While large microdose mushroom in canada, which can create dramatic alterations in mood and perception, have a long history among some Indigenous peoples, interest has expanded from full-dose psilocybin — commonly known as magic mushrooms — to smaller microdoses, amounts that supposedly cause subtle but meaningful changes without producing hallucinations. And there’s a lot of hope that such microdoses could be used as a therapeutic tool, helping people better cope with anxiety or depression or ease the pain of dying.

CBC’s Nick Purdon reports on Canadians who swear by microdosing and researchers who want to know if it really works. He meets the therapists who use it, the mushroom farmers and the scientists seeking the evidence.

Microdose Mushroom Options in Canada: What’s Available|

The gray exterior of Dana Larsen’s Vancouver shop masks a mosaic of psychedelia, including paintings of Incan gods spewing fire and lightning, shelves stocked with hemp lip balms and stoner-centric comic books. Inside, there are also jars of “Mother’s Magic” mushroom chocolate and bags of psilocybin capsules purchased from another distributor in Long Beach. Larsen is one of many shop owners riding Canada’s so-called Shroom Boom.

Inspired by the success of cannabis dispensaries, small changes in federal drug policy have allowed brick-and-mortar stores to pop up across the country. The most prominent, Fun Guyz, launched in 2022 and now has 15 locations. But despite the boom, there’s still no hard scientific proof that microdoses of psilocybin actually help. And there’s a growing sense of urgency for research on the subject, because the effects of psychedelics can be profound.