Despite legalization of weed, psychedelic mushroom shops are cropping up around the country. Some have found a foothold in Winnipeg, where the owner of a new operation hopes to destigmatize the consumption of the drugs.

Known as magic mushrooms, shrooms or psilocybin, these fungi contain the mind-altering chemical psilocybin and may cause you to see, hear or feel things that aren’t there (hallucinations). The federal drug regulator warns taking mushrooms can also lead to anxiety, fear, nausea, muscle twitches and an increased heart rate and blood pressure. URL https://3amigos.co

The business, called The Mushroom Dispensary, will send dried psilocybin mushroom powder to people across Canada who order online or by phone. They can use the powder to make a tea, cook with their food or take it in a capsule. The idea is to give people a low-dose of the drug to help with depression, PTSD or other health problems. The company hopes to become a national distributor of the product, which has been used for centuries by indigenous cultures in North America.

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But as the first psilocybin shop in Canada to open to the public, the company faces an uphill battle. The sale of the drug, which remains illegal in Canada, is being challenged by local authorities and police. Eugene Oscapella, an Ottawa-based lawyer who specializes in drug policy, says it’s unclear how police will respond to the new storefront retailers. He says they’ll likely decide if the issue is important enough to pursue, but also consider factors such as noise complaints or reports of selling to minors.