Federal judge dismisses ayahuasca church’s request for overturn of DEA decision
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An action from a federal judge could pave the way for the Drug Enforcement Administration to finally shut down a local church. Investigative Reporter Karla Ray first got the attention of the DEA in 2016, after exposing the Soul Quest Church in Orange County was hosting ayahuasca retreats. Ayahuasca is a tea that contains DMT, a schedule one drug, and the church needs a religious exemption from the DEA to be able to distribute it legally. Soul Quest then challenged that denial in federal court by seeking a declaratory judgment, and a judge just dismissed that challenge. Despite not having the DEA exemption, Soul Quest has continued to host weekend retreats, including one that’s the subject of a wrongful death lawsuit.
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