ABSTRACT

The United States Supreme Court issued a major ruling in 2005 in a case with significant ramifications for the role of religion in American life (Gonzales v. O Centro Esp.). The decision and its aftermath (discussed below) also could impact how the substance at issue in the case, hoasca tea (sometimes referred to asayahuasca), is defined in other nations around the world. Labate and Feeney (2011) note that religious organizations using this substance, which originated in Brazil, are now active in 38 countries around the world, and that the reception of those groups has varied considerably in those countries.