Montreal mushroom store robbed, owner says ‘we’re just getting started’

An unlicensed psilocybin mushroom store in Montreal, Quebec, Canada was raided on Tuesday’s opening day, but the mushroom store owner says he is far from done with his business venture.

CTV News Windsor reports that hours after the company opened its first location in the province of Quebec in the Sainte-Marie neighborhood of Montreal, several police officers stormed the FunGuyz (pronounced mushrooms) store. The store was raided on opening day, so the first day of sale was probably no secret. According to the police, four people were arrested, the investigation into the magic mushroom pharmacy is still ongoing.

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

“We’re just getting started and we’re hoping for word to spread,” Edgar Gorbans told CTV News Windsor. FunGuyz operates 11 other stores in Ontario, plans to open more in Quebec, and has locations near Detroit, Michigan.

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said the city will “apply the law” and that Montreal Police Force (SPVM) officers are ready to act if the store opens.

Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher said officers would keep an eye on things after the raid. “As long as it’s illegal, there’s no way I can tolerate it [it]. And I saw what he said: I’m going to keep doing all of this. We’ll see in the future,” Dagher told CTV News.

iHeartRadio reports that Gorbans intentionally spells his name differently to the media each time, and that he is aware of the risks posed by the gray area. “We have attorneys on site for these cases and we take care of our employees’ legal fees,” he said.

psilocybin for medicinal purposes

Psilocybin is being studied to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma, alcoholism, irritable bowel syndrome, and other conditions. Efforts to decriminalize psilocybin and other psychedelics are underway in Colorado, Washington, Massachusetts and cities across California.

In Canada, the law is slowly changing: On August 4, 2020, an amendment to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) went into effect, providing an exemption for the use of psilocybin for medicinal purposes. This landmark decision recognizes psilocybin’s therapeutic potential and a growing body of scientific research supporting its use in the treatment of various mental illnesses.

Individuals desiring psilocybin treatment must obtain a medical prescription from a physician licensed to prescribe controlled substances.

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

dr Houman Farzin treats cancer patients in palliative care with psilocybin support at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal and is a training committee member for the non-profit organization TheraPsil, which advocates for legal access to psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. “Through such experiences things can come up that require support. So when someone does something in an unsupported environment, those substances amplify our psyche and therefore can definitely do harm,” Farzin told CTV News Windsor. “It has done damage in the past. It has been shown to be extremely safe in clinical studies.”

To learn more about FunGuyz, visit the website.