Central Florida church using psychedelic tea sues after federal raid

A Central Florida church is suing after the federal government raided and took thousands of dollars of sacred plants used to make a psychedelic tea for its religious services, according to court documents.

Our Sacred Sanctuary accused U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of an unlawful raid and violating its religious beliefs in a lawsuit filed this week in U.S. District Court’s Middle District of Florida.

“It’s not about money or getting plants returned. It’s a much greater, much more significant issue, and that is whether or not we’re going to allow people to practice their religions without government intrusion,” said lawyer William Barzee, whose firm is representing the plaintiffs.

“The injury is the government saying, ‘You can’t practice your own religion.’”

The church with 150 members uses ayahuasca, a brew made from plants with ancient ties dating to indigenous tribes in the Amazon. As part of a church ritual, the members drew the ayahuasca to bridge a connection with God.

“This gift allows for the collective evolution of human consciousness by offering direct experiences with the divine,” said the lawsuit filed by church leaders Norelle Adams, Rob Wilson and Lora Wilson.

“The Church teaches that the world we reside in is metaphysical in nature. That this world is only partly what we can see and experience and much of the universe is beyond what we can tune into unless one imbibes the sacred ayahuasca during religious ceremonies.”

But the church ritual was interrupted and its leaders were in fear after an undercover federal agent arrived at the Eustis church for the weekend ceremony Dec. 6, 2024, the lawsuit said.

The federal government raided the church, although the Department of Justice (DOJ) formally declined to pursue criminal charges in November 2025. None of the church’s property or sacrament has ever been returned, the lawsuit said.

The church said it canceled future ceremonies after the raid.

“Sacred Sanctuary, our cherished place of healing, spirituality, and community, has been struck by an unexpected and unjust raid by the DEA,” the organization said on its website in December 2024. “This violation of our rights has left us reeling, but we are determined to continue our mission and remain a safe and sacred space for all.”

Barzee argued the lawsuit comes as ayahuasca churches are growing in popularity but are facing backlash from the federal government. A handful of the churches have been given permission to stay open, but many are operating in a gray area that could lead to more raids, he said. 

“This is not at all about tripping for fun or going to a rave or anything like that. These are very, very serious spiritual religious practitioners who use these medicines, these plants, as sacred sacraments in formal ceremonies,” Barzee said.

“It’s costing them a lot of time, a lot of money, and most importantly, a lot of anguish, where practitioners are afraid of practicing their religion, which is, of course, a complete anathema to what we believe as a country.”

Barzee argued church leaders want to work with the DOJ to develop oversight and a framework for how the churches can stay open across the country.

“What has to happen is the Department of Justice needs to sit down with church leaders and determine how these churches can operate freely and openly while maintaining security,” Barzee said.

He added that the authorities are within their rights to make sure “the sacraments being used are safe and that they’re going to the right people, and they’re not being disseminated and they’re not being diverted onto the street.”

“These are very powerful substances we’re talking about,” Barzee said.

The DOJ and the DEA did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit Friday.