Vancouver’s latest tourist attraction

Magic Mushroom Stores Are Open in Canada — But They’re Still Illegal

Mushroom dispensaries are rapidly popping up across Vancouver…even though they’re still illegal.

The Coca Leaf Cafe & Mushroom Dispensary is one of a handful of dispensaries that opened in the city this year. Customers can purchase high and low doses of psilocybin mushrooms, growing kits, peyote (a psychedelic cactus), kratom (a tropical tree with an opioid-like effect), and coca leaf products (the plant used to make cocaine).

Earlier this year, Vancouver applied to decriminalize the possession of 15 different drugs including psilocybin. Even though the legislation has yet to be passed, the dispensary owner says he’s not overly worried about law enforcement.

Even Paul Lewin, a Toronto lawyer who’s working with TheraPsil to improve Health Canada’s exemption process, thinks the dispensary owner would have a strong case if he did get busted.

“We have enough research. If we fought this in court, we would win,” Lewin said. “We could clearly establish that it’s safe and that it is effective.”

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Another BC company joins the psilocybin space

Surrey company receives licence to produce magic mushrooms

A functional mushroom company based in Surrey, BC is joining the psychedelic space.

After 17 months of waiting, Eversio Wellness finally received a “Controlled Substances Dealer’s Licence” from Health Canada, which allows the company to produce psilocybin, DMT, and mescaline.

The company will focus on standardizing the production of natural psilocybin and will likely supply physicians and pharmacies with psychedelics for research purposes.

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Seven BC mayors sign letter in support of Vancouver’s proposal to decriminalize 15 illicit drugs

B.C. mayors lend support to Vancouver’s drug decriminalization plan

The City of Vancouver applied for an exemption from federal drug laws that would decriminalize the possession of 15 illicit drugs including psilocybin. Mayors from Victoria, Saanich, Nanaimo, Burnaby, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam and Kamloops all signed a letter in support of the so called “Vancouver Model”, recognizing that the current approach to the opioid crisis is ineffective. Saanich mayor Fred Haynes believes that if the exemption is granted, “there would be less police involvement, access to a regulated drug supply and less stigma around addiction”.

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Core One Labs has initiated the development of patent-pending drug formulation that uses psilocybin to treat the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s Disease

Core One Labs Commences Development on Patent Pending Psychedelic Drug Formulation for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Akome Biotech Ltd., a subsidiary of Core One Labs Inc. (COOL), has initiated the development of patent-pending drug formulation made of psilocybin and a plant bioactive compound, which is believed to help treat Alzheimer’s Disease. While current Alzheimer’s treatments focus on treating symptoms of the disease, the new drug formulation known as AKO002 aims to treat the underlying cause of the disease by targeting serotonin receptors in the hippocampus. Data mapping reveals that psychedelics like psilocybin have “positive effects in the promotion of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis” and have “potent anti-inflammatory properties”.

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Psychiatry professor believes that psilocybin has potential to reset the behaviours and cognitions of those with eating disorders by changing neural pathways.

Magic mushrooms’ for eating disorders? Drug company running trials at B.C. university

Dr. C. Laird Birmingham, Psychiatry professor with expertise in eating disorders, believes that psilocybin has potential to reset the behaviours and cognitions of those with eating disorders by changing neural pathways. NeonMind Biosciences Inc. is working with Dr. Birmingham at the University of British Columbia in preclinical trials to determine if psilocybin could be used to change the unconscious response to emotional situations that can trigger food-related addictions.

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Vancouver may decriminalize possession of drugs including psychedelics

Vancouver, Health Canada to formally discuss drug decriminalization, mayor says

In an effort to tackle the ongoing overdose crisis in Vancouver, Health Canada has agreed to discuss a plan to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs. The city council of Vancouver voted unanimously to put the idea forward to the federal government back in November 2020. Mayor Kennedy Stewart is hopeful that if granted the exemption, Vancouver will see a decline in drug-related deaths after a record number of overdoses in 2020.

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