Quebec religion wants Health Canada’s blessing to use magic mushrooms in ceremonies

A Quebec-based religion says Health Canada is dragging its feet connected a determination whether to let members to usage magic mushrooms successful their ceremonies.

Gratitude Sanctuary, known arsenic Sanctuaire de la Gratitude successful French, and its “Reverend Superior” Alain Menier, accidental successful an exertion filed successful Federal Court that members request to devour magic mushrooms to signifier their religion.

The exertion filed by the spiritual non-profit successful aboriginal October successful Ottawa says the radical believes radical person “their ain teachings erstwhile entering the ineffable abstraction opened by the depletion of psilocybin mushrooms.”

It says the ceremonies indispensable beryllium done safely and legally, and Menier archetypal asked Health Canada astir an exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act successful January 2022.

The tribunal exertion says Health Canada sent 2 questionnaires to Menier with 41 questions successful total, but months went by without a response.

Group Sanctuary wants to compel the bureau to determine connected the exemption due to the fact that they “cannot behaviour their spiritual ceremonies without” it.

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Menier and Group Sanctuary accidental their “religious state rights are being infringed by the deficiency of an exemption,” and privation a justice to compel the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions to determine to either assistance oregon garbage the request.

“No harm volition effect from the Minister continuing to process the exemption request,” the tribunal exertion says.

“Rather, it volition effect successful either the curate granting the petition and allowing the applicants to signifier their religion oregon the curate notifying the applicants astir what much accusation that is needed oregon of the minister’s intent to garbage the request.”

Health Canada said it was looking into a question astir spiritual exemptions from the act.

A lawyer for Gratitude Sanctuary did not instantly respond to a dependable message seeking comment.