Help Protect the Rights of Sacramental Churches
Tax deductible
Help Protect the Rights of Sacramental Churches
Sacred Plant Alliance (SPA) is a nonprofit association of churches that use sacred, consciousness-altering substances—sometimes called sacraments or entheogens—as part of their sincere religious and spiritual practice. These churches are committed to offering safety-oriented, ethically aligned ceremonies and spiritual enrichment to their communities.
SPA was founded to support and protect these communities—and now we need your help.
Who We Are
SPA works on three interconnected fronts:
- Member Support – We help churches self-regulate through shared ethical standards, annual peer reviews, and a community accountability system.
- Education – We provide public education on legal protections and best practices, including launching a multi-month educational program for new churches in 2025.
- Legal Advocacy – We defend the constitutional right to religious exercise and challenge barriers that threaten these sacred practices.
Together, these programs form a network of support that uplifts sincere spiritual communities and strengthens their legal footing.
Why We’re Suing the DEA
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has established a deeply flawed and unlawful process for churches seeking a religious-based exemption to legally carry out their sacramental practices. The current petition process violates both the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), and it is actively harming sincere spiritual communities, including SPA’s members.
Crucially, the petition process is the only proactive path for religious communities to seek legal recognition. The alternative is untenable: waiting in fear of prosecution or other serious harm until a court might consider it a “substantial burden” under RFRA. As it stands, the system forces sincere practitioners to choose between practicing their faith or risking legal consequences—an impossible position that RFRA was designed to prevent.
That’s why SPA is preparing to file a federal lawsuit against the DEA.
This legal action could result in the first lawful, meaningful exemption process for sacramental churches under federal law. It would be a historic step forward for religious freedom in the U.S.
Read more about our legal case in this Chacruna article:
How You Can Help
We are seeking to raise $50,000 to support this next phase of SPA’s work—including our legal action, educational programs, and continued support for member churches. This amount represents a portion of the overall $175,000 budget needed to sustain our efforts through the lawsuit.
Your donation is tax-deductible and directly supports a future where sincere, safety-oriented sacramental communities can thrive—with integrity, legal protection, and public trust.
Thank you for standing with us.
Organizer
Sacred Plant Alliance
Organizer
San Francisco, CA
Sacred Plant Alliance
Beneficiary