A chain of stores in Ontario and Quebec that sell magic mushrooms is shutting down following multiple police raids.
Despite not being legal, there are several stores openly selling psilocybin, AKA magic mushrooms, in the GTA. This includes FunGuyz, which has 30 locations across Quebec and Ontario.
However, the company is now closing all of its physical locations, telling Now Toronto that after over 120 police raids, it can no longer afford to keep operating its brick-and-mortar stores.
“Due to [a] York regional police task force that has been created to fight Funguyz and funded by Canadian tax payers we can no longer afford to keep operating and fighting for Canadians to have direct access to psilocybin,” FunGuyz spokesperson Elywin Smith said in a statement to Now Toronto on Monday, adding that the closures will lead to the laying off of more than 50 employees.
Smith confirmed that FunGuyz will continue operating online.
“Psilocybin has helped a lot of lives and still has [the] potential to help a lot more people that haven’t discovered the benefits of using it yet,” Smith said.
The dispensary claims not to have caused any issues in the neighbourhoods where they are located.
“People are actually happy to have access to them and surrounding businesses have seen [an] increase in sales/traffic having Funguyz stores located near them.”
“They’ve raided our stores and warehouses with a total number of over 120 raids, we’ve lost millions of dollars putting up this fight to help the people get the access to our products that they deserve,” the statement continues.
YORK REGIONAL POLICE RESPOND
York police says it has been investigating stores in the region that “distribute and manufacture these illegal drugs.”
“In April of this year we executed search warrants in relation to the FunGuyz Magic Mushrooms store in the area of Yonge Street and Centre Street in Richmond Hill, after receiving numerous complaints from the community,” York Regional Police (YRP) Constable James Dickson told Now Toronto in a statement.
During the search, police seized $63,500 worth of controlled substances. This included 2,406 grams of magic mushrooms, 4,900 magic mushroom capsules, 379 magic mushroom edibles, 20 DMT vapes, and 2,620 magic mushroom pills. Additionally, police seized $4,960 cash.
Police arrested Shaniece Peters, 26, of Toronto and Michal Goldenberg, 23, of Vaughan. The two were charged with trafficking in a controlled substance and possession for the purposes of trafficking.
“Not only are the people trafficking these controlled substances committing a criminal offence, but any members of the community that purchased these substances could also be charged,” Dickson said.
Dickson explained that an investigation into the sale of psilocybin has been undertaken by the YRP Guns, Gangs and Drug Enforcement Unit.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) said it had no comment on the specific FunGuyz raids.
“TPS enforces the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and psilocybin is an illegal substance under the Act. Anyone selling or producing psilocybin would require an exemption from Health Canada, and without that, would be committing an offence and could be subject to charges under the CDSA,” TPS said in a statement.
TPS explained that when officers receive a report about an illegal dispensary, they carry out an investigation, and a decision about laying charges is based on the findings of that investigation.
TPS also works alongside the city, as physical stores may also be subject to bylaw, permit and zoning infractions.
“That said, in terms of priorities, enforcement by TPS is largely focused on the trafficking of illegal drugs that are resulting in overdose deaths, and having a traumatic and devastating impact on our communities,” police said.
LARGE ONTARIO MUSHROOM OPERATION SHUT DOWN EARLIER THIS YEAR
Earlier this year, YRP investigators shut down a large psilocybin mushroom operation in the Township of Puslinch, seizing almost $500,000 worth of drugs.
This followed an investigation into the distribution of illegal psilocybin, which started in August when police executed a search warrant at a home in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville. There they discovered a small magic mushroom grow operation, which led police to a larger operation in Puslinch and the Hamilton area.
In October, officers executed warrants at a home in Hamilton, and a property in Puslinch. In Hamilton, they seized approximately 100 pounds of magic mushrooms as well as a quantity of cash. Meanwhile, in Puslinch, police located a large manufacturing facility believed to be producing magic mushrooms for illegal commercial distribution across Ontario.
Police say this is one of the largest psilocybin lab operations uncovered by YRP. The investigation is ongoing.
