Hey, want to go on a trip? Well, maybe more of a staycation. But it’ll be magic.
Magic mushrooms have re-emerged from the moss after a multi-decade hibernation. Finally, after years of unjust persecution, ecologists and enthusiasts have freed the mushroom for online sales.
The shroom industry has been backed by big names from Harry Styles to A$AP Rocky. Celebrity shroom reports range from low-dose medicinal treatment, like Kristen Bell’s quest to tackle her anxiety, to Seth Rogan’s who-knows-the-dosage mushroom experimentation as a teen.
Whether the goal was to heal, learn, or just get high, the positive endorsements of magic mushrooms keep flowing in. Experiences with shrooms have been described as peaceful, enlightening, or even downright indescribable.
The bottom line I keep hearing is you’ve got to try it.
And now you can, Vancouver! Here’s your guide to the wide world of psilocybin mushrooms.
State of decriminalization
The big question: Are shrooms legal in Vancouver?
In short, magic mushrooms are on a journey (aren’t we all?). But unlike twenty-something grads backpacking through Europe to “find themselves”, shrooms are on a more predictable path.
Following in the footsteps of cannabis, magic mushrooms are slowly being decriminalized or at least deprioritized in several cities across Canada and the United States. Progress may be slow, but it’s still a few steps in the right direction.
A big round of applause for Vancouver for becoming the first Canadian city to propose decriminalization of magic mushrooms for personal use. In the 2021 proposal to decriminalize several illicit drugs, the city of Vancouver requested to remove criminal penalties and confiscation of personal use amounts of magic mushrooms.
Now we find ourselves in a grey area. Law enforcement has largely deprioritized magic mushrooms and avoided interference with their distribution, even allowing unlicensed vendors to sell them on Sunset Beach for Canada Day this year.
So, where can I buy shrooms in Vancouver?
Vancity embraced marijuana legalization with open arms in 2018, with dispensaries popping up just about everywhere. But what about shroom dispensaries?
Unfortunately, decriminalization and legalization are not the same thing. The decriminalization of shrooms means it will no longer be treated as a criminal offense to have a personal use amount (20 grams for psilocybin mushrooms), however it’s still not legal to sell at a dispensary.
This hasn’t stopped many psychedelic dispensaries from opening anyways, in advance of the anticipated legal changes. But potential customers can feel a bit uncomfortable buying from an unlicensed shop.
Thankfully, online magic mushroom retailers like Schedule35 that operate from decriminalized zones have solved this problem.
Schedule35is the premier microdosing resource that caters to all of the US and Canada. You can order your shrooms online today and know that you’re getting:
- 100% organic products
- Accurate dosage of psilocybin in all products
- Quick and simple shipping to your door
- Discre packaging
- Affordable pricing
- Online microdosing guide
- Outcome-specific and delicious options
Schedule35 is taking shrooms to the next level with microdosing capsules targeted to improve sexual experience or boost natural immunity. Check out these innovative new products:
Loverdose (100mg x 5 pieces)
The recipe for good sex. These microdose capsules mix shrooms with green tea extract, horny goat weed (yes, that’s the real plant name), and maca to clear your mind, increase your energy levels, increase blood flow associated with sexual function, and boost libido.
Superior Tonic(50mg x 5 pieces)
A powerhouse capsule combines shrooms, spirulina, ginseng, and bee pollen to boost the body’s beneficial nutrients, reduce inflammation and stimulate cognitive function. It’s a small dose filled with all the stuff that’s good for you.
Microdosing benefits
If the Netflix trending page is any indication, curiosity around the medicinal benefits of shrooms is on the rise. The streaming giant’s top-ten worthy documentary Fantastic Fungi left us all mind-blown by the many uses and benefits of psilocybin, the active ingredient that puts the “magic” in magic mushrooms.
But it’s not actually magic, it’s science. Magic mushrooms are a thoroughly researched, tested, and science-backed organic substance.
Psilocybin has been used to great success in clinical trials to treat conditions like alcoholism, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even improve the effectiveness of cancer drugs. And the research is ongoing for many other disorders and conditions. While large doses are generally still restricted to the medical field, there is a wide array of benefits for the micro-user, too.
First, what is microdosing?
