Iowaska Church of Healing v. Daniel Werfel, et al

  1. May 13, 2024

    US Tells DC Circ. Ayahuasca Church's Settlement Inapt

    Federal regulators are telling the D.C. Circuit to ignore a recent settlement that will allow a Phoenix-based church to continue using ayahuasca in its ceremonies, saying it has nothing to do with the Iowa-based ayahuasca church challenging the IRS's refusal to give it tax-exempt status.

  2. March 11, 2024

    DC Circ. Mulls Tax-Exempt Status For Ayahuasca Church

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Monday pushed counsel for an Iowa church that uses the psychedelic substance ayahuasca in its ceremonies to explain why the Internal Revenue Service erred in denying it tax-exempt status.

  3. January 02, 2024

    Ayahuasca Church Pushes Back On IRS Claims At DC Circ.

    An Iowa church that has used a federally prohibited psychedelic as part of its rites is contesting the IRS' assertion that it primarily exists for illegal purposes, telling the D.C. Circuit it is committed to obeying the law.

  4. December 08, 2023

    Ayahuasca Church Not Tax-Exempt, US Tells DC Circ.

    An Iowa church that used a federally illegal psychedelic in its rites was correctly denied tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service and a district court, the federal government told the D.C. Circuit on Friday, saying the church was organized and operated primarily for a nonexempt, illegal purpose.

  5. October 18, 2023

    Church Merits Tax Break, Pro-Psychedelic Orgs Tell DC Circ.

    An Iowa church that used the federally illegal psychedelic ayahuasca in its rites was wrongly denied tax-exempt status, a pair of pro-psychedelics organizations told the D.C. Circuit, saying the denial denigrated the church's religious beliefs and flouted its religious protections.

  6. October 11, 2023

    Ayahuasca Church Asks DC Circ. For Tax-Exempt Status

    An Iowa church that used the federally illegal psychedelic ayahuasca in its rites was wrongly denied tax-exempt status, the church told the D.C. Circuit, saying it had suspended its use of the drug and deserves to operate tax-free to build membership.

  7. July 11, 2023

    Psychedelics Litigation To Watch In 2nd Half Of 2023

    A trade secret spat over research into psychedelic-assisted therapy. A Ninth Circuit battle to push the DEA to allow terminally ill patients to access psilocybin. And a trio of lawsuits brought by organizations that use controlled substances as sacraments seek to affirm their religious rights in separate federal appeals. Here are the major cases in the psychedelics space Law360 is watching for the second half of 2023.