Psychonauts waited for over an hour outside a Portland Mushroom Supplement Store, with lines wrapping around the building, to get their hands on some psychedelic mushrooms before they sold out.

Psychedelic mushrooms are permitted in Oregon, though only in approved medical settings. Psilocybin containing mushrooms cannot be sold in stores and must be taken on the grounds of a state-approved "psilocybin service facility," while under the supervision of a facilitator who has been trained in an Oregon Health Authority-approved program.

None of this prevented the Shroom House from selling fungi containing psilocybin, the active element in magic mushrooms, to retail customers with no facilitator required. Customers who want to buy from Shroom House must join the "Shroom House Society” through a quick application and interview process. They must be at least 21 years old, provide two pieces of identification, and complete a questionnaire about depression and anxiety. Once a member of the society, Shroom House reportedly had a variety of mushrooms to choose from including Knobby Tops, Albino Penis Envy, Liberty Caps, and Golden Teachers. Seven grams cost between $85 to $95.

This is the same type of underground activity that participants in the medical marijuana industry experienced during the early days of Prop.215 in California. This is a trend we have seen in almost every state that allowed medical cannabis and didn’t have the infrastructure or manpower to support such a massive industry almost overnight. This “Grey Area” will continue to grow into a flourishing but regulated psychedelic industry as more research supports the benefits of psychedelics for mental health.