The Ultimate Mushroom Dispensary Guide for Canada
Disclaimer: Psilocybin is still technically illegal in Canada. Please use at your own risk.
Written by Edan Armas.
Long gone are the days of sketchy dealers and Canadian Tire parking lots.
If you are struggling with your mental health, looking to boost your creativity, or just want to see what all the hype is about, it’s more possible than ever to acquire magic mushrooms in Canada.
In fact, you don’t even have to leave your house. Many dispensaries are completely online and will ship anything from edibles to tinctures to whole, dried mushrooms in 1-3 business days.
Read on for an ultimate list of psilocybin mushroom dispensaries in Canada.
What We Cover
Are magic mushroom dispensaries legal?
In Canada, psilocybin mushrooms are illegal. They are a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, making the possession, cultivation, and sale of mushrooms grounds for arrest.
However, at the time of this writing, there are nearly a hundred (that we know about) online and local magic mushroom dispensaries operating in full view of the law. They sell a variety of products, from tinctures to edibles to dried mushrooms. Some, like Dana Larson’s Medicinal Mushroom Dispensary, even sell other psychedelics, such as LSD analogues and DMT.
How is this possible? Short answer: law enforcement have bigger fish to fry.
The Canadian cannabis industry paved a road for psychedelics. Leading up to its legality in 2017, the plant was sold all over the country in cannabis dispensaries that claimed a “legal grey area.” Mushroom dispensaries are claiming the same. However, mushrooms are illegal according to federal law, and dispensaries could, theoretically, be shut down or raided at any time.
(Example: According to the CBC, The Mushroom Cabinet in Hamilton, ON was shut down within two days of being opened. They arrested two people and confiscated mushrooms as evidence.)
But, like cannabis, the undeniable therapeutic potential of psychedelics has been branded into the mainstream public’s consciousness. The distrust and fear that made them illegal in 1974 has been replaced with an earnestness to receive their mental health and spiritual healing properties. Compared to the blatant destruction of opioid abuse, which law enforcement clearly wants to mitigate, the persecution of mushroom dispensaries is not worth the expense.
We could see legalization of psilocybin in the next few years—whether recreational or medical psilocybin gets legalized remains to be seen. But British Columbia will decriminalize a range of substances for three years starting in 2023, and Health Canada has granted several s.56 medical exemptions to patients with terminal illnesses.
What are some of the different kinds of magic mushrooms you can buy?
Across local and online dispensaries, there are a wide range of mushroom strains and mushroom products that you can buy.
However, unlike cannabis, almost all psilocybin mushrooms produce more or less the same effect. Variation in the mushroom experience is caused by the environment in which you take them, your emotional and mental state, and your biology.
By and large, most psilocybin products will contain one species of mushroom: Psilocybe cubensis, or “cubes.” Within this species, there are dozens of strains. We’ll list the five most popular strains that we sell here at Ritual Relief.
If you’re interested in growing your own shrooms or trying a different species, check out our comprehensive guide to mushroom strains.
Penis Envy
The phallic-shaped Penis Envy mushroom is considered one of the most powerful strains of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms. It was created through modifications by mycologist Richard Gee, using spore prints collected from a batch of cubensis gathered by psychonaut Terrence McKenna in the Amazon in the 1970s. This super shroom, which can’t be found in the wild, is often 50 to 100% stronger than the average cube. While a one-gram dose of regular cubensis may provide a pleasant and creative experience, a one-gram journey with Penis Envy could be significantly more intense.
Golden Teachers
The Golden Teacher mushroom, known for its distinct golden caps and slender stems, is a popular strain of P. cubensis. In a recent study conducted by citizen scientists at Oakland Hyphae in California, Golden Teachers ranked sixth in terms of potency among a selection of around 60 different P. cubensis strains, with Penis Envy, Amazonian cubensis, and Tidalwave coming in as more potent. At Ritual Relief, we use Golden Teacher mushrooms in all of our products.
Amazonian
The Amazonian cubensis mushroom is a strain that was cultivated from the rich plant life of the Amazon rainforest. Known for their hollow stems, these mushrooms are able to grow quickly and reach large sizes. In a study conducted by the Oakland Hyphae team, Amazonian cubensis was ranked as the third most potent strain of P. cubensis.
Costa Rican
Costa Rican cubensis was collected from the Arenal volcano in Costa Rica. Its potency ranges from low to high depending on its growing conditions, but no official efforts have been made to measure it.
Cambodian Gold
Named after the Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat, Cambodian Gold cubensis is a popular choice among mushroom cultivators due to its adaptability and ability to produce large quantities. However, its potency has yet to be thoroughly analyzed, similar to that of Costa Rican cubensis.
