Plante vows to crack down on illegal magic mushroom dispensary slated to open in Montreal
A chain of illegal magic mushroom dispensaries in Ontario is determined to open a location in Montreal this summer despite the threat of a crackdown by Mayor Valérie Plante.
The chain is called FunGuyz, which operates nine dispensaries across Ontario and has plans to open another spot in Montreal in three weeks.
Owner Edgar Gorbans did not want his face shown on camera, and instead chose to be interviewed by CTV News wearing a mushroom costume.
He said his products are for therapeutic use.
"We're trying to provide access to psilocybin that the government can't," he said.
Psilocybin is one of the active ingredients in magic mushrooms. According to Health Canada, there are currently no approved therapeutic products containing psilocybin in the country or elsewhere.
There are, however, clinical trials that have shown promising results in treating patients with anxiety and depression.
"It is used across Canada. There's a special access program under Health Canada that physicians can use and treat people with it," said Jean-Sebastien Fallu, a professor at the Université de Montréal's School of Psychoeducation.
Still, selling psilocybin is illegal in Canada. Gorbans has faced multiple attempts to shut him down and Plante said his stores will not be tolerated in Montreal.
"Mushrooms [are] not legal in Canada so, of course, we will apply the law and Montreal police officers will be ready to act based on the law," the mayor said.
The owner, Edgar Gorbans, did not want to show his face during an interview on Friday, June 9, 2023. (CTV News)
POLICE ASSESSING 'DIFFERENT INTERVENTION SCENARIOS'
The Montreal police service (SPVM) told CTV News that trafficking the drug is governed by the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which comes with penalties.
In a statement, the SPVM said it will work with Laval police over the coming weeks, "to evaluate the various possible intervention scenarios, on our respective territories and in concert. Responsible officers will be identified in each of our police departments. We will also be checking with our police partners across the country to see what kind of response has been given to this type of commercial activity. We are also evaluating the possibility of meeting with the managers of the establishments in advance to validate their intentions and explain our orientations."
Police said they're also consulting with public health in the matter, and that "we have the safety of our citizens at heart."
'WE WOULD OPEN RIGHT BACK UP,' OWNER SAYS
Gorbans says he plans to open up anyway; he's already rented a storefront on Ontario Street in the Sainte-Marie neighbourhood and hopes to be open the first week of July.
"We're going to try. They can't technically shut us down, they can come in, seize our product and when their search warrant ends, we would open right back up like we are doing in Ontario," he said.
He says he's not afraid of being arrested. In fact, he said he would welcome criminal charges and that his ultimate goal is to challenge the illegality of psilocybin in court.
"With us having criminal charges, it's a lot easier for us to go through the system in order to do the constitutional challenge," Gorbans said.
Jean-Sébastien Fallu has been a professor at Université de Montréal's School of Psychoeducation since 2005 and his research interests include the etiology, prevention and policy of problematic substance use. (CTV News)
The push for cannabis legalization started in the same way, Fallu noted, adding that he expects it's only a matter of time for magic mushrooms to get the same treatment.
"For me, it's obvious that psilocybin will be recreationally accessible legally," the professor said.
In the meantime, stores like FunGuyz are determined to push the boundaries and force governments to react.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Student anti-war protesters dig in as faculties condemn university leadership over calling police
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
'Do I ghost her again?': Quebec minister's office ignores questions on housing as a human right
The office of Quebec Housing Minister France-Élaine Duranceau prefers to openly ignore journalists' requests.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.