Not much more police can do to stop magic mushroom sales, public safety analyst says
According to the former Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner, and current CTV News Public Safety Analyst Chris Lewis, there is not much more police can do about two magic mushroom stores open in the Region of Waterloo.
Since opening, the two magic mushroom stores, located in Cambridge and Kitchener, have been raided by Waterloo Regional Police multiple times.
Last Wednesday, police executed search warrants at the two FunGuyz locations. Officers returned to the shops on Saturday, to do more of the same. Police seized a large amount of magic mushrooms and cash, and arrested two people last week, followed by another two on the weekend.
Lewis says while the stores are illegal, it costs taxpayers every time police conduct a raid.
“So you’re taking a number of officers off what they normally would be doing,” he said. “There is no end to the work that’s available to them out there, so for them to prepare a warrant, execute the warrant, put people before the courts, it’s a lot of work. It certainly costs the taxpayers money.”
As a result of these raids, a 19 year-old, a 23-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman all from Cambridge, along with a 36-year-old from Kitchener, have been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.
The stores were not open on Monday, but plan to reopen this week. Lewis says there is not much more police can do to stop it.
“It’s happening in municipalities all across the country, large, small, medium sized. It’s occurring; police do what they can.”
According to Lewis, despite the obvious illegal aspect, police have more serious drug issues to focus on.
“They’re focusing on things that are going to kill people, more so than these kind of little bit milder drugs,” Lewis said.
Still, like cannabis and alcohol, Lewis says the chemicals in magic mushrooms cause impairment.
“It can be physically harmful, but on the big scale of things, when you look at opioids that are actually a very micro-dot of them can actually kill somebody, there’s not that physical danger immediately in terms of fatality,” he said.
Waterloo Regional Police say it is possible for the individuals to be charged again.
"After initial charges, they'd likely receive conditions to not attend the business address, but if they chose to return to the business and continue selling (trafficking) psilocybin, they could be arrested and charged again," police said in an email statement to CTV News.
The Cambridge FunGuyz was raided back in November, shortly after it opened. It reopened a day after the raid.
The second FunGuyz in Waterloo Region opened in March.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Speaker kicks Poilievre out of Commons over unparliamentary comments
Speaker Greg Fergus kicked Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre out of the House of Commons during question period today.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, British authorities said.
Conservatives push motion calling for Carney to testify, say it's about 'accountability'
The federal Conservatives made good on their promise to push for former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney to testify before MPs, resulting in a heated political debate in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Freeland previews omnibus budget bill, proposed capital gains tax change left out
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
London Drugs stores remain closed, 'cybersecurity incident' may have breached personal data
London Drugs says it is working with third-party security experts as the company tries to reopen dozens of stores across Western Canada that were shuttered by a cybersecurity incident Sunday.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.