2nd illegal magic mushroom shop now open in downtown London, Ont.

Konrad Lesniara couldn’t believe his eyes when he was walking on Dundas Street in downtown London Monday morning.

“I looked and I [saw] a big beautiful sign and I was like ‘Is that was I think that is?’” said Lesniara.

It was exactly what he thought — a new magic mushroom shop had opened just an hour earlier. Shroomyz officially opened its doors on Dundas Street just east of Waterloo Street.

“We would like to really help people get off opiates,” said Bobbie Richards, the store’s manager. “This is a better alternative a more natural alternative. We’ve got gummies, chocolate bars, our little mini bites and then we have capsules for people who don’t really like the taste so they can take it in a capsule and still get the benefits from it.”

Mushrooms contain the drug psilocybin. It is illegal to produce, sell and possess in Canada.

CTV News London spoke with the London Police Service about possible enforcement.

Konrad Lesniara shows off the mushroom chocolate bars he purchased at Shroomyz in London, Ont. on April 22, 2024. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

“As always, we will prioritize enforcement and resources in the context of community safety and harm,” Acting Sgt. Sandasha Bough said in a statement. “We also work with our community partners such as the City of London, municipal by-law enforcement, the Middlesex-London Health Unit and others when appropriate to educate business and property owners about existing laws and licensing requirements.”

Police said they will step in when necessary, as seen in the past with officers raiding these types of locations.

“In London, individuals who illegally possess or traffic in substances that are scheduled in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act are dealt with by the London Police Service,” added Bough.

Richards is expecting officials to eventually come calling.

“I do think we might have a little bit of blowback from them,” said Richards. “I’m kind of hoping that they just kind of leave us alone as we are not pushing anything. We’re not out there peddling it in the streets. We are sitting in a grey area.”

She said the push for legalization is gaining steam.

Shroomyz has opened an illegal magic mushroom shop in downtown London, Ont. on April 22, 2024 (Brent Lale/CTV News London)“There has been stuff submitted for the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] and with the government. So we’re just kind of literally sitting waiting with our hands crossed, hoping and praying that they will decriminalize it,” she explained.

According to users, mushrooms help with pain and anxiety.

“I suffer from juvenile arthritis in my back and knees, and I suffer from not eating and sleeping properly,” explained Keneisha Groff. “I smoke weed to help, but with mushrooms you can eat a bar of chocolate, and you get the same feeling you get from smoking an ounce of weed.”

Lesniara expects to be a repeat customer.

“I find on the next day after using this type of stuff, you feel better, you feel clear minded and it’s like a reset button. It’s like pressing the reset button for your emotions,” he said.

Richards meanwhile hopes they’ll have “a long life here and be able to be pretty prosperous.” 

Shroomyz has opened an illegal magic mushroom shop in downtown London, Ont. on April 22, 2024 (Brent Lale/CTV News London)