You can get magic mushroom chocolates over the counter in San Francisco now

You can get magic mushroom chocolates over the counter in San Francisco now, A photo-illustration of a Galaxy Lab Mushroom Bar, which contains 72% dark chocolate, roasted almonds, fleur du sel and 150 mg of psilocybin in each of its 24 segments. | Source:RJ Mickelson/The Standard

You can get magic mushroom chocolates over the counter in San Francisco now

“Do you have Penis Envy?”

“Yes, I have albino Penis Envy.”

This was an actual conversation that took place inside what used to be Divas, a San Francisco club that catered to transgender women. For the last few months, the former three-story venue on Post Street near Polk Street is now a windowless house of worship called the Living Church, which is dedicated to helping people acquire magic mushrooms.

Penis Envy is a type of mushroom, one of the 180 or so that contain psychoactive chemicals. As with indica and sativa, the two main categories of cannabis, mushrooms’ effects can be configured by cross-breeding. With the right strain and at the right dose, some help you go on a quest of spiritual self-exploration, oblivious to the passage of time, while others will just have you and your friends laughing at everything, mesmerized by the motion of wind through the trees. And while they’re technically illegal, you can easily obtain some by donating to the Living Church, where “prices” for what’s referred to as sacrament lack dollar signs, but mostly everything is in the range of $20 to $60. 

It’s never been easier to buy magic mushroom chocolates, tinctures and other edibles over the counter, in fact. Such products have been available in Oakland for well over a year already, but The Standard did a quick survey on both sides of the bay and found that many—but by no means all—smoke shops have products containing shrooms, sometimes mixed in with non-psychoactive varieties for a little wellness boost. 

A photo illustration shows Vibrant Minds Honey Nut Granola Bar, which contains organic honey, oats, walnuts, cashews, cranberries, almonds, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin seeds and 1.75 grams of mushrooms (psilocybin) per piece. | Source:RJ Mickelson/The Standard

Mushrooms Are Almost Legal Now—Almost

Times are changing. San Francisco passed a resolution last year that urged local law enforcement to deprioritize the investigation and arrest of adult users of naturally occurring psychedelic substances like psilocybin. More recently, SB 58, state Sen. Scott Wiener’s bill that would decriminalize the use and possession of mushrooms in early 2025—along with DMT and ibogaine—has been passed by the California Legislature and awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature.

Notably, it’s not a full-scale legalization, as sales are still banned, and unlike California cannabis regulations, it contains no provisions for monitoring quality or purity.

“We’re laser-focused on making the case to the Governor that SB 58 is good policy, with broad support, and that it deserves his signature,” Wiener’s office told The Standard in a statement. “Our coalition of veterans, first responders, health care professionals and former law enforcement officers are conveying to the Governor the critical importance of these substances in helping people heal and get their lives back.”

For its part, the San Francisco Police Department said its enforcement focus continues to be on meth and opioids like fentanyl.