Montreal Shroom Shop Raided, Owner Says ‘We’re Just Getting Started’

An unlicensed psilocybin mushroom shop in Montreal, Quebec in Canada was raided during its opening day Tuesday, but the shroom shop owner says he’s nowhere near done with his business venture.

CTV News Windsor reports that several police officers descended on the FunGuyz (pronounced fungi’s) shop hours after the company opened their first location in the province of Quebec in Montreal’s Sainte-Marie district. The shop was raided during its opening day, so day one of sales was likely not a secret. Four people were arrested, police say, and their investigation into the shroom dispensary is ongoing.

FunGuyz sells products containing psilocybin, which remains illegal in Canada. At FunGuyz, shrooms were sold in 7-, 14-, or 28-gram bags of dried mushrooms labeled by the strains Golden Teachers, Blue Meanies, African Pyramid, Amazonian, Penis Envy, and so on. Microdose psilocybin options for most of the strains of shrooms are available as well in 50, 100, or 200 micrograms. They also sell psilocybin-infused gummies, chocolate, tea, and other products.

“We’re just getting started and we hope that the word gets out,” Edgar Gorbans told CTV News Windsor. FunGuyz runs 11 other stores in Ontario, plans to open more in Quebec, and has locations close to Detroit, Michigan.

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said that the city would “apply the law” and that Montreal police (SPVM) officers would be ready to act if the store were to open.

Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher said officers will be keeping an eye on it following the raid. “For me, as long as it’s illegal, there’s no way I’m going to be able to tolerate [it]. And I saw what he said, going to keep opening, all that. We’ll see in the future,” Dagher told CTV News.

iHeartRadio reports that Gorbans spells his name to the media differently each time intentionally, and that he’s aware of the risks of operating in the gray area. “We have lawyers in place for these instances and we take care of lawyer fees for our workers,” he said.

Psilocybin for Medical Purposes

Psilocybin is being explored for the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma, alcoholism, irritable bowel syndrome, and other medical conditions. There are efforts to decriminalize psilocybin and other psychedelics in Colorado, Washington, Massachusetts, and cities throughout California.

In Canada, the law is slowly changing: On August 4, 2020, an amendment to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) came into effect, allowing for an exemption regarding the use of psilocybin for medical purposes. This landmark decision acknowledges the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and a growing body of scientific research supporting its use in treating various mental health conditions.

Individuals seeking psilocybin treatment must obtain a medical prescription from a healthcare professional authorized to prescribe controlled substances.

It’s also being explored for its benefits for people battling cancer such as reducing the stress of MRIs, and in this case, at a nearby hospital in Montreal. 

Dr. Houman Farzin treats cancer patients in palliative care with assistance from psilocybin at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, and is a member of the training committee for the non-profit organization TheraPsil, advocating for legal access to psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. “Doing these sorts of experiences can bring out things that require support. And so if someone does something in an unsupported environment, these substances are amplifiers of our psyche and so it can definitely cause harm,” Farzin told CTV News Windsor. “It has caused harm in the past. In the clinical trial setting, it has been proven to be extremely safe.”

To learn more about FunGuyz, visit the website.

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