Psilocybin – better known as magic mushrooms – is grown here legally in a high-tech lab, where growers hope to contribute to medical research that suggests these mushrooms could have huge medical benefits.
“There are a lot of clinical studies going on right now that show the potential of these mushrooms,” Todd Henderson told CTV National News.
Henderson is a lead grower for a company called Optimi Health.  It is one of the few Canadian businesses approved by the federal government to grow, manufacture and export psychedelic mushrooms.
Although there are only a few of these companies at the moment, more and more companies are fighting to position themselves as certified psilocybin suppliers.
The push comes as scientists increasingly explore its therapeutic benefits, including treating depression, substance use and end-of-life distress.
“We’re going to be able to provide that safe supply so researchers can dig deeper to see well, let’s see where this goes,” Bill Ciprick, CEO of Optimi Health, told CTV National News.
A study published in February found that psilocybin treatment was associated with symptom relief in adults suffering from major depressive disorder for up to a year.
Currently, there are no approved therapeutic products containing psilocybin, in Canada or elsewhere, according to Health Canada.  But in January 2022, Health Canada adjusted the Special Access Program (SAP) to allow doctors to request psilocybin for use in psychotherapy or with other treatment plans, making it easier for doctors to access the restricted drug.
And in April, the first patients in Canada were able to receive psilocybin treatment through SAP for end-of-life anxiety.
Thomas Hartle, one of those patients who received access because of his terminal colon cancer diagnosis, told CTV News in May that having access to this treatment made a huge difference in his quality of life.
“The improvement in my mental health is so night and day that it would be difficult to say all that it does for me,” she said.
“I still have cancer. I still struggle with what it does physically, but there are days when I don’t even think about it. What would you do to have a day where you feel normal?”
These consciousness-altering substances are used in a controlled, clinical setting as part of psychotherapy.
Psilocybin, which is the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, enters the body through the same receptors as serotonin, a chemical that acts as a neurotransmitter, carrying messages around the body and acting as a mood stabilizer.  Depressed people often have low levels of serotonin, and psychedelics like psilocybin have been found to cause an increase in brain connectivity, allowing these messages to be sent more easily than before.
Some studies have shown that one or two doses of psilocybin in a therapeutic setting can make significant, long-lasting differences for those with treatment-resistant depressive disorders.
Ciprick said magic mushrooms provide more options for doctors considering how to treat a patient.
“What psilocybin offers is a different opportunity for doctors,” he said.  “They need a lot of tools in their toolbox and this gives them another one.”
While Optimi also grows uncontrolled mushrooms, its main focus is growing the psychedelic variety for medical use and research.
“Anyone who wants to develop a drug that’s going to help people — that’s what we’re growing for,” Henderson said.
The company already has an agreement with the IMPACT clinical trial accelerator program at the University of Calgary to clinically test psilocybin products and potential health benefits.
And in late June, the company announced it had partnered with a group of Calgary-based clinics to supply them with magic mushrooms for psychedelic-assisted treatments, provided patients are approved through SAP.
About 2,000 kilograms of dried psilocybin can be produced every month.
While the company is currently working with Canadian researchers, the goal is to eventually share their magic mushrooms worldwide.