Beginner Friendly

What makes a product beginner friendly

Three things, in this order. It should be easy to measure, so you are not guessing at a number. It should be forgiving in strength, so a small mistake stays a small mistake. And it should have a reputation you can look up, so you know roughly what other people felt before you take it.

That rules out a lot. Very strong strains like Albino Penis Envy and Tidal Wave are not on this page for a reason. They are excellent, and they are the wrong place to learn what a gram feels like in your body. Those live under connoisseur strains instead.

Where most people start

Golden Teacher is the strain that gets recommended more than any other, and it earns it. The come up is slow and unremarkable, the middle is warm and visual without being overwhelming, and it lands softly. Cambodian comes on faster and stays clearer in the head, which some people prefer for a first go because you feel less like you are waiting. Mexicana is one of the mildest cubensis strains we carry and is a good choice if you want to feel a shift without losing your footing. Amazonian sits a step above those three, so treat it as a second outing rather than a first.

If weighing dried mushrooms sounds like work

It is fair to not want a scale in your kitchen. Golden Teacher capsules come in twenty pre-filled pieces, so the amount is already decided for you. Mushroom tincture drops work the same way with a dropper instead of a capsule, and they kick in quicker because there is nothing to digest.

Psilocybin tea is the gentlest format we sell. Five bags to a box, hot water, and a first cup that you can follow with a second an hour later if you want more. It also skips the earthy taste and the nausea that some people get from chewing dried caps.

For something you can eat in front of other people without explaining yourself, the Reach Peach and Watermelon gummies are divided into pieces, and Psilobites Calm is a five gram bar you break down rather than eat whole.

How to take a first dose without regretting it

Eat something light two hours before, not right before. Pick a day with nothing after it. Be somewhere you already feel comfortable, with someone you trust nearby or reachable. Take your amount, then leave it alone for ninety minutes. Almost every rough first experience we hear about starts with someone taking more at the forty minute mark because nothing was happening yet.

Skip alcohol entirely. If you take prescription medication, particularly antidepressants, lithium or anything for a psychiatric condition, talk to a doctor first. Do not take mushrooms if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and be cautious if psychosis or bipolar disorder runs in your family.

What the first two hours usually feel like

Dried mushrooms and chocolate take thirty to sixty minutes to start. Tea and drops are quicker, closer to twenty. The first sign is usually a small body shift, sometimes a yawn or a wave of nausea that passes. Colours get a little more saturated, edges move slightly, music sits differently. At a small amount you stay completely able to hold a conversation and walk around your home. The peak sits around the ninety minute to two hour mark and the whole thing runs four to six hours, with a couple of hours of quiet afterwards where you will not want to do much.

Ordering

Shipping is free across Canada on orders over $199 and everything goes out in plain packaging with tracking. If you are in Toronto, Ottawa or London you can get same day delivery instead. Payment is Interac e-Transfer, Visa, MasterCard or Amex. If you are not sure which of these to pick, message the shop and tell us what you want the evening to feel like. That is a normal question and we get it every day.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I take the first time?

Most first time guidance sits around one gram of dried cubensis, and a lot of people do well starting lower than that at half a gram. Strength varies between strains and even between batches, so the number is a starting point and not a rule. Take the smaller amount, wait the full ninety minutes, and write down what you took so your next one is an informed decision.

Which strain is the easiest to start with?

Golden Teacher, for the reason it always gets named: the effects come on gradually and stay predictable. Cambodian and Mexicana are the next two most forgiving. Avoid anything in the Penis Envy family, Tidal Wave, Enigma and Melmac until you have a few experiences behind you.

Are capsules or gummies weaker than dried mushrooms?

Not inherently. They are measured, which is different from weak. A capsule holds a set amount so you know exactly what you took, and most of our microdosing capsules hold well under a recreational dose. The advantage is consistency, not mildness, so still read the amount per piece before you eat two.

How long before I can drive or go to work?

Do not plan to do either the same day. The main effects run four to six hours and there is a tail of a few hours after where your attention and reaction time are not what they normally are. Give it a full night of sleep.

Will I get nauseous?

Some people do, usually in the first hour and usually briefly. Chewing dried mushrooms thoroughly, or switching to tea, drops or chocolate, helps a lot because there is less fibre to break down. A small amount of ginger before you dose is a common trick and costs nothing to try.

What do I do if it feels like too much?

Sit down somewhere dim and quiet, put on music you already know, and breathe slower than feels natural. Tell whoever is with you that you need a calm room. It will pass. Nothing you feel in that stretch is permanent, and it is why we tell people to have a second person around for a first time.

Can I mix mushrooms with cannabis?

You can, but not on a first outing. Cannabis makes the experience noticeably stronger and less predictable, and it is a common reason a gentle dose turns into a difficult one. Keep the first few clean so you learn what mushrooms alone actually do to you.

Is any of this legal in Canada?

Psilocybin is a controlled substance in Canada. Our shops have operated openly for years and we ship discreetly across the country, but this is not a regulated legal market like cannabis, and you should understand that before you order. We do not sell to anyone under nineteen.