A new magic mushroom store in Windsor is drawing some concern.
Fun Guyz, located at 395 Ouellette Avenue, is the 11th magic mushroom location in Ontario, but the first to open in Windsor.
Speaking on AM800's The Shift, co-owner Edgars Gorbans says that while the shop is technically illegal, as mushrooms are not legalized in Canada, that he's pushing for it to become legal due to the benefits mushroom's provide.
Those who enter the shop must be 19-years-old and older, provide identification, and also must sign a waiver that they understand the risks of purchasing and using psilocybin, which is found in mushrooms.
Gorbans says they aren't trying to hide anything and their aim of opening these shops is to change the stigma around magic mushrooms.
Ward 3 city councillor, Renaldo Agostino, is a big advocate for the downtown core, and while he says he supports what Fun Guyz is trying to do to fight for legalization, he believes they are doing it in the wrong way.
Gorbans says they want to be clear this store is for those of age.
"We sell to anybody of legal age. We require a proof of ID, 19+, we have signage up on our storefront that you can't see directly in. We tried to take every precautionary measure to restrict the enticement to children."
Agostino tells AM800's The Shift that he's not against the legalization of mushrooms.
"What I'm against is the ploy here, the kind of the 'magic trick' to try and force the governments hand, and putting our downtown, our city and the people in it, in some type of risk."
Gorbans says that Fun Guyz is trying to break the stigma around mushrooms.
"The reason, in my opinion that there's such a negative stigma is because it's so misunderstood. When people are labelled as drug users, and they're sort of shunned and judged, it's difficult to climb out of that hole. We're trying to break that wall, that stigma that's surrounded around mental health."
Meanwhile, Agostino says there's more to the story.
"This isn't just someone trying to open up a corner store that sells illegal products. This is a big money campaign with some people behind it that are trying to push the narrative, their narrative, through without the proper process."
Gorbans says they never stop or put up a fight against police who come to the store with a warrant.
"They have to do their job, we understand that. But, we feel like we have a job as well, which is to be there for those individuals that want to purchase psilocybin. The process of acquiring psilocybin legally is just absolutely insane right now. We never interfere, we don't put up a fight. They do their job, and we open up again to serve the community."
Agostino says this is the wrong place, and wrong time.
"If you want to serve a beer, you've got to have a Liquor Licence and a Smart Serve. If you want to sell marijuana, there's a very long lengthy and educational process you need to go through before you can have that. So, I understand the idea behind what they're trying to do there, but, wrong place wrong time."
Gorbans adds that their locations are used to police and legal issues arising and he says they're prepared if that happens.
Agostino says that he will continue to advocate safety to the city and the police to protect the downtown.
On the Health Canada website it states that while there is an increasing interest in the potential therapeutic uses of magic mushrooms and of psilocybin.
Clinical trials with psilocybin have shown promising results, but Health Canada says that at this time, there are no approved therapeutic products containing psilocybin in Canada.
-with files from AM800's The Shift