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Mayor Ken Sim puts ball in court of federal government to make decision on legality of stores selling psilocybin and entheogens
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Vancouver city council has overturned an earlier decision to re-instate the licence of a shop illegally selling magic mushrooms and other psychedelic drugs.
On Wednesday, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said council had also rejected a motion that called for the creation of a regulatory framework for retail sales of psilocybin and entheogens in the city.
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“While we acknowledge the importance of this national conversation, we firmly believe this needs to be discussed at the federal level as they are the regulating body on the issue,” Sim said. “Our focus remains on addressing the critical issues facing Vancouverites that are within our jurisdiction. This includes core services such as public safety, housing, roads and infrastructure.”
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The motion was put forward by Vancouver green party councillors Pete Fry and Adriane Carr and stated that Vancouver had seen the number of unlicensed and unregulated retail shops selling magic mushrooms (psilocibin) and other entheogens rapidly increase in recent years.
“Although most mushrooms and entheogens are classified as controlled substances, there has been no prosecution or conviction of their retailers, and to date no business license regulations specific to their sale or display.”
In March, at a Vancouver business licence hearing, a three-person panel voted to reissue the business licence of a dispensary that had been selling mushrooms openly and illegally since February 2023 — a decision that store operator Dana Larsen described at the time as “cracking the door open” for regulation of psilocybins in the city. The panel comprised Fry, Carr and fellow councillor Mike Klassen.
The Medicinal Mushroom Dispensary at 247 W. Broadway had its licence suspended in May 2023 for “gross misconduct” for selling prohibited and controlled substances in defiance of federal laws and for misrepresenting itself on its licence application as a business selling party supplies and novelties.
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At the business licence hearing, the panel approved a motion to ask staff to reinstate the licence with terms that clarify the business is involved in education and advocacy of medicinal psychoactive substances.
This motion was rejected by the ABC Vancouver councillors who control city hall.
With files from Cheryl Chan
dcarrigg@postmedia.com
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