Utah Urges Tenth Circuit to Resume Crackdown on Psilocybin Churches

Utah officials have asked the Tenth Circuit to overturn injunctions shielding a religious group’s psilocybin use.

Utah’s clash with the religious group Singularism is entering a critical phase as state officials push the Tenth Circuit to reinstate prosecutions for the use of psilocybin mushrooms in religious ceremonies.

• In November 2024, Provo police raided Singularism’s center, seizing approximately 450 grams of psilocybin and sacred scriptures linked to worship practices.
• By December 16, 2024, U.S. District Judge Jill Parrish issued a temporary restraining order compelling authorities to return the seized substances and records, and in February 2025, a preliminary injunction barred state prosecutors from pursuing charges.
• Despite these orders, Utah County and Provo City pressed forward, with charges filed against Singularism’s founder, Bridger Lee Jensen, for drug possession in December 2024.
• After Judge Parrish denied the state’s dismissal motion and granted a further anti-suit injunction in August 2025, state officials appealed to the Tenth Circuit.
• Arguments on the appeal were heard in February 2026, with Utah citing a need to enforce drug laws and the religious group claiming violation of constitutional protections. Judge Parrish previously noted, "the religious-exercise claims of a minority entheogenic religion put the State of Utah's commitment to religious freedom to the test."
• The ruling, once issued, could shape the balance between state regulatory authority and federally protected religious practices involving controlled substances.

Read more about the court orders on Justia and the ongoing appellate proceedings at Law360.

Yes, but: The outcome of the Tenth Circuit appeal remains pending, leaving the legal status of Singularism unresolved.

What's next: Awaiting the Tenth Circuit’s decision, which will clarify the scope of religious freedom in cases involving controlled substances.