For a full year, a church in Colorado Springs has been providing psilocybin mushrooms to its members at no cost, citing legal protections under a state law decriminalizing natural psychedelics.
The Psychedelic Church of Colorado Springs, operating from a residential property in El Paso County, has been active for a year and has attracted hundreds of members. Founder Benji Dezaval says the church distributes psilocybin in accordance with a 2023 Colorado law that allows gifting and personal use of natural psychedelic medicines.
Before opening in February 2024, Dezaval said he took precautions to ensure compliance with the law and to maintain good relations with the community.
“I made sure it was OK with my neighbors,” Dezaval said. “Then I called the El Paso County Sheriff and said, ‘Hey, this is what I want to do, I’m letting you know.’ I’m just making sure I’m doing everything right. I’m not trying to be this mindless hippie who just wants to do what I want to do at the expense of others. I’m trying to help people.”
Church members are not required to use psychedelics, but those who do must first undergo a safety briefing. They can choose to take psilocybin home or participate in group ceremonies. According to the church’s website, dosages range from microdoses to several grams. The church also provides Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which must be used on-site.
El Paso County authorities say there have been no reports of criminal activity linked to the church, though at least one neighbor has expressed concerns.
“It’s very easy to hear the words ‘Psychedelic Church of Colorado Springs’ and have a lot of immediate conclusions,” church member Ryan Lohmeyer said. “You would think that you would come here, and people have their pupils wrapped around their foreheads and everybody’s tripping … it is far from that. All the times that I’ve come here, I’ve never had that kind of experience.”
Dezaval is seeking federal recognition for the church as a religious institution after the IRS denied the request, classifying it instead as a social club. He plans to appeal the decision, arguing that federal recognition would allow access to grants and loans needed to accommodate the church’s growth.
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