Wonderland Mushroom, Minnesota’s first mushroom dispensary, is opening Wednesday on Grand Avenue. Wonderland Mushroom (844 Grand Ave., St. Paul) promotes health and wellness. They offer a variety of mushroom-based products such as gummies, beverages, elixirs, chocolates and potato chips. The shop opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday. On Sundays, the shop is open from noon to 6 p.m. The co-founder of Wonderland Mushroom and CEO of Nothing But Hemp, Steven Brown, sells third-party products and made-in-house products with ingredients sourced from mushroom farmers. The products contain an assortment of mushroom species, such as lion’s mane, reishi, shiitake, chaga and cordyceps. Third-party products include Kava and Amanita. Some of the products also contain hemp-derived THC. “I believe in plant medicine as an alternative to pharmaceuticals,” Brown said. Although many associate mushrooms with a hallucinogenic effect, the psychoactive mushroom compound psilocybin remains illegal federally, though it was recently legalized in two states — Oregon and Colorado. Legalization efforts in Minnesota are in the early stages. All the Wonderland Mushroom products are lab-tested, and the shop posts lab reports on its website. Isabella CaswellWonderland Mushroom on Grand Avenue. People are often scared to consume mushrooms because of the potential danger and toxicity, Brown said. Brown has researched mushroom health benefits and has seen positive effects firsthand. Lion’s mane helped lessen his father-in-law’s dementia symptoms. Brown has also found mushrooms have more medicinal properties than cannabis. “That’s why I got really interested in this business,” Brown said. “It’s just amazing. When you learn more about mushrooms, you’ll appreciate them more.” Mushrooms are purported to have a wide range of health benefits. For example, lion’s mane may help improve mood, memory and mental clarity, according to WebMD. Reishi is said to boost the immune system and has anti-cancer effects. For people new to mushroom wellness, Brown says to do research, ask questions and check with your physician about whether mushrooms are the right choice for you. Steven BrownInside Wonderland Mushroom. Courtesy of Steven Brown. “We’re excited to help people with health and wellness and educate them on our products,” Brown said. Education of mushroom products is greatly valued at Wonderland Mushroom, Brown said. All employees learn the health benefits of each mushroom to assist customers in choosing products. Even if you are not purchasing a product, Brown encourages people to go in and ask questions. Also, he says, watch “Fantastic Fungi” on Netflix. Related Articles Business | Oakdale prop fabrication company behind well-known advertisements acquired by Minneapolis marketing firm Business | Russia-linked actors are seeding disinformation about Harris as election nears, Microsoft says Business | Study: Americans’ pay hasn’t fully recovered from inflation. Will it ever? Business | Trump unveils crypto project, says US should dominate sector Business | 2024 college grads: Get ready for student loan repayment