As the name suggests, microdosing with mushrooms involves taking very small doses. A dose is typically considered “micro” if it contains just 1% or less of active psilocybin.
The goal of microdosing is to produce the wanted effect or experience, while maintaining coherence. Essentially, ensuring you enjoy your shroom trip instead of getting lost in a forest of paranoia.
What are the benefits?
Shrooms can change your whole outlook on life for the better. And I hope it does, because we’ve all been through a lot in the past few years because of… well, everything.
Stress and anxiety, along with all their wonderful side-effects, are at an all-time high and shrooms may be just what we need to break the cycle.
There’s a whole laundry list of what you can look forward to once you start your microdosing journey, but here’s a few highlights I think you’ll enjoy the most:
- Less anxiety: worry and preoccupation with the future decline after taking mushrooms, leaving people better equipped to handle stressful situations
- Reduced feelings of depression: improved mood, self-awareness and a sense of peace help to alleviate feelings of depression in self-reports and clinical studies
- Enhanced focus: less preoccupation with worry allows users the freedom to concentrate on more important things and crush to-do lists
- Relief from addiction: very promising research shows participants were significantly less likely to continue smoking or consuming alcohol in excess after taking shrooms
- Energy boost: the mental stimulation from mushroom microdosing produces a feeling of alertness and improved energy
- Heightened creativity: magic mushrooms have been noted to produce a higher level of communication between neurons in the brain, resulting in innovative thinking
Microdosing safety
“You wouldn’t go hiking up the Himalayan mountains without any preparation. Well, this is a journey. These are sacraments and medicines that should be treated with respect and caution.” – Paul Stamets, Fantastic Fungi
Taking shrooms for the first time isn’t like drinking your first beer; you do not just pound it back and ask for another.
Go low and slow. Ask a friend or trusted shroom-enthusiast to be your sober babysitter the first time around. Precaution will only make the trip better. As always, if you have pre-existing medical conditions you should consult your doctor before taking magic mushrooms.
To help you get started on your psychedelic journey we’ve created a guide specific to magic mushrooms. For a general breakdown, here’s what you can expect from different dosage levels:
- Microdose – Less than 500mg
Reap the benefits of shrooms in low doses to increase focus and creativity, without any disruptive effects like hallucinations.
- Half dose – 500mg to 1g
Likely to produce giddiness and a body high feeling, while maintaining control. A subtle experience for most, but may still produce visual hallucinations for users with low tolerance.
- Full dose – 1g to 2g
A typical full-on trip. This dosage should produce a body high, along with a variety of sensory experiences and visual anomalies.
- Deep dose – 2g to 3g
Powerful visual and auditory hallucinations occur in this zone and can bring about unfamiliar thought patterns. While enlightening, this strength of dose can be overwhelming for inexperienced users.
- Heroic dose – 3g or more
This is the experienced user zone and should only be taken under supervision and with preparation.
I know Raincouver gets pretty bleak sometimes, but remember, a little goes a long way and effects can be long-lasting. Take the Joe Rogan x Post Malone four-hour shroom-fuelled interview as a hint for your time commitment. That’s one way to cure a twelve carat toothache.
Psilocybin retreats in Vancouver
The Best Coast is investing in rejuvenation. The rise of magic mushrooms as a treatment for life’s stresses prompted a partnership with the red-hot retreat market. Now you can book yourself in for a week of relaxation, yoga, and transcendental experiences without flying to Costa Rica.
Founded in 2018, The Journeymen Collective is a Vancouver-based guided psychedelic retreat provider. They provide professional development for executives through contemporary shamanic journeys with psychedelic plant medicine. Offerings range from 3-16 day in-person retreats for solo journeys, couples, and group sessions. For a deeper dive into the mystical, Zoom consultations can be interspersed with in-person sessions over longer time periods.
The program is exclusive, so if your boss is as cool as Gwenyth Paltrow you should suggest a psilocybin retreat for this year’s team-builder. The Goop Labs pilot episode can be your case study for how magic mushrooms can help build team morale. It might be an easier sell than you think — HR needs all the mental healing they can get right now, too.
If you don’t work in the corporate world or don’t have the cash for a full vacation experience, no worries. The same benefits can be achieved with magic mushrooms from your own living room. Order your shrooms online today at Schedule35 and experience the magic.