US Legality Psychoactive-Using Churches under RFRA
DEA
“Meyers” Religious Critieria
Church of Reality
- DEA Decision on Religious Exemption Petition by Church of Reality (2008)
- Appellate Court Upholds DEA Denial of Religious Exemption to Church of Reality (2010)
Iowaska Church of Healing
Gustavo Vargas
- Gustavo Vargas Sentencing Judgement (2018)
- Gustavo Vargas Motion of Sentencing Recommendations (2018)
- Criminal Charges Against Gustavo Vargas – Tampa, Florida (2018)
- Criminal Complaint Report about Gustavo Vargas – Tampa, Florida (2017)
Ayahuasca Healings
Church of the Eagle and the Condor
- FOIA Request to Department of Justice on Ayahuasca Seizures (June 2021)
- FOIA Request to Customs on Ayahuasca Seizures (March 2021)
- FOIA Request to DEA on Ayahuasca Seizures (March 2021)
Soul Quest
- Soul Quest v. Garland, DEA Investigation Report Regarding Subpeona to Shipping Company Moreno (February 2021)
- Soul Quest v. Garland, DEA Memo in Support of Motion to Dismiss (June 2021)
- Soul Quest v. Garland, DEA’s Response in Opposition to Petition for Preliminary Injunction (June 2021)
- Soul Quest v. Garland, DEA Investation Report of Non-Drug Exhibits (from January 2017, filed June 2021)
- Soul Quest Second Amended Complaint (May 2021)
- DEA Denies Soul Quest Ayahuasca Exemption, Determination Letter (April 2021)
- Soul Quest v. Garland, DEA Investigation Report, Graumlich Interviews with Young and Irwin (February 2021)
- Soul Quest v. Garland, DEA Investigation Report, Graumlich Interviews with Leadership and Personnel (February 2021)
- Soul Quest v. Garland, DEA Investigation Report Regarding Interception and Seizure of Controlled Substances Rollins (December 2020)
- Status Report and Motion to Extend Stay for 90 More Days (October 2020)
- DEA/DOJ & Soul Quest Motion to Stay Proceedings for 120 Day w/ Exhibit A: DEA New Letter to Soul Quest (June, 2020)
- Letter from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to Soul Quest (Aug. 2016)
- Soul Quest v. Garland, DEA Investigation Report Regarding Letter Sent to Soul Quest (August 2016)
- Soul Quest v. Garland, DEA Investigation Report, Case Initiation (August 2016)
- Soul Quest’s response to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) (Dec. 2016)
- DEA’s Response to Soul Quest Regarding Exemption Criteria and Questions About DEA’s Authority (2016)
NAAVC
- Arizona Yaga Assembly et al. v Barr, Original Complaint (2020).
- Arizona Yage Assembly et al v. Barr, Defendants’ Motion to Stay (2020).
- Arizona Yage Assembly et al. v. Barr, Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction (2020).
- Arizona Yage Assembly et al. v. Barr, Order Granting Motions to Dismiss and Denying Preliminary Injunction (2020).
Texts by Gayle Hiphpine
- The ‘Legality’ of Ayahuasca Churches Under the Oklevueha Native American Church,” by Gayle Highpine, bialabate.net, December 12, 2015.
- Is Ayahuasca Actually Illegal in the United States?, by Gayle Highpine, bialabate.net, December 22, 2015.
- The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the DEA Exemption Process, and Ayahuasca Healings.” by Gayle Highpine, bialabate.net, April 3, 2016.United States v. Meyers (1996)
Diverse Texts
- Let the Buyer Beware: Advertised ‘Ayahuasca Healing Retreats’ Are Not Legal in the United States, by Anonymous, bialabate.net, December 4, 2015.
- Don’t believe the hype about the ‘Legal Ayahuasca USA Church’ going around Facebook—it’s not legal, it’s dangerous, and here’s why,” by J. Hamilton Hudson, bialabate.net, Dec. 7, 2015.
- Pandora’s Brew: The New Ayahuasca. Blog posts published by Christina Callicot at Savage Minds – Part 1 to 7 (2017)
- 7 Best Practices for Ayahuasca Legal Harm Reduction by Robert Heffernan (2017)
ONAC
- Letter from ONAC Lawyer Matthew S. Pappas to ONAC Council of Elders Explaining His Resignation and Criticisms of James Mooney and ONAC (May 2016)
- Amicus Curiae from various Native American Churches against the Oklevueha Native American Church (ONAC) led by James Warren ‘Flaming Eagle’ Mooney (2014)
- National Council Does Not Condone Faux Native American Churches or Marijuana Use, by Native American Churches, Indian Country Today, Feb. 18, 2016.
- Pot and Pretendians: ONAC Rebuttal, by Oklevueha Native American Church, Indian Country Today, Dec. 29, 2015.
RFRA Related Case Law