Overview of Planet Money — "A trip to the magic mushroom megachurch"
This Planet Money episode (NPR, hosted by Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi) visits Zydor Church — also called the Church of Ambrosia — a large psychedelic “mushroom church” in Oakland, California. The episode profiles founder Pastor Dave Hodges, shows how the church operates (distribution of psilocybin, DMT, cannabis “sacrament”), explains the legal grey area psychedelic churches inhabit, and interviews lawyer John Rapp who helps organize and defend these groups. The story explores questions of religious freedom, harm reduction, public safety, and whether large-scale psychedelic churches are spiritual movements or commercial enterprises.
What Zydor looks like and how it operates
- Physical setting: a nondescript warehouse in Oakland with metal detectors, armed security, psychedelic murals and mushroom imagery, two ATMs on-site, and a “sacrament room.”
- Membership: simple application, pledge of sincere religiosity, $10 initiation fee and $5/month; members receive a membership card. Application asks if you work with law enforcement (there’s even a signed notice threatening to sue cops).
- Distribution model: no explicit “sales” — people make cash donations and are given “sacrament” (mushrooms, mushroom edibles, pre-rolled cannabis, DMT vape pens, etc.). Dave insists the room is not for sales but for donations.
- Scale: Dave claims ~135,000 members have passed through; about 4,000 members/month use the sacrament room on his estimate. The operation runs largely in cash, with substantial security, testing, payroll, and facilities costs.
- Practices: Zydor emphasizes high-dose experiences as spiritual/ceremonial (Dave claims people take doses “10 times” typical recreational levels) and also runs higher-dose ceremony houses.
Legal context and strategy
- The legal opening: a 2006 Supreme Court decision involving a Brazilian ayahuasca church (O Centro) affirmed that religious use of controlled substances can receive protection under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act if the government cannot justify prohibition — a precedent many psychedelic churches point to.
- DEA pathway: the DEA has a formal process for religious exemptions, but it is slow, requires applicants to suspend practices during petition review, and can expose practices to government scrutiny if denied.
- What courts look for: practitioners and their lawyers use criteria derived from precedent (sometimes called the “Myers test” in the episode) to establish religious sincerity — e.g., founder/leader, regular services, rituals, theology or sacred text, bylaws, clergy training. John Rapp helps churches codify doctrine, write “Bibles,” bylaws, holidays, codes of ethics, and security procedures.
- Regulatory expectations if exempted: strict controls (lockboxes, surveillance, inventory/security measures) to prevent diversion outside the congregation.
Key people
- Pastor Dave Hodges: founder/leader of Zydor Church. Originated from cannabis activism; says a high-dose mushroom vision in 2019 transformed him. Presents Zydor as both spiritual mission and harm-reduction access point.
- John Rapp: Seattle-based lawyer who advises psychedelic churches, motivated by personal loss and a conversion experience. He assists groups with legal structure, risk mitigation, and crafting materials that demonstrate religious sincerity.
Controversies, risks, and criticisms
- Legal risk: Zydor and similar churches operate in a precarious legal grey zone — federal law still classifies many psychedelics as Schedule I, and state/local laws vary. Raids and confiscations happen (Zydor experienced an Oakland raid in 2020 where ~$200k of material was seized; no charges ultimately filed but items were not returned).
- Public safety concerns: critics worry about lax intake/screening at large churches, high dosages, and potential harm (the episode cites cases where churches faced criminal or civil liability, e.g., an ayahuasca-related death and negligence conviction in Florida).
- Commercialization accusations: skeptics allege Zydor is profiting off illegal drugs under the cloak of religion. Dave and his supporters argue margins are thin due to testing, security, payroll, and charitable/community support; proponents also argue Zydor provides safer, tested access than the illicit market.
- Movement reputation: other psychedelic church leaders worry that very large, permissive operations could attract enforcement attention and make public perception worse for the broader movement.
Broader trends and stakes
- Proliferation: John Rapp estimates several hundred psychedelic religious organizations now operate in the U.S., many small, but a few (like Zydor) very large.
- Legal patchwork: some cities (Oakland, Seattle) have decriminalized certain psychedelics locally, creating “islands” of lower enforcement priority, but state and federal laws remain in flux.
- Potential normalization: activists and lawyers are pushing clinical trials, DEA exemptions, and legal defenses to move psychedelics from criminalized substances to regulated therapeutic/spiritual tools. Recent wins include at least one psychedelic church in Washington state receiving a DEA exemption without litigation.
Notable quotes
- John Rapp: “I literally help people write Bibles.”
- Dave Hodges on members: “Whether they know it or not, they are having a religious experience… they end up converting themselves.”
- Rapp on risk: “Nothing is a guarantee… you’re paying for me to reduce your risk.”
Key takeaways
- Zydor is an unusually large example of a broader movement: mushroom- and psychedelic-centered churches are multiplying and using religious-freedom claims to organize access.
- The legal landscape remains unsettled: Supreme Court precedent and DEA procedures provide some pathways, but federal law, local enforcement priorities, and case-by-case outcomes create ongoing risk.
- Debates center on sincerity vs. commercialization, harm reduction vs. safety concerns, and whether religious protections should apply to psychedelic use.
- The situation functions as both a legal test case and a cultural experiment in how the U.S. will reconcile religious liberty, public health, and drug policy going forward.
Produced by Planet Money (NPR); reported by Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi.