A federal judge has ruled in favor of Singularism, a Utah-based religious group, halting criminal prosecution against its member Bridger Jensen and denying the state’s motion to dismiss. Judge Jill N. Parrish found that applying Utah’s Controlled Substances Act to prohibit the group’s sacramental use of psilocybin mushrooms imposes a substantial burden on religious exercise, violating both the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act and constitutional protections. Notably, the Act allows secular exemptions for medical use but not for religious use, failing the required neutrality and triggering strict scrutiny. The court determined the prosecution stemmed from bad faith, intended to harass the group for its sincere religious practices. This precedent-setting case may open new pathways for religious exemptions to Utah’s psilocybin ban. Read the full article at The Marijuana Herald.
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