EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Psilocybin magicmushroomsdispensary.ca tea, wind chimes and a tie-dyed mattress greet those who come to an office suite in Eugene for a trip on magic mushrooms. For six hours, adults over 21 can experience what many users describe as vivid geometric shapes and a loss of identity. It’s an experience backed by clinical research and meant to help people struggling with depression, PTSD or end-of-life dread.

With a permit from the state, Epic Healing Eugene opened in June as America’s first licensed psilocybin “service center.” It has a waiting list of 3,000 people who want to take advantage of the drug’s potential to ease anxiety and depression. No prescription or referral is needed. But as with marijuana legalization, the mushroom industry must still overcome its image as a party drug shared from plastic baggies in the back rows of music venues and rock concerts.

The Science of Psilocybin: How Magic Mushrooms Affect the Brain

As with cannabis, the experience can be altered by one’s environment and mood before and during the psychedelic episode. That’s why it’s a good idea for someone to bring along a friend who knows the drugs well and can support them. Some people hire trip sitters, who stay with the user after taking a dose and help them process it.

For those who prefer to ingest their psilocybin in a more discreet manner, FunGuyz offers a range of products, including microdosing capsules that are a lower dose than would produce hallucinations and whole mushroom gummies and chocolate bars. There are 17 locations across Canada, including two in Waterloo region. There is also a TikTok-famous mushroom-infused drink, Psychedelic Water, from Zoomers, a Canadian company that recently raised $27 million in venture capital and has investors such as Rosario Dawson and Nina Dobrev.