Where can I buy Mushrooms?
In Canada, you have two choices: online and local dispensaries.
Online dispensaries make the transaction seamless. Just like you would on Amazon or your favorite clothing store, you hop online, select the products you want, and sometimes just an hour later, mushrooms arrive at your door.
Local dispensaries, if there is one near you, offer the convenience of being able to browse and ask questions to the people behind the counter, who are often nurses or experienced psychonauts. The shopping experience resembles that of a cannabis shop—however, in some dispensaries, you are required to join a membership, sign a waiver, and self-diagnose the reason why you need mushrooms.
Below is a list of the major online and local magic mushroom dispensaries in Canada.
Online Dispensaries
Ritual Relief
With over 15 years of research and development, Ritual Relief has created everyday products infused with three active mushrooms for the purposes of microdosing AND macrodosing. You can purchase tinctures, teas, chocolates, gummies, capsules, and fresh dried mushrooms (which are organic by the way!).
What separates Ritual Relief from other dispensaries is that you can also purchase bundles that come with a specially designed journal. Psychedelic healing and optimization are nothing without consistent integration, and our journals ensure that you make the most out of your mushroom experiences. Our Microdosing Ritual Box, for example, comes with a journal and the following:
- Daily Ritual Caps
- Black Cherry Microdose Chews
- Daily Ritual Microdose Tincture
- Dry Fruit – Golden Teachers
- Daily Ritual HIGH Tea
Organic Shroom Canada
Organic Shroom Canada, based in Calgary, has been around locally since 2015. The psychedelic boom has migrated the company onto the online world, where they offer a wide variety of products, each containing exclusively organic mushrooms. They ship extremely quickly: within 1-3 business days.
Most dispensaries offer different strains of Psilocybe cubensis, but Organic Shroom Canada also offers other species, like Blue Meanies and Psilocybe mexicana. Some interesting products include mushroom hot chocolate, pure psilocybin distillate, and legendary mycologist Paul Stamet’s microdosing stack that includes lion’s mane and niacin.
Compassion in Motion
Compassion in Motion (CIM) is one of Canada’s oldest cannabis delivery services, established in 2005. They are First Nation-owned and channel their heritage into their products. Both their cannabis and mushrooms are grown locally in BC without artificial pesticides or additives, and are enhanced by the company’s reverence towards the spirits of these plants.
CIM is unique in that they offer at-home cannabis and mushroom consultations. A member of the company will come to your home and provide a fun and engaging educational presentation of their products. They also offer catering services for weddings and parties, replacing the standard alcohol bar with a mushroom and canna-bar that is beautifully laid out with candles, and they even offer free gifts for the hosts.
West Coast Cali
West Coast Cali is a cannabis dispensary that prides itself on high-quality, premium cannabis products. They’ve recently moved into selling mushroom products, primarily for microdosing. You can buy chocolates, capsules, or gummy chews.
Three Amigos
Three Amigos was started by three friends whose lives were transformed by the power of psilocybin mushrooms. They offer more than 20 different strains of dried Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms and a diverse array of mushroom teas and edibles.
Three Amigos differentiates itself from other dispensaries in its partnership with Thrive Counseling in downtown Vancouver. Three Amigos customers get direct access to Thrive, which offers psychedelic integration services.
Dose.land
Dose is a collective of herbalists, cultivators, and psychedelic practitioners that services all of Canada. Its community-first approach showcases psychedelic journeys and detailed information for new and experienced users alike.
Dose land carries products from west coast suppliers and offers a wide range of products including: edibles, dry fruit, capsules, and merch.
PVRE
PVRE is your one-stop shop for all your cannabis, mushroom needs. They offer a wide variety of craft growers at amazing prices. With mix & match sales on the regular, PVRE makes sure it carries everything someone needs for a night out or in.
Local Dispensaries
British Columbia
Fungi Shop
925 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC
As small and subtle as Liberty Caps, the Fungi Shop has excellent Google reviews and is female-owned. They sell edibles, teas, and candies, primarily at microdosing dosages.
The Medicinal Mushroom Dispensary
651 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC
The Medicinal Mushroom Dispensary is the first mushroom dispensary in Canada, created by Dana Larson. This dispensary separates itself from the rest by providing additional psychedelics, like DMT, liquid LSD, peyote, San Pedro cactus, and coca leaf, the plant derivative of cocaine. Like Zoomers, you must register as a member to buy their products.
