Psychedelics, the Law & the RFRA with Allison Hoots Esq of the Sacred Plant Alliance
05/23/23 • 59 min
Allison Hoots is an attorney with Hoots Law Practice PLLC. She has had a diverse experience practicing law, including in the legal areas of employment, corporate, contract, employee benefits, tax, and intellectual property. Allison advises companies, nonprofits, religious communities, and practitioners on operations that involve psychedelics, including advising churches on religious use of sacraments. Allison is also President of Sacred Plant Alliance, Inc., a self-regulating organization and professional society of spiritual practitioners with religious communities dedicated to the advancement of the ceremonial use of psychedelic sacraments within the United States. She is a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants and the lead author of Chacruna's Guide to RFRA and Best Practices for Psychedelic Plant Medicine Churches.
Episode Highlights
▶ Allison Hoots is an attorney with broad legal expertise who strongly advocates for education, discernment, and accountability in the psychedelic industry
▶ As the president of the Sacred Plant Alliance, Hoots prioritizes the establishment of self-regulation within the psychedelic realm
▶ She explains the Sacred Plant Alliance's anonymous reporting system for emergencies and abuses in the psychedelic space
▶ Hoots acknowledges the difficulty in legalizing churches for psychedelic use, noting the need for an affirmative defense
▶ Medical screening and informed consent, according to Hoots, are crucial measures for safeguarding both individuals and spiritual communities involved with psychedelics
▶ Hoots navigates the risks and benefits of harm reduction practices within the context of illegal drug use, advocating for the balance of enforceable rules and the potential for unintended criminalization
▶ Hoots serves as an advisor to companies, nonprofits, religious communities, and practitioners on matters involving psychedelic operations
▶ Hoots also provides guidance for psychedelic practitioners, helping to craft enforceable agreements to minimize legal risks
Allison Hoot’s Links & Resources
▶ Website: https://hootslawpractice.com/
▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisonhootsesq/
▶ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-hoots-36067911/
Download Beth's free trainings here:
Clarity to Clients: Start & Grow a Transformational Coaching, Healing, Spiritual, or Psychedelic Business: https://bethaweinstein.com/grow-your-spiritual-business
Integrating Psychedelics & Sacred Medicines Into Business: https://bethaweinstein.com/psychedelics-in-business
▶ Beth’s Coaching & Guidance: https://bethaweinstein.com/coaching
▶ Beth's Offerings & Courses: https://bethaweinstein.com/services
▶ Instagram: @bethaweinstein
▶ FB: / bethw.nyc + bethweinsteinbiz
▶ Join the free Psychedelics & Purpose Community: / psychedelicsandsacredmedicines
Allison Hoots is an attorney with Hoots Law Practice PLLC. She has had a diverse experience practicing law, including in the legal areas of employment, corporate, contract, employee benefits, tax, and intellectual property. Allison advises companies, nonprofits, religious communities, and practitioners on operations that involve psychedelics, including advising churches on religious use of sacraments. Allison is also President of Sacred Plant Alliance, Inc., a self-regulating organization and professional society of spiritual practitioners with religious communities dedicated to the advancement of the ceremonial use of psychedelic sacraments within the United States. She is a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants and the lead author of Chacruna's Guide to RFRA and Best Practices for Psychedelic Plant Medicine Churches.
Episode Highlights
▶ Allison Hoots is an attorney with broad legal expertise who strongly advocates for education, discernment, and accountability in the psychedelic industry
▶ As the president of the Sacred Plant Alliance, Hoots prioritizes the establishment of self-regulation within the psychedelic realm
▶ She explains the Sacred Plant Alliance's anonymous reporting system for emergencies and abuses in the psychedelic space
▶ Hoots acknowledges the difficulty in legalizing churches for psychedelic use, noting the need for an affirmative defense
▶ Medical screening and informed consent, according to Hoots, are crucial measures for safeguarding both individuals and spiritual communities involved with psychedelics
▶ Hoots navigates the risks and benefits of harm reduction practices within the context of illegal drug use, advocating for the balance of enforceable rules and the potential for unintended criminalization
▶ Hoots serves as an advisor to companies, nonprofits, religious communities, and practitioners on matters involving psychedelic operations
▶ Hoots also provides guidance for psychedelic practitioners, helping to craft enforceable agreements to minimize legal risks
Allison Hoot’s Links & Resources
▶ Website: https://hootslawpractice.com/
▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisonhootsesq/
▶ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-hoots-36067911/
Download Beth's free trainings here:
Clarity to Clients: Start & Grow a Transformational Coaching, Healing, Spiritual, or Psychedelic Business: https://bethaweinstein.com/grow-your-spiritual-business
Integrating Psychedelics & Sacred Medicines Into Business: https://bethaweinstein.com/psychedelics-in-business
▶ Beth’s Coaching & Guidance: https://bethaweinstein.com/coaching
▶ Beth's Offerings & Courses: https://bethaweinstein.com/services
▶ Instagram: @bethaweinstein
▶ FB: / bethw.nyc + bethweinsteinbiz
▶ Join the free Psychedelics & Purpose Community: / psychedelicsandsacredmedicines
Previous Episode
Ethical Shamanism, Animism & Integrity with Michelle Hawk
Michelle Hawk (she/her) began practicing Shamanism in 2003. Her core lineages come from Hungarian and Celtic shamanism. A naturally gifted psychic and intuitive channel, Michelle’s work with Alchemy, Shamanic energies and multiple certifications as a Master Healer allow her to offer the deepest level of transformational work. She mentors and trains practitioners in Ethical Shamanism, Alchemy and the healing arts, and helps people master their intuitive gifts and magical birthright. She is a host of the Shaman Sister Sessions podcast.
