Skip to content

Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin

2 papers in the library · 1 citation · publishing 2025-2026

Papers

Psilocybin retail stores in Canada: Changes in availability, commercialization, and geographic distribution

Canadian Journal of Public Health March 19, 2026 Jenna Matsukubo, Erik Loewen Friesen, Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin et al. 1 citation

Between 2024 and 2025, the number of physical psilocybin retail stores in Canada increased from 57 to 75, a 33% rise in stores per 100,000 people (0.18 to 0.24). The proportion of Canadians living within a 10-minute walk of a store rose from 1.4% to 1.7%. However, 30 of the original 57 stores closed, while 48 new ones opened, indicating rapid turnover. Two large chains operated 44% of all stores in 2025, and 97% were located in Ontario and British Columbia. In Toronto and Vancouver, 9.5% and 29.0% of residents, respectively, lived within a 10-minute walk of a store. Most stores sold dried mushrooms, microdose capsules, and infused edibles online, with 69% offering products mimicking commercial snack brands.

Hospital-based care for hallucinogens and risk of mania and bipolar disorder: A population-based cohort study.

PLoS medicine December 1, 2025 Daniel T Myran, Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin, Michael Pugliese et al.

Among 9.3 million people in Ontario, those who had an emergency department visit or hospitalization involving hallucinogens faced a 6-fold higher risk of a first episode of mania and a nearly 4-fold higher risk of a new bipolar disorder diagnosis over three years, compared to similar individuals without such acute care. The absolute risk was low: 1.43% of those with hallucinogen-related acute care developed mania versus 0.06% in the general population. The findings apply only to people who required acute care for hallucinogen use, not to most users, and suggest caution for individuals at risk of bipolar disorder.