A group of 25 people were seated in a circle on a floor with each person holding a ramen spoon containing a brownish paste. Rabbi Ben Gorelick (42 years old) was one of them. He has a multi-colored hairdo. Gorelick was slower than usual that night as he instructed everyone in the room to eat the spoon containing a custom mixture of psychedelic mushrooms extract and to find a place to lie on the ground as they prepare to do a guided breathing exercise.
The room was home to members of The Sacred Tribe spiritual group, which Gorelick established in 2018. It now has more than 270 members. Gorelick holds a weekend retreat once a month that allows people to “examine the relationship to self, community, and God”. He uses psilocybin mushrooms from his Denver team.
Gorelick stated that this is not the way a reform or conservative synagogue should look. He also said that Gorelick’s approach aligns with Kabbalah or Jewish mysticism. “The goal of this project is not to send people to the moon. It is to provide just enough to allow people to connect.
These scenes have become more common in the American underground as shrooms, and other psychedelics, have seen increased exposure and a renewed interest in their potential medical benefits. Denver was the first city to make personal possession and use of psilocybin legal in 2019. This led to a wave of similar initiatives in cities from Oakland, California to Washington, D.C.
Denver leaders are contemplating further liberalization. Colorado voters may even be asked this fall if they want to legalize mushrooms in the state. Gorelick’s Sacred Tribe is a group that explores the intersection between Judaism, psychedelics and Judaism. It highlights the gap between state, city and federal laws on psychedelics and illustrates a missing piece in the 2019 vote to decriminalize.
Denver City Councilman Chris Hinds stated that “We are not trying to get this dealership pipeline moving here.” “But, if it’s decriminalized to possess, well, then how do you get it?”
Police raided The Sacred Tribe’s north Denver cultivation facility, where they found more than 35 varieties of mushrooms that were being grown for its events. One employee was arrested by police and mushrooms and other documents were seized. According to an arrest warrant, Gorelick was also arrested by Denver police on suspicion of possessing with intent to manufacture and distribute a controlled substance. This is a first-degree felony.
Gorelick doesn’t worry about the legal consequences. He claims that he has never sold or distributed mushrooms outside of The Sacred Tribe retreats and that, furthermore he believes that the group is protected under a religious exemption.
“I don’t sell elsewhere and I don’t wholesale anywhere else. He said that he has very, very strict tracking systems for everything, from spores to extract.
It is still a crime to sell or buy psilocybin and to grow it more than a “personal” quantity, according to the decriminalization parameters. According to a city report, mushrooms-related arrests are still rare. This is despite the fact that Denver has made possession laws enforcement police’s lowest priority. The report stated that psilocybin was also listed in other drug-related arrests.
Activists have simultaneously filed ballot initiatives to legalize entheogenic plant such as psychedelic mushroom for use in therapeutic settings. Colorado voters may be asked to vote on the matter as soon as November.
Psilocybin, and other psychedelics, have gained greater acceptance in the culture. Their use is now more common in medical circles to treat depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. As individuals seek deeper connections with their communities and a greater power, the movement is also spreading to spiritual and religious circles.
Bad actors have emerged in this space due to a lack of oversight. This includes doctors who were accused of sexual misconduct when treating people under the influence. Joey Gallagher is the Denver-based executive Director of the non-profit Psychedelic Club. He said that because much of this work takes place underground, nefarious acts often go unreported or not documented. The club aims to educate and create community about psychedelics. Advocates expressed concern that instances of abuse and sexual assault of those in vulnerable psychedelic states could outweigh the many benefits of psychedelics like psilocybin.
Gallagher stated that it was a worrying trend. “The psychedelic community must do more to call out bad behavior.”
— “Institutional Religion is a dying creature.”
Rabbi Gorelick was ordained in 2019 by the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute. However, members of The Sacred Tribe do not have to be Jewish to join. Many who attended the November event did not claim any religious affiliation.
Amy Bliss was raised Catholic, but she rejected organized religion when she was a teenager. John and Lena Swedell were Jehovah’s Witnesses as children, but they left the church over a decade ago. These people, along with others who came to Denver to attend the weekend, share a curiosity about psychedelics and a desire for more information about themselves. They also have a willingness and ability to connect with other like-minded people.
