Entheogen means "God within,' and refers to plants and other natural substances, which, when ingested, cause the user to have a religious experience. Entheogens have been un in use for thousands of years, and have a long history of use within the most of the world's religious traditions. The use Entheogenic drugs such as marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms & cacti, molds, and plant derived dmt is widespread, and can be found at the roots of most of the ancient religions of the world.

Unfortunately today, the plants humans have found useful for communing with the divine are more likely to be viewed as dangerous recreational drugs- and while some users, such as the Native American Church or the Uniao do Vegetal have had some success in asserting their rights to these sacraments, many have not for example, the Arizona based Church of Cognizance, who are about to start trial for their use of marijuana, a position that Jamaica's Rastafarians have long understood.

(The judge's reasoning that the religion was created to justify marijuana use strikes me as a little disingenuous, because I imagine it's much easier to smoke marijuana when one isn't doing so publicly as a church.)

So here's the question- why is it so difficult to gain recognition for the sacraments of these religious groups? Psychedelic mushrooms, for example, have never been shown to be a serious danger to anyone's health, and in fact have been found to have a positive psychological effect in recent studies. Marijuana, by far the most controversial, is much less dangerous than alcohol, but while alcohol is uncontroversial as a sacrament in the world's largest religion, even the most cautious and reverential marijuana users can find themselves facing long prison sentences when caught.

Recent Entheogen Issues:

"Pastor David," imprisoned head of Switzerland's Sacred Mushroom Church
Ayahuasca and the Supreme Court

Entheogen Studies:

Forbes: 'Magic Mushroom' Drug Study
Marijuana and cell growth in the brain
Ibogaine for Opiate addiction

Entheogens & Religious History:

Sacrament, Consciousness and Religious Tradition
The Reunification of the Sacred and Natural
Tobacco and Shamanism in South America
Entheogens and the Origins of Religion
Mushrooms in the Bible
The Hidden History of Cannabis in the Old Testament

Entheogen Promoting Churches:

The Native American Church
Uniao do Vegetal
Church of Cognizance,
Church of the Universe
Santo Daime
Sacred Mushroom Church