{"id":81881,"date":"2022-09-08T12:48:39","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T10:48:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/?p=81881"},"modified":"2023-11-12T18:49:21","modified_gmt":"2023-11-12T17:49:21","slug":"cerkev-v-oaklandu-tozi-policiste-psilocibinske-gobe-so-nas-zakrament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/blog\/oakland-church-sues-cops-psilocybin-mushrooms-are-our-sacrament\/","title":{"rendered":"Cerkev v Oaklandu to\u017ei policiste: \"Psilocibinske gobe so na\u0161 zakrament\""},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Psychedelic \u2018Church of Ambrosia\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One such church in East Oakland, The Church of Ambrosia (COA)<\/a><\/strong>, has been doing just that since 2019 when the city decriminalised natural psychedelics, also known as \u2018entheogens\u2019<\/em>. The COA chose the Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants<\/a><\/strong> as its local \u201cchapel\u201d or physical location: a refuge for parishioners to receive weed joints and magic mushrooms, while hearing the weekly sermons of church founder Dave Hodges<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Dave Hodges via Fox News Screengrab<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hodges believes that about 2 million years ago, early humans were able to invent the world\u2019s first religions after discovering magic mushrooms \u2014 and tripping out for the first time. Shrooms allow a person to pass \u201cevery dimension: heaven, hell, and everything in between\u201d<\/em>, Hodges says, which is why he takes a heroic dose<\/a><\/strong> regularly to visit this \u201cspace of pure light\u201d<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the church founder tells<\/a><\/strong> the San Francisco Chronicle<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing exists but one consciousness, which is the consciousness that I call God. We do believe that this is the truest form of religion \u2014 <\/em>having your own direct experience with God.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To join the church, one must fill out an application form asking whether or not they work for law enforcement (or the government as a whole)<\/em>, and whether or not they believe adults should be able to use or get psychedelics in a safe place. Despite the $5 monthly fee, the church does not <\/em>limit the amount of sacrament a member can get, says Hodges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt all depends on what they need to do their own work.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020 Raid by Oakland Police<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In August of 2020, Oakland Police received a tip claiming that the Church of Ambrosia was \u201cselling drugs\u201d<\/em>. This resulted in a raid of Zide Door, an easy-to-miss beige building at 1216 10th Ave. near East 12th Street. Police confiscated roughly $200,000 worth of magic mushrooms and cannabis, some cash, and computers. Their reasoning? The church was allegedly operating as a cannabis dispensary without a permit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was it legit? Depends on how you define \u201cselling drugs”<\/em>, which Hodges claims he doesn\u2019t do\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to the raid, members would pay a $5 membership fee per month (plus donations)<\/em> to receive the church-grown magic mushrooms or weed. Demand was so high that Hodges issued 60,000 membership cards overall \u2014 and almost 200 people visited the church on a daily basis to claim their shrooms or cannabis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"magic
via Creative Commons<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hodges told the newspaper:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is not just an excuse to sell drugs. This is what we truly believe is the origin of all religion and really what religion should be.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surveillance footage<\/a><\/strong> from the raid has around a dozen officers, some bearing firearms, coming up to the church\u2019s entrance. The video then shows the church\u2019s security guards walking out with their hands in the air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within the church itself, firefighters can be seen using an electric saw to break into a safe. The raid had caused at least $50,000 worth of damage to the building, according to Hodges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are just glad they didn\u2019t burn down the building doing what they did.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hodges has still not recovered any of the magic mushrooms, cannabis, cash, or computers from the Police Department. He seeks unspecified damages and wishes to reclaim the items from the raid, not to mention attorney\u2019s fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawsuit Filed in Federal Court<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In late August of this year, the Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants filed a lawsuit<\/a><\/strong> in federal court against the city of Oakland, its Police Department, and a specific police officer over the raid two years ago. The civil rights suit claims that by discriminating against<\/em> religious beliefs, the local police have violated the church\u2019s First and 14th amendment rights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo via Unsplash<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The litigation is still pending \u2014 meaning the city and its Police Department have not been served with the complaint yet. Nevertheless, the suit could serve as a litmus test on how far \u201creligious freedom\u201d<\/em> can exempt a person from existing laws. Can the church be allowed to dole out cannabis joints and shrooms as \u2018sacraments\u2019 to qualified members (i.e. those who paid the $5 tithe)<\/em> if it wasn\u2019t registered as a dispensary? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erwin Chemerinsky<\/strong>, the dean at UC Berkeley\u2019s law school, says that state laws override religious beliefs in this case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dean explained to the San Francisco Chronicle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe bottom line is that a First Amendment defense is unlikely to succeed [in becoming] a state law prosecution.