While marijuana and ecstasy were decriminalized in Canada last year, magic mushrooms weren’t. This is despite the fact that the federal government classifies them as Schedule I drugs, alongside heroin, fentanyl and cocaine, and they have hallucinogenic properties.

Yet, Shrooms Online Canada is now legal in some brick-and-mortar stores across the country and online, thanks to an exemption under Canada’s drug laws that allows healthcare professionals to request access to the substance on behalf of their patients. And while microdosing — which involves taking small doses of psilocybin to achieve an altered state of consciousness — has been a fringe practice in the world of Silicon Valley insiders and psychedelic enthusiasts, searches for the word on Reddit have doubled since 2018, as more and more Canadians begin to explore the experience.

The Ultimate Guide to Buying Shrooms Online in Canada

At a grow-op in a dark room of a generic office building in Burnaby, mycologist John Hume inoculates spores on a tray of blue growth medium while dressed in a lab coat. He’s part of a movement that hopes to bring fully legal, regulated mushroom growing and consumption to Canada.

Hume says that, unlike cannabis, which is regulated to ensure its safety, he doesn’t want to produce a drug that will harm people. He wants to see a legal market emerge, where licensed growers would provide permit holders with a safe, supervised way to purchase psilocybin in capsule form. The bill he’s working on also seeks to address questions around how the system will work. For example, how will health screenings be performed and how will permit holders be connected with support services if something goes wrong during their trip?