Magic mushroom store in Windsor raided by police a week after opening


CBC
Thu, July 6, 2023

On Thursday, the Windsor Police Service raided the magic mushroom store Fun Guyz, only a week after it opened downtown. (Michael Evans/CBC - image credit)

The newly opened magic mushroom store Fun Guyz was raided by police Thursday afternoon.

The raid happened a week after the store opened on June 29.

A co-owner of Fun Guyz, who said his name was Edgars Gorbans, said he got the news the store was being raided while setting up another location in Montreal.

"It's normal," said Gorbans, "I've been through multiple raids, right? So it doesn't shock me anymore."

Windsor Police Service said in a statement Thursday night they seized 1,120 psilocybin capsules, 184 grams of dried psilocybin mushrooms as well as various amounts of psilocybin-infused products. They also confiscated $5,535.

The raid was conducted by members of the Drugs and Guns Unit.

Windsor was the 11th store location for Fun Guyz — on 395 Ouellette Avenue — with their first store opening six months ago. He said all of them have been raided before.

Owner of Fun Guyz Edgars Gorbans told CBC Windsor this raid was particularly damaging, as police took everything they could, including signage, TVs, and more.

Owner of Fun Guyz Edgars Gorbans told CBC Windsor that police took signage, TVs and more. (Michael Evans/CBC)

What did shock Gorbans this time was around was that police took signs, ATMs, TVs and more, on top of their product.

"With what's in the warrant, they shouldn't be taking TVs ... they're just trying to cause as much damage as possible, to make it hard for us to reopen," he said.

Gorbans said in other raids, Fun Guyz stores have been able to reopen a couple hours after the police leave, and fight every charge they're handed. The same will happen for the Windsor location.

"Once they take the product and leave, they're not coming back to bother us," he said.

Windsor Police Service said they received multiple complaints about the store and the fact that it was selling magic mushrooms.

Windsor Police Service said they received multiple complaints about the store. (Michael Evans/CBC)

Const. Adam Young with the Windsor Police Service was at the scene of the raid. He said police received "numerous complaints" from the community since the store opened.

Young said he couldn't comment on any arrests being made due to the investigation, but Gorbans said no arrests were made.

Police said in the statement a 21-year-old employee present at the store was charged with with possession of a substance for the purposes of trafficking. The service added that the investigation is ongoing.

Though the production, sale and possession of magic mushrooms are illegal in Canada and police have arrested store operators, similar shops are popping up elsewhere in Ontario and across the country.

Gorbans told CBC Windsor shortly after opening most people walk into the store looking to microdose — taking small amounts of a drug at a time — and treat things like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, though no psilocybin products are currently approved for medical use.

"They [customers] love that they can come in and speak to someone before they purchase and be guided by someone to do psilocybin," he said on Monday.

Gorbans said the store will likely reopen a few hours after the raid, just like they've done with every other location across Ontario.

Gorbans said the store will likely reopen a few hours after the raid, just like they've done with every other location across Ontario. (Michael Evans/CBC)

Psilocybin is the psychoactive substance in magic mushrooms.

The store does not recommend people use the product for recreational use, he added.

"We're more trying to be basically trying to push people to use them for medical reasons. But obviously, we can't control someone [who] takes more than the microdose amounts available."

FunGuyz makes customers sign waivers when purchasing, and Gorbans says they don't sell to anyone under 19.

For those who don't approve of the storefront, Gorbans asks they take some time to research and asks people to worry about other drugs being used in the city, like crack and cocaine.

"[These are] mushrooms that grow from the ground, right? Not made in a lab," he said.