The drug enforcement authority (DEA) has denied the appeal of Central Florida based Soul Quest Church’s petition for religious exemption to continue serving the Holy Medicine, which the church has been serving for few years. However, a man died during a Sacred Ceremony in 2018, after failing to receive medical care within time following a seizure.
The owner of the church, Christopher Young, informed the investors that the man became very sick after participating in a Sacred Ceremony where the Holy Medicine was consumed, as well receiving “Kambo” the toad medicine – which involved injecting poisonous secretions of tree frogs.
It was found that there were about 3 hour delay between church leaders noticing the distress of the man and till calling for help.
DEA ordered Young to close down the church citing the man’s death as well as another delayed 911 call from someone from a Sacred Ceremony in September, 2020. A federal judge will issue a ruling based on the DEA’s decision soon, which may result in Soul Quest losing ability to provide the Holy Medicine as a Sacrament in the Sacred Ceremonies.
With such inefficient management, in regards to safety for participants in Sacred Ceremonies, it will be befitting for Soul Quest management to lose their ability to serve the Holy Medicine, which is the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca’s Divine Blessing to the world. This unfortunate shows how important set and setting are, and to have sufficient safety measures similar to traditionally evolved and considerably safer rituals and practices in Sacred Ceremonies from Amazonian communities.
