Nova Scotia man gets off easy after charges for importing psychedelic ayahuasca

He will not receive a criminal record provided he adheres to a probation order

Rowan Dunne

Published

5 hours ago

A Canadian man was happy to learn that he will not be receiving a criminal record for hosting psychedelic plant ceremonies this week.

At the Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Dartmouth on Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Josh Arnold ordered a conditional discharge for 52-year-old Michael Adzich. He was charged with illegally importing the psychoactive brew ayahuasca from the Peruvian Amazon in late 2022.

This plant-based concoction contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance in the country.

Adzich’s decision to plead guilty earlier this year evidently paid off for him. He initially chose to fight the charges on religious freedom grounds but later changed course. Adzich’s lawyer also argued that he would not be able to travel to Peru to legally partake in ayahuasca ceremonies if he should receive a criminal conviction.

Although Health Canada has the authority to grant religious organizations exemption to use the natural psychedelic, Adzich had not gone through the process of receiving one.

He will be required to not possess or consume DMT during the three-year probation period and will have to complete 200 hours of community service, as specified in a report from the CBC.

Approximately a dozen supporters were there cheering for him after the decision on Oct. 16.

Several veterans, abuse victims and others have advocated for his character and say that he conducted his psychedelic ceremonies responsibly. Adzich says his usage of the substance helped him overcome alcohol abuse in the late 2000s. This inspired him to want to provide it to others.

Friends of his say he’s pretty spiritual, but not everyone looks at him in a wholly-positive light. During the previous hearing on Sept. 29, Judge Arnold argued that Adzich was “sneaky and deceptive” about bringing the ayahuasca into the country. He also pointed to Adzich’s highly questionable choice to get his former girlfriend in the U.S. to unknowingly accept a package that contained the drug and forward it to him in the mail over the border.

The Department of Homeland Security arrested Linda Doyle in New York after she received what she believed to be tobacco and agua florida (flower water). Agua florida is a substance used for ritualistic purposes by shamans during ayahuasca ceremonies.

Additionally, prosecutor Glen Scheuer described the move as “predatory” last month, particularly considering that Adzich knew she had just started a job with the New York Police Department.

Ayahuasca has been used for spiritual healing purposes in the Peruvian Amazon for thousands of years. In recent decades, it has become a very popular topic in the West. Modern-day research has indicated that it can be beneficial for treating mental health and substance abuse disorders.

“It’s in my hope that the spirit of ayahuasca in some way has been illuminated in your courtroom,” Adzich said at the Sept. 29 hearing.