Court grants injunction protecting psychedelic faith group’s psilocybin ceremonies.
A new Utah-based religious faith group that incorporates psychedelic mushrooms into its ceremonies has won a significant step in court. The group, known as Singularism, and its founder, Lee Jensen, have been in a dispute with Provo city officials and Utah County over the right to use psilocybin as part of their spiritual practice.
Jensen created Singularism as a nonprofit faith community, along with a for-profit business called Psychedelic Therapy Journey. The organization says it blends historic entheogenic traditions with approaches found in modern mental health care, using a psilocybin tea during its religious gatherings. Members believe the tea opens spiritual pathways, helps connect them to the divine, and eases emotional suffering.
Problems began when law enforcement carried out a search of the group’s meeting place. Officers seized what they described as sacramental psilocybin and other items tied to Singularism’s rituals. Court filings say the landlord was pressured to evict the group, and Jensen now faces possible criminal charges related to psilocybin possession and use. The faith community argued that these actions were an attempt to dismantle the religion before it had a chance to grow.
In December, Jensen sued, citing protections in both the U.S. and Utah constitutions, as well as a new state law called the Utah Religious Freedom Restoration Act. That law, passed in 2024, states that government cannot impose a major burden on a person’s religious practice unless it serves a compelling public interest and uses the least restrictive way to achieve that goal.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Jill Parrish agreed to grant a preliminary injunction in the group’s favor. In her decision, the judge wrote that the county had placed a heavy and unnecessary burden on a sincere religious practice. She also found that the criminal case appeared to be brought in bad faith, describing it as part of a broader effort to harass the group and limit its activities.
The court noted that Singularism had already lost members and supporters because of the legal fight. Forcing the group to wait until the end of the criminal proceedings to assert their rights, Parrish said, could effectively destroy the religion. The order blocks state prosecutors from moving forward with charges against Jensen for psilocybin use while the case continues in federal court.
Psilocybin remains illegal in Utah outside narrow exceptions. It is classified under state law in the same category as heroin and LSD. A small pilot program, approved last year, allows certain hospitals to use psilocybin and MDMA under strict rules for patients over 18. The judge pointed out that if the state can allow secular medical exceptions, it must also consider equal treatment for religious use.
Utah has a strong religious presence, much of it tied to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The new religious freedom law was intended to strengthen protections for all faiths. While the final outcome of Jensen’s case is still ahead, he called the ruling a step toward fairness, saying that protecting one religion’s rights helps protect them all.
Sources:
New faith group that uses ‘psychedelic mushrooms’ lands legal win under religious freedom law
A Utah faith group sued to use psychedelic mushrooms. Here’s where the case stands
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