“I think it’s a good ruling. It’s kind of a technical ruling,” said Dana Larsen, owner of the Coca Leaf Cafe, a medicinal mushroom dispensary.
The City of Vancouver claimed the dispensary was violating its business license as a retail and food establishment by selling magic mushrooms containing psilocybin, a psychedelic drug that is illegal in Canada.
The allegations originated from a 2022 city inspection, during which the inspector noted that the establishment resembled a mushroom dispensary far more than a café.
However, the review noted the inspector “did not purchase anything from the business, seize any of the products or have them tested to determine if they contained psilocybin.”
The inspector also noted that the dispensary has membership cards in which members agree to use psychoactive substances safely and keep them away from minors.
“It’s not a big secret what we do here or anything like that, but the reality is a license inspector is not empowered to test substances, to purchase allegedly illegal substances,” Larsen said.
The ruling stated a “possibility or probability does not meet the standard of proof.”
Advocates argue that the city should end the court battles and begin regulating mushroom dispensaries, following a model similar to the medical marijuana dispensary licensing system.
“It was a bit of a wild west where stores were popping up everywhere,” councillor Mike Klasses said of the sale of cannabis products in Vancouver.
“I don’t think we want to see that kind of problem occur again in our city.”
The court found the dispensary operator guilty of defying the city's shutdown order, but Larsen said they have no plans to leave.
“(I) think this shop will outlast the current city council,” he said.
Last November, Vancouver police raided three of Larsen's mushroom dispensaries and reported seizing controlled substances. They also stated that they will be recommending charges to Crown counsel.