In this episode Michelle Hawk and Beth Weinstein discuss...
▶ Shamanic practitioner Michelle Hawk highlights the importance of respecting ancestral medicine and energetic healing in the psychedelic field
▶ She highlights the limitations of the Western clinical therapeutic model and emphasizes the importance of emotional awareness in psychotherapy
▶ Michelle warns against serving sacred plant medicines without a proper invitation and permission from the plants themselves
▶ She believes that the quest for purpose is often externally motivated, and a true connection to the animistic worldview can provide a deeper sense of aliveness and meaning
▶ Despite initial rejection from peers and academia, Hawk surrendered to her true calling and expanded her practice to include shamanic healing and teaching
▶ Hawk believes that everyone can serve in their zone of genius, advocating for spiritual practices to be infused into daily life
▶ Michelle stresses on the importance of ethical shamanism and integrity in practice, acknowledging the potential for manipulation and harm
▶ She emphasizes the importance of slowing down to allow purpose to come through, suggesting that psychedelics aren't a quick fix for a sense of a lack of purpose
▶ She is reeducating and reframing people's relationship to shamanic practice, particularly in the US, where misconceptions are prevalent
Michelle Hawk’s Links & Resources
▶ Website: https://michellehawk.com
▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellehawk/
▶ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.joy.hawk/
▶ Free Shamanic Ritual Guide: Download at https://michellehawk.com
Download Beth's free trainings here:
Clarity to Clients: Start & Grow a Transformational Coaching, Healing, Spiritual, or Psychedelic Business: https://bethaweinstein.com/grow-your-spiritual-business
Integrating Psychedelics & Sacred Medicines Into Business: https://bethaweinstein.com/psychedelics-in-business
▶ Beth’s Coaching & Guidance: https://bethaweinstein.com/coaching
▶ Beth's Offerings & Courses: https://bethaweinstein.com/services
▶ Instagram: @bethaweinstein
▶ FB: / bethw.nyc + bethweinsteinbiz
▶ Join the free Psychedelics & Purpose Community: / psychedelicsandsacredmedicines
Next Episode
Unifying & Broadening the Psychedelic Space with Joe Moore
Joe Moore co-founded Psychedelics Today in 2015 with Kyle Buller. As CEO, Joe has created one of the world's best-known psychedelic podcasts, blogs, and training platforms. Joe combines twenty years of avid research and training in psychedelics with twenty years of experience in software and multinational project management. Joe is an expert in transpersonal breathwork and a much sought-after international speaker on the intersecting subjects of psychedelic medicine and healing, breathwork, drug policy, medical innovation, international justice, and environmentalism.
Episode Highlights
▶ Moore sees plant medicines and psychedelics as tools for healing humanity and awakening the heart
▶ As co-founder of Psychedelics Today, he calls for an increase in education about the full spectrum of the psychedelic experience
▶ Joe stresses the importance of harm reduction: sourcing drugs from reliable vendors and knowing precise dosages
▶ Advocating for individual responsibility in healing, Joe suggests people don’t need to rely solely on therapists or doctors for their health
▶ Joe feels that the public focus should be directed towards larger issues such as climate change and federal corruption rather than less significant controversies within the psychedelic space
▶ He acknowledges a growing need for psychedelic integration coaches and specialists due to an unprecedented surge in psychedelic use|
▶ Joe emphasizes the importance of international agreements like the Nagoya Protocols to ensure reciprocity with indigenous groups
▶ He is hopeful for the future, envisaging a variety of access routes to psychedelics
▶ In the conference circuit of the psychedelic space, Joe and Beth call for more diverse content and speakers, and a stronger focus on networking and community
Joe Moore’s Links & Resources
▶ Website: https://psychedelicstoday.com/
▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychedelicstoday/
▶ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Psychedelicstoday
▶ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PsydelicsToday
▶ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@psychedelicstoday
▶ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLAsaaOjYmqACvq6P_0hZ6w
▶ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/psychedelicstoday/
Download Beth's free trainings here:
Clarity to Clients: Start & Grow a Transformational Coaching, Healing, Spiritual, or Psychedelic Business: https://bethaweinstein.com/grow-your-spiritual-business
Integrating Psychedelics & Sacred Medicines Into Business: https://bethaweinstein.com/psychedelics-in-business
▶ Beth’s Coaching & Guidance: https://bethaweinstein.com/coaching
▶ Beth's Offerings & Courses: https://bethaweinstein.com/services
▶ Instagram: @bethaweinstein
▶ FB: / bethw.nyc + bethweinsteinbiz
▶ Join the free Psychedelics & Purpose Community: / psychedelicsandsacredmedicines
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