As under-the-table market grows, patients urge Ottawa to regulate magic mushrooms – CTV
Jan. 11, 2023
OTTAWA – Thomas Hartle became one of the first Canadians to receive a federal exemption to treat symptoms of his stage-four colon cancer with magic mushrooms just a few years ago — and he was celebrated for it.
But not long after the landmark decision, Hartle says that legal avenues to access the drug have been “shut off,” even as an illegal market booms.
“The only places where I really run into problems is with the minister of health himself, and with Health Canada being resistant to moving forward with opening the avenues of this,” he said in an interview.
The psychoactive compound produced by the mushrooms, called psilocybin, is not legal in Canada. But early clinical trials are underway to test its effectiveness in treating mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
