Rabbi Benjamin Gorelick helps members of his Denver-based congregation The Sacred Tribe explore connection to self, community, and G-d through the ceremonial use of sacramental psychedelic mushrooms. But earlier this year, Rabbi Ben was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to manufacture or distribute a controlled substance, which is a first-degree felony that carries a minimum eight-year prison sentence.

That came as a surprise not only to Rabbi Ben and his congregation but to many familiar with Denver's drug policy. Since Denver voted to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms in 2019, city officials only reported 47 cases related to psilocybin mushrooms, considering them to be the “lowest law-enforcement priority.” In April, Colorado Governor Jared Polis even told Reason magazine that when it comes to entheogenic substances like psilocybin, “I generally don’t think that things like that should be dealt with through a criminal setting.”

The disruption to The Sacred Tribe resulted from a routine fire inspection that Rabbi Ben assented to as any organization would in the interest of public health and safety. Now Rabbi Ben is on the front lines of an upcoming and precedent-setting trial around the use of entheogens and religion. 

Grounded in the esoteric teachings of Jewish Kabbalah, Rabbi Ben believes in the power of facilitated, highly integrative psychedelic religious experiences and how they can transform lives, forge communities and deepen connections. This case violates a Jewish congregation’s right to free exercise of their faith—and there’s a long history and precedent of psychedelics use within​ Judaism. 

The charges against Rabbi Ben also stand to harm the public interest by pushing psychedelics back underground in Denver before citizens have a chance to vote for themselves on how these substances might be regulated. This is a hugely consequential conversation with implications that reach far beyond Denver. 

The outcome of Rabbi Ben’s case will significantly impact the state of religious practices as related to psychedelics and legalization and a huge number of people in communities that are stepping into the psychedelic space. This trial will set the precedent not just in Colorado, but at a national level— and the Denver District Attorney is very aware of the stakes.

The Sacred Tribe’s work is on the forefront of what some call the “Psychedelic Renaissance”— a term for this period of renewed interest in the scientific, pharmacological and spiritual value of substances like psilocybin after the passage of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970 all but ended psychedelics research.

In recent years, cities like Oakland and Santa Cruz have passed legislation decriminalizing psilocybin, while Oregon fully legalized the key compound in magic mushrooms in 2020. Meanwhile, a flurry of scientific studies and clinical trials in the United States and Canada are investigating whether compounds like ketamine, MDMA and psilocybin can be used to treat a variety of mental health conditions from depression to PTSD—and so far, the findings are as encouraging as they are groundbreaking. 

Microdosing psychedelics like psilocybin—that is, taking doses too small to create a full-blown “trip” but robust enough to reap some of the purported benefits of these substances—is starting to go mainstream, even amongst relatively conservative demographics like suburban parents. Despite that groundswell of positive interest in psychedelics and the precedent of religious freedoms protection, however, The Sacred Tribe still finds itself targeted by the criminal justice system for its careful, intentional use of psilocybin.

If you agree that it will cause more harm than good to imprison Rabbi Ben for exercising his rights as a religious leader, please sign this petition requesting that the District Attorney’s office drop its case against him. 

You can chip in to support Rabbi Ben's legal fight at: https://www.gofundme.com/manage/help-reb-ben-defend-religious-use-of-psychedelics

And find out about other ways to support at: https://thesacredtribe.org/m/supportrabbiben/