Churches are providing psychedelics to their followers. Is that legal?

Rabbi <a href="https://thesacredtribe.org/m/the-mushroom-rabbi/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Benjamin Gorelick</a> is the founder and spiritual leader of the <a href="https://thesacredtribe.org/m/the-sacred-tribe/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Sacred Tribe</a>, a community of Jewish seekers in Denver that grows its own psilocybin mushrooms for use in religious ceremonies. He calls himself “the mushroom rabbi,” but law enforcement authorities regard him as a drug dealer. Police raided Sacred Tribe in January and <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2022/02/11/denver-mushrooms-psilocybin-sacred-tribe/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">charged Gorelick</a> with suspicion of possession with intent to manufacture or distribute a controlled substance, a first-degree felony that carries a minimum sentence of eight years in prison. The <a href="https://www.hummingbirdchurch.com/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Hummingbird Church</a>, by contrast, has built cooperative relationships with local authorities since it began providing ayahuasca in spiritual ceremonies held in Joshua Tree, California in 2018. Police once raised a church member’s home, seizing psilocybin mushrooms and cannabis plants, but no charges were filed. The church website invites those seeking healing to apply to join a ceremony, but warns: “If you are looking for just a psychedelic experience, you are in the wrong place. Our ceremonies are sacred and deeply spiritual.” So far, they’ve been left alone, says <a href="https://www.hummingbirdchurch.com/courtney-close-1#:~:text=Courtney%20is%20the%20founder%20and,giving%20birth%20to%20her%20daughter." rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Courtney Close</a>, a founder of the church. <a href="https://medium.com/the-psychedelic-renaissance/churches-are-providing-psychedelics-to-their-followers-is-that-legal-c754672cc413">Learn More</a>