Research and development on magic mushrooms closer to reality at Princeton facility

Photo: Optimi Health Corp.

A new Princeton facility being built to grow and test magic mushrooms for health purposes is well underway.

Optimi Health Corp. has been building its two adjacent 10,000 square foot facilities since August 2020. They are looking to research and develop Canadian-grown psilocybin-producing mushrooms and related product formulations.

The construction is about four weeks behind schedule, but Optimi says that is acceptable given the ongoing pandemic.

The company recently received notification in regards to their application for a Controlled Substance Dealers Licence. The review indicated that "the proposed security environs may meet the requirements of the Health Canada Directive on Physical Security Requirements for Controlled Substances ad Drugs Containing Cannabis."

Optimi is now allowed to begin construction of those secure facility elements. When they are complete, another inspection will take place.

Secure vault ceiling decking will be installed immediately in preparation for a planned concrete pour. Once completed, the facility will include a Region III, Level 8 product vault with a projected capacity to initially secure a licensed 50kg of psilocybin with the ability, subject to future licensing, to easily scale up to a maximum allowable Level 8 capacity of 1,250 kg.

"The pace of activity has been phenomenal with updates occurring daily. We are delighted how well everything is coming together, and the quality of work continues to be excellent," said COO Bryan Safarik.

I look forward to delivering this project within a timeline and budget that’s not far from our original pre-Covid expectations, and under the extraordinary circumstances are very pleased with how diligently the entire team is working to get Canada’s first all-natural end-to-end mushroom facility ready for production. It’s shaping up to be a fabulous world-class facility we can all be justifiably proud of.”