Ayahuasca is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States because it contains DMT, which is federally Schedule I (U.S. Supreme Court, 2006). It is not legal in any general sense. The UDV and Santo Daime have narrow legal protection based on the 2006 Supreme Court ruling in Gonzales v. O Centro, which found that blocking their sacramental use violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. That protection covers those specific organizations only, not individuals, retreat operators, or the general public. Consuming ayahuasca outside a legally recognized religious context in the United States carries no federal legal protection.
