaking the law.
“I would like this therapy to be medicalized so that it’s a treatment, [so] that your doctor can just give you a referral to a professional who is qualified and experienced and who has access to a safe supply,” said Mr. Hartle.
Early clinical trials exploring psilocybin yielded “promising findings,” according to Health Canada, but more research is needed, and “the best approach for patients to receive psilocybin is through participation in a clinical trial.”
Despite Health Canada’s claim that dozens of ministerial exemptions were granted last year, more than a hundred requests, including Mr. Hartle’s remains outstanding.
Quebec was the first province to announce in December 2022 that it would provide insurance coverage for the costs of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy.
Vancouver Updates
Vancouver has been a hub for the psychedelic movement since it began years ago. It’s where the majority of the magic mushroom movement is and where really high quality magic mushrooms are grown and harvested for national as well as international use.
Michelle Lhooq reports in a Businessweek article published in August 2022 that black-market mushroom dispensaries are developing in Vancouver, where hard drugs will soon be decriminalized, making the city an important testing ground for larger policy reform. In other cities where mushrooms have been decriminalized, such as Oakland, California, and Portland, Oregon, more discreet businesses have appeared. It’s all part of a larger campaign to decriminalize and eventually legalize substances like psilocybin mushrooms, allowing everyone access.
Commercial sales are still banned in the United States and Canada, but these clandestine businesses operate through loopholes such as religious freedom exemptions, gifting programs, and pop-up events. Anonymous identities openly advertise heavily branded items on social media, where digital vendors thrive.
“It’s crazy what’s happening,” says Alli Schaper, co-founder of Multiverse, an online marketplace for legal businesses selling nonpsychoactive, or adaptogenic, mushrooms. “There are a thousand [psychedelic] microdosing brands selling on Shopify, and even though it’s very illegal, they’re just going for it, seeing if they get caught.”
Other industry insiders describe an increase in communal circles where psychedelics are given by underground healers, as well as pop-up farmers markets and “seshes”—secret events where guests pay an entry fee and can buy mushrooms directly from growers.
It’s clear that there is a lot of promise for the full legalization of psychedelics like magic mushrooms in Canada. This has and is mainly being pushed forward by the public, which in turn made many medical practitioners see the reason for this, and now doctors are pushing for the legalization of psilocybin to be used in therapy for patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and other such disorders. There is so much scientific proof published now about the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin that it’s only a matter of time before the Canadian government and the Ministry of Health catch up.Please take a look at our online shrooms dispensary and check out our many different strains of high quality dried shrooms, as well as microdosing capsules and shrooms edibles! With express shipping and secure payment options online, getting what you need from Get Magic Mushrooms is a safe and convenient choice.