A Detroit religious group that reveres the use of psychedelics is in a legal battle with the city over its attempts to sell the “sacrament” to church members.
Soul Tribes International Ministries, a so-called “psychedelic church,” has cited a 2006 case involving a Santa Fe, New Mexico, ayahuasca church in its defense against the city of Detroit.
In that case, U.S. Customs seized over 30 gallons of ayahuasca tea that had been shipped to a sect of the Brazilian União do Vegetal (UDV) church located in Santa Fe. The church filed a lawsuit against the agency, citing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and won. The U.S. Supreme Court granted a preliminary injunction prohibiting the federal government from interfering with their religious use of ayahuasca.
Soul Tribes church was raided by Detroit police in September. Officers seized 99 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms and 120 pounds of what is believed to be marijuana. The City of Detroit brought a temporary restraining order and nuisance claim against Soul Tribes church owner Shaman Shu in October.
Shu has announced that he plans to file a $1 billion countersuit against the city citing racial and religious discrimination, citing the Supreme Court decision made in the Santa Fe case.
Lubbock Voters to Decide Decriminalization
The Lubbock City Council has ordered a special citywide election for May 4 to allow voters to decide whether the city should decriminalize marijuana.
“Freedom Act Lubbock” collected over 5,000 signatures on a petition in support of a measure that would decriminalize the possession of less than four ounces of marijuana within Lubbock, Texas. It would also prohibit law enforcement officers from using the odor of cannabis alone as probable cause for a search.
The petition was presented to the City Council, which unanimously rejected the ordinance. Some council members said they believed the ordinance violates the Texas constitution.
According to city laws, after rejecting the ordinance, the city has to put it to a vote.
If the ordinance passes, Lubbock will become the largest Texas city within driving distance of New Mexico dispensaries to decriminalize marijuana.
FDA Considers MDMA Treatment Application
A psychedelics research advocacy group has submitted a New Drug Application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), requesting that it expedite its review of MDMA as a treatment for PTSD.
A subsidiary of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) filed the request last week. The FDA has designated MDMA—street name: “Molly”—as a “breakthrough therapy” in treating PTSD. If the agency decides to approve the New Drug Application, then the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will have to reschedule the drug.In a news release, MAPS said it delivered a number of supporting scientific papers along with the application.