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equal Protection<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the lawsuit, since the parishioners use magic mushrooms and cannabis as a sacrament, the raid was a direct violation of their religious freedoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oakland\u2019s \u201cdenial of any application\u201d<\/em> for \u201ctheir operations\u201d<\/em> has blocked their rights to exercise religion freely, says the complaint, thus violating the Equal Protection Clause<\/em> of the 14th Amendment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hodges argues that the church is exempt from getting the same permits as a \u2018normal dispensary\u2019, due to the First and 14th Amendments. If given the chance, though, the COA founder admitted to the newspaper that \u201cit would be nice\u201d <\/em>to get a city permit as a dispensary \u2014 so that the cops are left with no choice but to \u201cleave us alone.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sacrament or Sale? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While Oakland is<\/em> rapidly expanding<\/a><\/strong> its access to controlled substances, the use of shrooms and magic truffles is still illegal under state and federal law. It\u2019s not technically<\/em> allowed, legally speaking. Since early 2022, psilocybin<\/a><\/strong>, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, has been ranked in Oakland as among the \u2018lowest of priority\u2019 in terms of offences, also known as being \u201cdecriminalised\u201d<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in 2019, the city council passed a resolution to stop arresting people who use magic mushrooms and other \u201centheogenic plants\u201d \u2014 one that the church has invoked in its lawsuit against the city and its Police. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"hand
Photo via Wholecelium<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Soon, Hodges must convince a judge that his church does use psilocybin and cannabis for religious purposes. He also hopes that the Church of Ambrosia will be granted an exemption to use the Schedule 1 substances, similar to how peyote<\/strong> is exempted for ritual use by the Native American Church (NAC)<\/a>.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Oakland police claim that the COA\u2019s $5 monthly fee in exchange for the psilocybin and cannabis sacraments is the same as unlicensed drug dealing<\/a><\/strong>, thus making the raid valid. Hodges rebukes this claim and wrote in the lawsuit that his church and Zide Door \u201cpreach against the non-religious use of drugs and alcohol.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…[The church creates] a progressive and creative worship experience for its members, offering meditation, prayer and study groups,\u201d<\/em> the complaint reads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It adds that the \u201csincere, sacramental use of entheogenic plants and fungi,<\/em><\/strong> including cannabis and psilocybin\u201d<\/em> is \u201ccentral and essential\u201d<\/em> to their religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psilocybin Sermon<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hodges told the San Francisco Chronicle<\/em> that the lawsuit is meant to hold Oakland Police responsible for raiding the church \u201cillegally\u201d<\/em>, and to ask the city to respect their religion\u2019s dogma. Who are they to say what a sacred experience is?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his weekly sermons at the Oakland building, Hodges dressed in robes embroidered with cannabis leaves. He would then speak about his latest magic mushroom trip and \u201cthe insights\u201d<\/em> he discovered while visiting \u201cthese deep realms\u201d<\/em>. And before COVID, he parishioners would hand out joints and shrooms prior to the sermon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"dave
Photo by Dave Hodges (@davehemp) on Instagram<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fun fact!<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that for safety reasons, the church does not<\/em> allow members to take psychedelics onsite? Instead, they are asked to take shrooms and cannabis where they won\u2019t need to drive (or operate heavy machinery)<\/em> for at least 8 hours. Makes perfect sense, doesn\u2019t it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, however, the church is quiet as, well, a church mouse. Since COVID, Hodges has had only one in-person sermon, in February, with around 24 people in attendance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shrooms as Religious Experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not Hodges\u2019s lawsuit can hold water in court remains to be seen. One thing\u2019s for sure, however: the rise of evidence-based psychedelic research<\/a><\/strong>  is likely to sway a judge in their favour \u2014 or at least give it a second look. The natural antidepressant benefits of psilocybin are a godsend, now more than ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesse Choper<\/strong>, Law Professor at UC Berkeley, thinks that the Church of Ambrosia may have a case if their religion truly sees magic mushrooms or cannabis as a requirement:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s not a sham business, I would say the smokers got a pretty good case.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s hoping for some of that sweet divine intervention! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Najbolj\u0161a psihedeli\u010dna potovanja naj bi vam omogo\u010dila videti Boga. Kaj pa, \u010de vam povemo, da obstaja cerkev v resni\u010dnem svetu, ki uporablja to idejo? Si predstavljate, da gobe, magi\u010dni tartufi ali trava niso le orodje za psihedeli\u010dno prebujenje, temve\u010d \"zakramenti\", ki se u\u017eivajo pri mestnih verskih obredih?<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":81889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"topics":[],"class_list":["post-81881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics-legislation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81881"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":161774,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81881\/revisions\/161774"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81881"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=81881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}