The Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants is an initiative of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines that endeavors to advocate for the legality of sacred plant medicines among indigenous peoples and non-indigenous communities, encourage legal harm reduction practices that protect those who use them, educate about conservation of plant species, document relevant legal and social issues, and consult on legal cases including possible litigation. This project includes: production of academic research and multimedia educational materials; a catalog of documents and reports of arrests, ethical issues, safety and public health concerns; a network of researchers, lawyers, and activists; resources and consulting for academics; and advocacy for drug reform.

Chacruna is in the process of forming a self-regulating organization and professional society of religious and spiritual practitioners dedicated to the advancement of the ceremonial use of psychedelic sacraments within the United States. This organization is currently incubated by Chacruna, however it operates with its own internal regulation. Its mission is to facilitate the collaboration of healers and spiritual communities across the United States in developing and upholding best standards of practice with these sacred medicines, and in advancing legal protections under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The organization consists of various North American churches that utilize sacramental plant medicines, such as ayahuasca and psilocybin mushrooms, in their religious ceremonies. Some of these churches are legally incorporated and others are in the process of attaining that recognition. Their teachings are drawn both from the spiritual lineages of traditional communities in Peru, Colombia and Brazil, and by local US expressions of religiosity. This alliance of churches also serves as a community of mutual support and dialogue between religious leaders, as well as space for accountability in the larger plant medicine community. We have paused new applications to the alliance while we clarify membership protocols. We will be accepting applications in the near future. 

For more information, write to Robert Heffernan at:

<[email protected]>