EUGENE, OREGON — Psilocybin tea, wind chimes and a tie-dye mattress greet guests who come to an office suite in Eugene to trip on magic mushrooms. The Oregon facility is America’s first licensed psilocybin service center, and it has an online waitlist of more than 3,000 people seeking relief from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or end-of-life dread. No prescription is needed.

Inside, Darren Lyman runs a co-op that is both retail store and counseling center. He offers mushroom buyers a private session that includes a talk about the intoxicating effects of psilocybin, which medical researchers say can help treat anxiety, addiction and depression as well as mental ailments including PTSD. He also discusses how to prepare and handle the experience. Learn more https://magicmushroomsdispensary.ca/

Mushrooms are fungi that contain psilocybin, which causes people to hallucinate and feel euphoric. They’ve been used for thousands of years in spiritual rites, healing rituals and to help with mental health issues. But today, many people use them recreationally or as part of a spiritual journey. And even though they have long been decriminalized in some countries, it’s still risky to buy them on the black market because there is no legal protection if you get caught.

The Ethical Considerations of Using Magic Mushrooms for Spiritual Growth

But while psychedelics remain illegal in Canada, stores and websites are popping up selling the drugs on a gray market basis. Despite the risk of getting caught, most entrepreneurs in Vancouver and elsewhere are betting that as more clinical research proves the benefits of psilocybin for psychiatric disorders, governments will shift toward legalizing the mushrooms that were once traded out of plastic baggies in the back rows of music festivals.