Raided by police one day, open for business the next. How do FunGuyz illegal mushroom shops operate?
The 2 locations in Kitchener and Cambridge were raided twice in one week in April
There are currently two illegal magic mushroom shops in Waterloo region — one is in Cambridge and the newest location is in Kitchener.
Both stores have been raided by police multiple times. And yet, the FunGuyz shops keep reopening, sometimes just days later, to sell unregulated and illicit products.
Mark Crowell, chief of the Waterloo Regional Police Service, says his officers are doing the best they can when it comes to enforcing the law.
"We're looking for local support from the courts and the Crown attorney's office here locally with the charges that have been laid," he said.
"We're also looking at further linkages into the illicit operation of this business. And so [the] wish for us to have a total closure of the business is probably reflected by other citizens, residents and other levels of government as well. We'll use whatever means we can from a law enforcement capacity to continue to act with best efforts."
The two locations were raided twice in just one week in April.
'We restock and then we'll reopen'
FunGuyz sells a variety of mushroom products, including whole mushrooms, gummies or chocolate. The products are mostly wrapped in colourful black plastic packets, decorated with funky names like Lizard King Shroom Chocolate or Blue Meanies magic mushrooms.
In addition to those magic mushroom products, they also offer cannabis for those looking to buy something from the FunGuyz website.
In an interview with CBC Kitchener-Waterloo in March, Ryan Waters, a FunGuyz spokesperson, said the company's employees are prepared for the inevitable raids by local police.
"Every city is different and every city's budget and how they allocate those resources varies," he said.
"Typically the police will show up and they're instructed to enforce the laws on the books. So they'll come in and see some products, lay some charges and then leave. Then we restock and then we'll reopen to the public."
After the most recent raids, black tape has appeared covering the windows of the Kitchener location. A prominent FunGuyz store banner has also been taken down from outside the shop. But the door is still unlocked and there are still the same products being sold inside.
According to city staff in both Kitchener and Cambridge, both locations do not have a business license to operate.
When asked what bylaw officers could be doing to prevent the shops from reopening, the City of Kitchener sent the following statement:
"If an illegal business opens in Kitchener, police take the lead in enforcement as it's a criminal matter. The city does not have jurisdiction over criminal code violations, but city staff will support the police as needed."
The City of Cambridge sent CBC the following statement when asked if bylaw has been giving the business fines:
"Bylaw does not impose fines since the city does not license these types of businesses as they are not permitted by federal legislation."
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