Bliss stated, “The level acceptance is radical acceptance.” Bring who you are. All of your mistakes and all of your, you know impurities, ugliness, and all of that. All of it. All are welcome.
The Sacred Tribe was founded in 2001. It has grown primarily through word of mouth. Other events such as breathing workshops that are open to all guests, and which do not contain mushrooms, have also been a major source of growth. Gorelick explained that the group is funded by donations. These funds go towards paying staff members and purchasing food for events.
Prospective members must complete an application and complete a questionnaire to be eligible to join a retreat. Some also have to undergo interviews to make sure their goals are aligned with the community. Gorelick is also the co-owner of So Epic, a lifestyle brand that promotes electronic music concerts and raves.
“I reject approximately 15% of applications to the community because people are looking to access mushrooms rather than an exploration of connection,” he stated, noting that psychedelics were only one aspect of The Sacred Tribe experience.
On Friday, November’s retreat began with an interactive workshop and a non-stuffy dinner. On Saturday, those who took mushrooms found that the tables from the previous night had been replaced by brightly colored cushions and that the lighting was dimmed. The sculpture was covered in mosaicked pieces made of colored mirrors. It was illuminated by a spotlight and the light reflected off it, creating a fracturing effect.
After a round of introductions and intention-setting on the floor, Gorelick invited everyone on the floor to change into comfortable clothes and approach him to receive the “sacrament.” The Sacred Tribe members synchronously ate their spoons of extract before settling down on the ground for a guided breathing exercise. Gorelick played a playlist that participants had created earlier in the evening. Within two songs, the mood started to shift.
People started to writhe between deep breathes. The room was filled with moaned of pain and joy. The intensity of the music escalated, causing screaming and sobbing. One person did cartwheels around the room while others gravitated towards the edge of the group, looking on with wide eyes.
The music suddenly slowed down just as the scene seemed to be going mad. This created a sense of calm throughout the room. The movements became more fluid and softened. Breathing became easier and more natural.
After the sessions, which are known as breathwork, members had the rest of the night to explore — in quiet spaces downstairs, in rooms with visuals and music projected on the ceiling or outside by the firepit. Everybody who ate mushrooms had to stay for the entire night. They were also allowed to take a second dose within a few hours. If someone experiences negative or uncomfortable feelings, sober members were available to help.
Everyone was back on the floor by Sunday morning for a discussion about the lessons learned and practical applications.
Gallagher, Psychedelic Club, estimates that there are “immense” spiritual groups using psychedelics. But Gorelick is tapping into a larger movement within the Jewish community.
Madison Margolin is co-founder of DoubleBlind magazine, which focuses on psychedelics. She also helped to create the Jewish Psychedelic Summit, which provides a forum for discussion about religion and psychedelics. The first two-day symposium was virtually held last May and brought together many panelists of Jewish heritage. It attracted more than 1,100 people.
The discussion covered topics like Jewish trauma and the possibility of psychedelic heal, the history of psychedelics as an ancient Jewish practice and why ending the war against drugs is a Jewish imperative.
Margolin stated that although this approach is still very niche, it is growing in popularity and attracting people from many Jewish sects. Margolin explained that institutional religion as we know is dying from either a reform- or secular perspective.
She said that many people’s psychedelic experiences have redirected them to a new relationship with Judaism. Integration is a way to take stock of and integrate the spiritual, mental, and somatic benefits of these experiences in one’s own life.
Margolin stated, “Psychedelics are the future Judaism in that there’s this common ground between people from all backgrounds and psychedelic consciousness is a meeting place for them.” “Judaism can be used as a religious container and provides a setting for people to experience psychedelic experiences.”
— The use of psychedelics in the purposeful is on the rise
Two words that are frequently used in discussions on spirituality and psychedelics use are “setting” and “set”. Matt Lowe, research director for Denver’s nonprofit Unlimited Sciences, said that “set” refers the mental state a person experiences when they consume psychedelics. “Set” refers also to the environment they use — these are two important distinctions between recreational and intention-driven use.
