Mission Statement

Sacred Plant Alliance serves as an association of churches that collaborate to educate one another and the public about existing protection of the guaranteed right to religious exercise under federal and state law, to share best practices for sacramental community operations, to foster professional development of leaders, to create accountability systems, and to defend the continued recognition of the  legal protection of safe, sincere, and ethical religious use of ceremonial sacraments within the United States.

Vision Statement

We envision a future of collaboration, tradition, and ritual where sacramental communities come together to share knowledge, resources, and protocols and continue to enjoy legal protection for their sincere and safe exercise of their religious beliefs. Sharing the wisdom and faith of our practices, we sow the seeds of tolerance, respect, and gratitude amongst our communities.

We work together in service, joy, and devotion to support better safety practices, leadership integrity, organizational health, fiscal accountability, and reciprocity with the Earth and our elders.

We seek the continued protection of our fundamental freedom to pray, worship, and gather in alignment with our sincere spiritual beliefs. We believe sacred ceremony opens the pathway to divine communion, and through these spiritual experiences, we are opened to greater love, empathy, wisdom, and service. Our members ground these divine gifts in their daily works. Through our members’ collaboration, we will catalyze thriving communities and their sacred practices for the benefit of all beings and the generations to come.  

We envision a future in which organized sacramental community leaders can continue to rely on existing US laws that protect religious practices and engage in social and cultural forms of learning, collaboration, and accountability to safeguard and improve their practices.

In this future, individuals and sacramental communities whose right to free exercise of their faith as recognized by US government authorities can also demonstrate commitment to self-regulation, peer-review, and community accountability. Collaboration and transparency will further safe and truly free exercise of religious beliefs.

Purpose & Activities

SPA aims to accomplish its mission and vision by facilitating the collaboration of leaders from various sacramental communities, developing and upholding standards of ethical and safe practices with sacred ceremonial substances.

Sacramental communities as members of SPA will share ethical standards and protocols that go above and beyond those required by the law, to protect ceremonial participants and support communities.

For many years, leaders from disparate traditions have largely worked independently of each other and have had to refine their protocols and organizational practices on their own. As an alternative to this solitary approach, SPA members have chosen to collaborate across faith traditions as a form of mutual support, education, and collective accountability.

Certain sacramental communities have exemptions from the federal Controlled Substances Act. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (“RFRA”) and federal and state constitutions guarantees the right to religious exercise and restricts interference from government. Laws in the US secure certain rights and are designed to protect the religious minority, like sacramental religions.

Recognizing that spiritual traditions with sacred plants and substances as sacrament have always been a part of religious history, SPA seeks to advocate for religious communities who are engaged in sincere and ethical practices and may be taught to future generations with integrity.

Recognizing the rights and responsibilities that come with the free exercise of religion and how this must be balanced by the needs of public health and safety, SPA is a container for sacramental communities to collaboratively develop their safety and operational practices and protocols to attain the fullest expression of their spiritual work consistent with state and federal law and with a commitment to their community members.

The foundation of SPA is a rigorous membership vetting process and commitment to ethical guidelines and collective responsibility that has resulted in an association of highly-experienced leaders and well-established sacramental communities dedicated to the highest standards of safety and accountability. As such an association, SPA facilitates professional development, collective codes of conduct, and attends to concerns raised about SPA Members’ leaders or practices.

In the future, will provide a space for the development of newer communities that seek legal protection, counsel on ethical practices, and mentorship for the improvement of their practices and spiritual offerings.

SPA’s impact with achievement of its purpose and activities will support its Members and the general public within the United States.

SPA was founded in April 2020 as an incubated project of the 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization, Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and later incorporated as a non-profit religious corporation to be an “association of churches” in the State of California on July 4th, 2021.