Inside the US’s psychedelic church boom, where taking drugs is legal

Psychedelic church activity in the US is expanding as some religious groups obtain legal permission to use banned substances in ceremonies. The Guardian focuses on the Church of Gaia in Spokane, which serves ayahuasca as a sacrament and became the first psychedelic church to receive an exemption after petitioning the DEA instead of suing. It also summarizes how exemptions and settlements have recognized additional psychedelic practices over the past year, after earlier legal victories under frameworks like the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The piece connects this growth to broader shifts in spirituality and religious identity in the US, while also describing risks and enforcement. It recounts a case involving Singularism in Utah, whose ceremonies use psilocybin and which faced a SWAT raid and criminal charges before pursuing relief under state-level RFRA. It notes that underground groups may use multiple substances, raising questions about legality, and that participants may experience intense psychological effects.