Unlimited Sciences partnered with Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research in 2020 to conduct an observational study on psilocybin use to better understand the contexts in which they are consumed. According to Albert Garcia-Romeu (assistant professor of psychology and behavioral science), the study has so far included 6,800 participants who used psilocybin within the six-month period prior to the self-reporting survey data. More than 900 completed the initial survey.
The largest proportion of respondents (40%) cited “self-exploration as their primary reason” for using psilocybin. Next came those who used it for their mental health (30%), and therapy (10%).
Lowe stated that “we’re tapping into a lot of people who are using it not only for guiding sessions, self-exploration for subjects they find difficult, to overcome grief or to understand unity.” We’re seeing people also use it to guide their spiritual experiences, mystical experiences, or religious beliefs.
Evidence exists that Mesoamerican indigenous cultures used hallucinogenic plants, cactus, and fungi for healing rituals and religious ceremonies. Lowe stated that researchers had long been interested in studying substances like LSD and Psilocybin in medical and mystical contexts. However, clinical trials and research stopped after President Richard Nixon signed Controlled Substances Act 1971.
It has taken decades to overcome the stigma surrounding psychedelics, and explore their benefits. Recent research has shown promising results when psilocybin is used to treat anxiety, depression, PTSD, and terminally ill patients. Lowe stated that modern research has also examined psychedelics’ ability to trigger religious experiences.
Gorelick will be conducting a study in Denver with Divergence Neuro, a Canadian company. The goal of the study is to collect biometric data on how psychedelic mushrooms affect brain and body.
Gorelick’s team uses a proprietary process to extract and isolate psilocybin. The 14 other alkaloids can then be administered to members depending on the member’s intentions. Gorelick explained that some alkaloids, such as aeruginascin, can be linked to feelings of euphoria. Others, like baeocystin, offer feelings of connectedness.
These assessments are based on the anecdotal evidence of a group “experienced psychonauts”, which Gorelick has been studying. He gives 1.5 grams to participants once a month and asks them questions about creativity, clarity and visuals.
Gorelick stated that most of the time, he gets all the results back. “Most importantly, there’s at minimum enough correlation between these particular strains that lend themselves to a greater heart connection, more somatic experiences, or a more visual experience or whatever,” he said.
Gorelick stated that the upcoming study will combine data with anecdotal evidence. It will monitor brain wave patterns, heart rate variability and respiration as well as other factors. It is expected to begin later in the year.
His study is unique because the compounds are extracted directly from the fungi. He said that most medical research relies on synthetically psilocybin to provide consistent dosing.
“We are the only ones in the world to have developed a process that allows for consistent dosing using full mushroom extract. Gorelick stated that it contains 20 mgs of psilocybin and also 3 mgs of psilocin and 12 milligrams each of baeocystin. “So that I can also give it consistently every time.”
– The murky legal landscape continues
The warehouse of the Sacred Tribe was subject to a routine fire inspection on Jan. 10. This was done in order to obtain operating permits. According to the probable cause affidavit, Denver police executed a search warrant at 4:45 pm that afternoon in response to a complaint by the fire department regarding an active mushroom and/or psilocybin laboratory.
According to the affidavit, “Officers found grow tents inside, scales, and multiple small white freezers with stacked mushroom bags sealed and stacked topping them off,”. According to Gorelick’s arrest warrant, police confiscated both growing and frozen mushrooms as well as paper and a digital scale.
According to Gorelick, police arrested a chemist who was hired to design and operate the mushroom extraction laboratory. The Denver District Attorney’s Office convicted the person with possessing with intent to manufacture and distribute a controlled substance. This is a first-degree felony.
Gorelick was arrested by police on February 8, after he surrendered to the Denver Police Department. His arrest affidavit states that police found mail and two cars belonging to Gorelick at the grow facility, linking him to the raided warehouse. The affidavit also stated that Gorelick’s name was on the application for a fire permit.
Since decades, the relationship between religion and drug abuse has been contentious. This became more complicated when Congress passed the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA) in 1993.
