An illegal magic mushroom store in Portland attracted so many players last week that they were forced to queue around the block.
The upscale mushroom store called the Shroom House has sprung up in town, although selling products containing psilocybin — the hallucinogenic ingredient in magic mushrooms — remains illegal in Oregon.
The shop looks official and has a big sign on the front that shows a mushroom that also looks like a house. The same distinctive logo is plastered on its glass windows.
In November 2020, Oregon passed Measure 109 — a bill that would legalize the controlled therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms. However, this bill does not legalize their sale.
When questioned about the legality of the business, the shopkeeper told local news station KOIN, “They are not a pharmacy, they are a health and wellness store.”
Last Friday, Shroom House had customers lining up around the block to buy psychedelic products
The store appears to be official and has a sign on the facade depicting a mushroom that also looks like a house
The Oregon Health Department confirmed to KOIN that there are currently no licensed mushroom dispensaries in the state. However, Oregon will begin accepting applications for permits to sell psilocybin products beginning January 2, 2023.
A new employee at the store, who has now quit, reached out to the new network to say that when he was hired, managers had hinted the operation was legal.
“Shroom House management led me to believe that this was the first medically licensed and sanctioned place to purchase psychedelics in the state of Oregon,” said former collaborator Kace Colwell.
“They break all kinds of laws there.”
In 2020, Oregon passed Measure 109, legalizing the controlled use of mushrooms but not allowing their retail sale. A line formed, wrapping around the block, on Friday
A customer who found out about the store and had visited twice since then was incredulous that it existed.
Reshawn Davis, who bought magic mushrooms that Shroom House dubbed “Hillbilly,” said, “When I heard about this place I thought I was tripping or something.”
“And I knew this stuff had to be real. Once I checked the reviews to see if it’s a real store. Someone said the first mushroom dispensary in Oregon.’
Colwell, who also initially thought the store was legitimate, said, “They just lie to people about the most basic facts about their store.”
“I don’t know what else they want to lie about,” he added.
The Portland Police Bureau confirmed that the Narcotics and Organized Crime Division is aware of allegations that the store is illegally selling psilocybin.
Local authorities told KOIN they are aware of the illegal operation and that it is on their radar
Reshawn Davis, who initially thought he would trip up when he heard about the first mushroom edition in Oregon, bought 3.5 grams of a mushroom at the store called Hillbilly.
Standing in the long line outside the Shroom House, Jesus Bogas knew he wanted to buy mushrooms for recreational use.
“Well, I voted for psilocybin mushrooms in the 2020 election. And that’s why I’m here to participate,” Bogas said.
Measure 109, the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act, was voted on by individuals across the state and passed by nearly 56 percent of the vote.
“I understand there are some legal formalities, but I’m here to see what’s at stake. It’s an enlightenment and it’s what I love to do.”
The opening of the Shroom House comes amid an exodus of small businesses from the city grappling with rising crime rates.
Just last week, a Portland retail store belonging to popular clothing brand Rains was forced to close after 15 burglaries in just two months.
The store’s owner, Marcy Landolfo, posted a notice on her window explaining her decision to close the store.
“We have no protection or remedy against criminal conduct that goes unpunished. Don’t be fooled into thinking that insurance companies cover losses. We’ve suffered 15 burglaries…we haven’t received monetary compensation since the 3rd,” she wrote.
When the store was burgled in October, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler promised the city would develop a plan to help business owners who were targeted and needed help repairing their stores.
“Paying for glass, that’s great, but that’s so superficial and doesn’t add anything to the root cause of the problem, so that’s never going to change,” Landolfo said.
Portland currently has more than 700 homeless camps located across the city within less than 150 square miles
In recent years, Portland has also seen a rising murder rate. Last year, 90 homicides were recorded in the city, breaking the previous record of 66
A clothing store in Portland, Oregon, shut down for good last month after it faced 15 burglaries that left it in financial trouble
Rising crime and homeless encampments that have spread from downtown to the suburbs are crowding out businesses and residents
In recent years, Portland has also seen a rising murder rate. Last year, 90 murders were recorded in the city, breaking the previous record of 66 set more than three decades ago.
Last Wednesday, the city recorded its 93rd homicide of the year, breaking its annual record with a full month of the year remaining.
The city currently has more than 700 homeless camps in less than 150 square miles.
Wheeler recently said he would ban the city’s unauthorized homeless camps, which have created a “maelstrom of misery.”
Rains wasn’t the only company that felt pressure to pull out of Portland. A few days earlier, famed ice cream shop Salt & Straw threatened to move its headquarters out of the state entirely.
Kim Malek, who co-founded the company with her cousin Tyler Malek in Portland, told Oregon Live that she doesn’t want to move but feels her employees are unsafe.
“We would consider all options,” she said.
Salt & Straw was founded as a community meeting place, according to its website, but co-founder Kim Malek said on Wednesday that unless things change, they would be forced to leave
Ice cream company Salt & Straw has threatened to move its Portland headquarters out of Oregon as crime, drug use and homelessness continue to plague the Democratic city
“We don’t have any concrete plans. But our intention is to sit at the table with the city and county to find a solution, not move. Portland is part of the soul of our company. We love this city. This is about creating a safe workplace for our team.”
Residents and business owners have been saying for months that escalating crime and homelessness are affecting their way of life and safety.
“Our intention is to work through that,” Malek said. ‘I can’t stay here if we don’t.’
The ice cream parlor started in Portland but now has stores across the United States including Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami and even Disney.