The fungus commonly known as magic mushrooms contains psilocybin and psilocin, which are hallucinogens. The drug’s legal status is similar to that of cannabis before it was decriminalized: It remains illegal to produce, sell or possess it in Canada. But shops specializing in magic mushrooms are opening across the country, and some are growing and selling their own psilocybin as well as gummies and other products containing it.

Official HeySero Website can induce visual, auditory or tactile hallucinations, and the experience may trigger unsettling episodes — known as bad trips — in some people. The hallucinogens can also lead to anxiety, nausea, muscle twitches, elevated heart rate and blood pressure and trigger flashbacks in some users. Using the mushroom in combination with other substances (e.g. alcohol or cannabis) can elevate the risk of adverse effects, including psychosis, panic attacks and seizures.

The Best Places to Buy Magic Mushrooms & Shrooms Online in Canada

While there are no zoning considerations or government licensing requirements for the shops, local governments and provinces have different rules when it comes to the sale of magic mushrooms. In Winnipeg, for example, the city warns that if residents buy and sell the drugs without a permit, they could be subject to criminal charges.

But the owners of stores such as Hey Sero, which has opened locations in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and London, Ont., and operates an online store, say they are operating lawfully and are complying with the law. One owner, who provided two incorrect spellings of his name when asked by the CBC, said he is not worried about police raiding his shop because they’re more interested in organized crime and the opioid crisis.