Planet Money A trip to the magic mushroom megachurch
285 snips
Jan 24, 2026 
Meet John Rapp, an attorney who defends psychedelic religious groups, and Dave Hodges, pastor of the mushroom-focused Ziedor Church in Oakland. They walk through the church’s rituals, legal strategies for religious exemptions, a dramatic police raid and its fallout, how the organization operates and finances itself, and the broader legal patchwork facing psychedelic faith communities.
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Inside A Mushroom-Focused Sanctuary
- Alexi visits the Zydor Church in Oakland and finds a psychedelic mushroom-centered sanctuary with murals and security.
- Pastor Dave runs a congregation organized around psilocybin as a sacrament and claims it's the largest mushroom church.
Offer Legal Help To Strengthen Movement
- John often provides pro bono legal help to underfunded psychedelic churches to reduce their prosecution risk.
- He suggests building relationships within the movement to offer mutual legal and operational support.
How Courts Evaluate Religious Sincerity
- Legal precedent lets some religious groups seek exemptions for controlled substances under RFRA.
- Courts look at factors like rituals, leadership, theology, and codified texts to judge sincerity.
