The psychedelic drug psilocybin is becoming more and more popular. But it’s still illegal to grow and buy in Canada. A lawsuit is trying to change that.

For decades, Haida Gwaii became famous for its productive Liberty Cap Canada Shrooms fields, attracting hundreds of people each year to the islands from across the country and around the world. Itinerant mushroom pickers would camp out in remote areas to harvest and dry the mushrooms for sale. Problems arising from this seasonal influx included trespassing on private property, adverse reactions to ingested mushrooms (also known as bad trips), and conflict with local residents. In one case, a local woman was charged with possession of the hallucinogenic mushrooms but was later acquitted following a crown appeal.

Magic in the Great White North: Discovering the Beauty and Benefits of Canadian Shrooms

As of 2023, BC residents over the age of 18 can no longer be arrested for possessing specific controlled substances like heroin, fentanyl/morphine, crack & powder cocaine, methamphetamines, or MDMA (ecstasy). However, psilocybin remains strictly prohibited under federal law and remains a Schedule III substance.

But despite this, a growing number of for-profit companies backed by private investment money are staking a claim in this new market. One of these, Wake, recently hosted a retreat in Jamaica to promote its psilocybin treatment services. It hopes to eventually offer these in the US and Canada. But first they need to get the drug legalized.