This act was passed as a result of a Supreme Court decision in Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon. Smith was a case in which two Native American men were fired and denied unemployment benefits because they used peyote. The court ruled that the state’s ban on peyote use was a general law, which means it applies to all equally. It also does not need to be overturned as it only affects a small number of religious practices.
Griffen Thorne of Harris Bricken in Los Angeles said that the ruling caused widespread backlash. Even conservative religious groups were critical about the implications under the First Amendment. Congress passed RFRA to provide judges with a means to determine whether a law or government act infringes religious liberty protected by the First Amendment.
Thorne stated that RFRA has been used in many contexts over time, including in a 2006 case involving ayahuasca, which set precedent for religious groups being able to import and consume controlled substances in a religious context. Thorne stated that this “left the door open for other groups.”
Thorne stated that organizations can apply for a religious exemption through the Drug Enforcement Administration. However, the guidelines of the agency stipulates that “the chances” of such an exemption happening.
Thorne stated that while many people may have legitimate religious practices that are protected by the First Amendment but that there is a federal agency that is extremely aggressive in how it regulates and laws that actually prohibit them. “Unless those people go to Court and win, they are probably still violating law.”
Thorne stated that despite this ambiguity federal law explicitly prohibits the cultivation of illegal substances including psychedelic mushrooms. An organization would only have protection at the local or state level.
A panel that was created to assess the impact of Denver’s psilocybin removal from criminalization suggested that Denver loosen its laws. The panel concluded that it had not presented any major public safety or health risk and recommended that the City Council give both communal use as well as the gifting of the drug the lowest priority in law enforcement.
A number of ballot initiatives have been filed by activists to legalize entheogenic plants, fungi and mescaline statewide and establish a regulatory system for their use within therapeutic settings. If they gather enough signatures, the ballot measures could be on the November ballot.
The tension between legal psilocybin use and illegal selling or buying of it is more gray than before. The report on decriminalizing’s effect was praised by Councilman Hinds, particularly considering the contributions of many law enforcement officers, including Beth McCann, to the recommendations. The Initiative 301 decriminalization measure that was adopted by the Mile High City voters did not address how or where locals should get psilocybin. Hinds views gifting as an important step towards resolving the Catch-22.
He stated that the committee had met for over a year, and he didn’t know if they were fully on board about how people get psilocybin. “But, if the City Council accepts the report, then gifting personal amounts here could be decriminalized in the near future.”
He said that growing 35 strains of cannabis is “above the definition for personal use,” however.
However, even legal substances can be confusing. This is what Steve Berke, the co-founder of International Church of Cannabis Denver, discovered in 2017. He was charged with public consumption of marijuana as well as violating the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act.
Berke stated that the Church of Cannabis doesn’t need a license to consume cannabis on-premises because it is a religious non-profit. This allows its members, called Elevationists. Even though cannabis had been legalized in the state several years before the church’s grand opening, April 20, 2017, police still called. Berke was eventually fined $50 for both misdemeanors. (A Denver judge found Lee Molloy, another co-founder, not guilty of the same charges.
Berke stated that the Church of Cannabis does not grow or sell marijuana paraphernalia. (Elevationists bring in their own food. He cautioned, however, that religious organizations using substances must ensure they comply with federal, state, and local law.
Berke stated that religion doesn’t permit you to kill people in the street or make human sacrifices. The federal government should be concerned if you do anything with Schedule 1 drugs. We knew that the federal government wasn’t targeting cannabis in 2017.
The Sacred Tribe’s mushroom-growing operation is still on hold. However, the group is reuniting. Gorelick delayed retreats that were scheduled for January after the raid, but will resume them in February without the sacrament. Gorelick still expects that cultivation will resume soon.
Even after being arrested, the rabbi doesn’t worry about legal consequences because the group’s religious practices are protected under an inherent exemption. The DEA has not granted a formal exemption to the Sacred Tribe. He said that none of the mushrooms grown by The Sacred Tribe were ever sold or used in any other context than the events they occurred.
Gorelick stated that “The Sacred Tribe stands behind our religious exemption, and we believe in it.” “I am confident that after the vetting of our processes is completed, life will return to normal.”