Interview with Jeffrey Bronfman, RepresentativeMestrefor the Uniâo do Vegetal Church in the United States

In a November 2004 telephone interview, Jeffrey Bronfman, representative mestre for the União do Vegetal Church in the United States, discusses the church's legal battle after U.S. authorities seized a large quantity of ayahuasca tea intended for sacramental use. The case, which the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear, pits the church's claim to religious freedom against federal drug laws that classify ayahuasca as a scheduled substance. Bronfman describes the church's efforts to seek remediation through the courts on this freedom of religion issue.

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Abstract

A telephone interview was held in November of 2004 with Mr. Jeffrey Bronfman, representative mestre for the União do Vegetal Church in the United States, which utilizes ayahuasca as a religious sacrament. At the time of this writing, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case in which a large quantity of the ayahuasca tea was seized in the U.S. destined for sacramental use in church ritual. Mr. Bronfman discusses his church's attempt to seek remediation in the courts on this freedom of religion issue, in conflict with current drug legislation outlawing the ayahuasca tea as a scheduled drug.