INTRODUCTION: The use of psychedelics has increased in Canada in recent years. Although non-medical psilocybin use is prohibited under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, we previously documented the emergence of grey-market brick-and-mortar psilocybin retailers. This study examined changes in the number, composition, and geographic distribution of Canadian psilocybin retail stores between 2024 and 2025.
METHODS: We conducted a repeated cross-sectional assessment of psilocybin retail stores with a physical storefront in Canada that were publicly visible and indexed through systematic Google and Google Maps searches between May 2024 and July 2025. Data were collected on store location, operating status, chain affiliation, and product offerings. Per capita availability and geographic clustering were calculated using Canadian census metropolitan area and dissemination area data.
RESULTS: Between 2024 and 2025, the number of psilocybin retail stores in Canada increased from a total of 57 to 75, a 33% increase in stores per 100,000 individuals (0.18 to 0.24). The proportion of Canadians residing within a 10-min walk of a psilocybin retail store increased from 1.4 to 1.7%. In this period, 30 of 57 outlets (52.6%) that were open in 2024 closed, while 48 new stores opened. In 2025, two large chains operated 44% of all stores in Canada. All but 2 stores (97%) were located in Ontario and British Columbia. In Toronto and Vancouver, Canada's first- and third-most populous cities, 9.5% and 29.0% of residents, respectively, lived within a 10-min walk of a psilocybin store. Psilocybin retail stores with a website sold a wide variety of products online, including dried mushrooms (98%), microdose capsules (100%), and infused edibles (89%). Sixty-nine percent offered products packaged to resemble commercial snack brands, such as Scooby-Doo Fruit Snacks and psilocybin-infused drinks styled after Arizona Iced Tea. Among outlets with online listings, 49% advertised the sale of additional psychoactive substances, most commonly N,N-dimethyltryptamine (93%) and cannabis (87%).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The Canadian psilocybin retail market continues to expand substantially despite ongoing federal prohibition. The market is characterized by rapid turnover, increasing dominance of large chain operators, widespread sale of ordinary food brand-mimicking products, and marked geographic concentration in Ontario and British Columbia. The presence of a grey market may expose individuals to unregulated products and unverified health claims. Continued surveillance is warranted to monitor market evolution and to inform policy discussions regarding psilocybin regulation in Canada and elsewhere.
Psychedelic Science