The Medicinal Mushroom Dispensary shares its psychedelic wares with a bookstore and a coffee shop, making it more than just a dispensary. Although you can’t use your purchased products in the store, you can think of the shop as a “third place”: a comfortable spot between work and home to relax, read, or congregate with friends.
Shroom House
2869 Commercial Dr Vancouver
Shroom House is a boutique store located just off Commercial Drive and offers a straightforward, simplistic menu of products. They are open from 10 am – 11 pm and offer online live support for customers. They primarily supply their own in-house dried fruit but also carry teas, capsules, and gummies.
Zoomers Dispensary
1181 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC
Compared to the subtlety of Forest, Zoomers is loud and proud. With an enormous yellow storefront and bold, psychedelic fonts, the shop is among the first mushroom dispensaries to pop up in Canada.
To purchase the wide array of chocolates, gummies, and dried mushrooms, you must first become a member. This process involves registering online with a photo ID and a letter of recommendation from your doctor, naturopath, or traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. If you don’t have a health professional who can write you a letter, Zoomers’s in-house naturopath can do so.
Relax in the Forest
579 West Pender, Vancouver, BC
Relax in the Forest, or Forest, opened in 2021, and despite its covert website, the shop sells numerous products in downtown Vancouver. They are community-oriented, inspired by the vast, interconnected mycelial networks that expand beneath our feet. On their website, they feature several Spotify playlists that can compliment your mushroom journey.
Alberta
Medical High
401 9 Ave SW, Calgary, AB
Located in Denver-esque downtown Calgary, Medical High is a cannabis dispensary that now provides mushroom products. They offer same-day delivery—between one to two hours— throughout the city, and they offer a wide range of high-quality mushroom products, such as chocolate bars, sexual healing capsules, and gummies. Medical High also offers numerous different strains of dried Psilocybe cubensis, such as Penis Envy, Golden Teacher, and Daddy Long Legs.
Ontario
Shroomyz Dispensary
488 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON
363 Preston Street, Unit 1, Ottawa, ON
With locations in Toronto and Ottawa, Shroomyz is a colorful and high-vibe dispensary that exclusively carries psilocybin products, including dried mushrooms, gummies, chocolate bars, and tinctures. They deliver across Ottawa, and they have all kinds of deals, like 10% storewide on Sundays.
The Golden Teacher
399 Dalhousie Street, Ottawa, ON
The Golden Teacher brands itself as a mushroom-based wellness center, with cream-colored walls and adobe shelves. On their website, you can shop “by purpose”—introduction to microdosing, creativity and perspective shifters, social highs and confidence lifters, and adventures and awakenings (also labeled as TRIPPING).
The shop doesn’t just sell psilocybin products. In addition to a variety of functional mushrooms, like chaga, reishi, and lion’s mane, Golden Teacher sells mushroom socks, mushroom oracle cards, and capsule machines to organize your microdoses.
Canada Wide
Cheapdabs
Cheapdabs is predominantly an online cannabis site, but they do have some mushroom products available, such as gummies and caps. Most of their mushroom inventory is for dried fruit
The Future of Mushrooms in Canada
The future of psilocybin mushrooms and mushroom dispensaries in Canada is bright. With the loosening of restrictions, blooming clinical trials, and increasing public awareness, it’s likely that we will see full legalization of psilocybin mushrooms in the next decade. Many provinces may follow the example set by Oregon in the US, which officially begins this year in 2023.
As the legal landscape for mushroom dispensaries in Canada continues to evolve, it’s important to remember that if you choose to buy mushrooms, you must form a relationship with them. Psychedelics are not drugs—they are vehicles for transformation, and should be treated as such. Respect the mushrooms, understand the potential risks, and consult with knowledgeable experts.
If you’ve never done psychedelics before, we recommend starting with microdosing. You can choose edibles, tinctures, or you can grind dried mushrooms up into capsules. If you’re ready to expand your consciousness and initiate a significant personal transformation, Ritual Relief offers five different mushroom strains for you to choose from.
Whether you choose to microdose or macrodose, a journal is a must. Recording your thoughts and feelings in an organized way ensures that you make the most of your psilocybin experiences, that you integrate. We hope you dig deep, reflect, laugh, and get back to really living.
3 Comments
Jordan
April 3, 2023 at 6:37 amWhether you’re a seasoned mushroom enthusiast or just getting started, this guide has something to offer.
Svetlana
April 3, 2023 at 7:40 pmOne thing I appreciate about this guide is the depth of information provided for local places!
Serg
April 3, 2023 at 7:42 pmGreat guide, awesome to see more dispensaries popping up!