St. Thomas police raid illegal magic mushroom shop
St. Thomas police executed a warrant on the Fun Guyz magic mushroom shop at 309 Talbot St. on Thursday.
"Our street crimes unit did arrest a 39-year-old London resident with possession of a controlled substance for trafficking purposes,” said St. Thomas Police Corporate Communications Director Samantha Wakefield. “The individual was an employee of the establishment here."
It's a scenario that's been played out numerous times, including last month in Montreal at a location called Les Fun Guyz.
Wakefield said St. Thomas police were aware of the pattern but that didn't stop them from acting when community members raised concerns, "Our approach will continue to be to act in the best interest of the safety of our community."
Police said they found various psilocybin strains in the store. Psilocybin is the active ingredient in magic mushrooms.
Officers seized 7,150 grams of psilocybin with an estimated street value of $71,504.
Items seized as part of an investigation by St. Thomas police on Aug. 17, 2023. (Source: St. Thomas police)
In the past, representatives of Fun Guyz have spoken openly about their effort to exclude psilocybin from controlled substances laws.
A call to a number on the St. Thomas store Friday was answered by a man who said they were no longer doing on-camera interviews.
He declined to identify himself but told CTV News, "We like charges because we're just going to do a constitutional challenge with everyone that gets charged."
The St. Thomas Fun Guyz location sits half-a-block away from the Grace Cafe Street Mission and Soup Kitchen. Next door to Grace Café is it’s companion operation, the Annex Addictions Resource Centre.
Concerns are being expressed about the Fun Guyz magic mushroom dispensary being located near agencies that serve vulnerable populations. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)
Director Don Trepanier has a number of concerns about the Fun Guyz outlet, starting with a location that’s close to agencies dealing with vulnerable populations.
"We're dealing with people in active addiction who have very little in the way of impulse control, have very little in their ability to say no,” stressed Trepanier.
He admitted there has been encouraging research on micro-dosing psilocybin for the treatment of issues like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even in the effort to overcome addictions, but he believes it's imperative it's use be controlled and monitored, "When we have uncontrolled access to these substances, then it becomes a problem."
Representatives with Fun Guyz location in St. Thomas said despite the police action, the store will continue to operate.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Auto theft probe leads to arrest of 59 suspects, recovery of more than 300 stolen vehicles: Toronto police
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
Ont. woman posed as registered nurse in Simcoe County for 4 years: OPP
An Ontario woman is facing serious charges after police allege she pretended to be a registered nurse at several Simcoe County facilities, despite being unqualified.
B.C. mayor's 'luxury' trip to Dubai climate conference was against ethics rules: commissioner
New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone's all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai for a climate conference last December violated the city's Code of Conduct for Council Members and the Community Charter, the city's ethics commissioner has ruled.
WATCH 'It's mind-boggling': Drought reveals U.S. town submerged in the 1940s
Hundreds of people are flocking to see a rare site in Pennsylvania: remnants of a historic town that is usually underwater.
Democrats Abroad Canada warns U.S. voters to take action ahead of possible Canada Post strike
Democrats Abroad Canada is warning Americans that a potential postal workers strike this weekend could affect the ability to vote in next week's election.
Caught on camera: Edmonton police run over woman during welfare call
An Edmonton Police Service officer was caught on camera running over a woman with a marked cruiser last month.
Orphaned squirrel who became social media star was euthanized after being seized from New York home
An orphaned squirrel that became a social media star called Peanut was euthanized after state authorities seized the beloved pet during a raid on his caretaker's home, authorities said Friday.
B.C. landlord who evicted longtime tenant, hiked rent and re-listed unit ordered to pay $16K
A landlord from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who evicted a longtime tenant only to rent out the same unit months later for more money has been ordered to compensate him $16,480.
Secret Service report offers new details on failures during Trump assassination attempt
A new Secret Service report into the July assassination attempt against former U.S. president Donald Trump said multiple staffers knew about clear line-of-sight risks but found them 'acceptable' and that farm equipment intended to obstruct the view from the nearby building where the gunman opened fire was never used.