A controversial ayahuasca church has relocated from New Hampshire to Casco.
Pachamama Sanctuary, which hosts spiritual retreats employing the powerful, mostly illegal, hallucinogenic substance ayahuasca, has officially relocated to a new 40-acre facility in Casco. It left New Hampshire last year amid friction with town officials in Canterbury.
Canterbury officials filed an injunction against Pachamama in June 2022 over concerns about the facility’s smoke alarms, septic systems, emergency signage, parking plans and snow removal abilities, New Hampshire Public Radio reported in December.
As a result, sanctuary founder Derek Januszewski agreed to pay $3,661 to the town to cover its legal costs. He would have also had to pay another $45,000 in fines had he not shut down, immediately. After the fracas, Januszewski vowed to leave New Hampshire. In June, NHPR reported that the church was moving to an undisclosed Maine location.
Januszewski has also been accused of misusing church funds after those who paid deposits for retreats that were canceled during the church’s move. He denied the allegations and said refunds would be given. It’s not clear if that happened.
Now, according to a press release, Pachamama Sanctuary has re-opened in Casco.
“Ceremonies are hosted every weekend,” the release states.
The suggested donation for its guided, hallucinogenic journeys is $888 per trip.
According to the National Institutes of Health, ayahuasca is made from two different South American plants. It’s usually brewed as a tea and the hallucinogenic beverage is prominent in shamanistic practices of certain indigenous tribes of the Amazon region.
Ayahuasca exists in a gray legal area in the United States. It is illegal except for religious uses.
According to Pachamama Sanctuary’s press release, “Ayahuasca has many health benefits including healing trauma, accelerating growth and reaching a higher level of consciousness, harmonizing your emotions, discovering more about yourself.”
The National Institutes of Health cites studies conducted in Spain which demonstrated ayahuasca can be used safely in normal, healthy adults. However, it also states there has been scant scientific research into the substance’s actual therapeutic benefits.
Januszewski first used ayahuasca in 2017 while battling addiction, states the press release. He then founded the sanctuary in 2019.
Correction: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized the fines. The money would only have had to be paid if the church didn’t shut down.