A 52-year-old Nova Scotia man charged with drug offences linked to non secular ceremonies he led at his rural residence utilizing a hallucinogenic brew from the Amazon will keep away from a prison document within the case as long as he follows a three-year probation order.
Nova Scotia Supreme Courtroom Justice Josh Arnold ordered the conditional discharge Thursday for Michael Adzich, whose lawyer had argued a document would hamper his future makes an attempt to journey to Peru to participate in ceremonies involving the tea referred to as ayahuasca.
Arnold mentioned given the deterring impact of the probation situations and the “constellation of things” within the case, “public confidence within the efficient enforcement of prison legislation wouldn’t be tarnished by the imposition of a conditional discharge.”
Exterior the courtroom in Dartmouth, N.S., greater than a dozen of Adzich’s supporters cheered and clapped as he emerged following his sentencing listening to. In short remarks, he thanked them.
Adzich was charged following an RCMP raid in November 2022 throughout an ayahuasca ceremony at his yurt outdoors of Annapolis Royal, N.S. He and his supporters have argued the ceremonies will be life-changing, enhancing wellness and serving to attendees cope with trauma.
Spiritual freedom
Adzich initially fought the costs, arguing they violated his non secular freedom rights. However he pleaded responsible in Could to the importation and possession for the aim of trafficking of DMT, a substance listed as unlawful in Canada however which is a vital part of ayahuasca.
The prosecution within the case argued ayahuasca will be harmful, and have severe side-effects together with for folks with coronary heart situations. The defence argued Adzich screened members and ceremonies had been carried out safely.
Among the many situations of his three-year probation order are 200 hours of neighborhood service, a requirement to maintain the peace and be of fine behaviour, and never possess or devour DMT and two different substances in Canada.
In an interview outdoors the courtroom, Adzich’s lawyer, Asaf Rashid, mentioned the conditional discharge was essential for his consumer, as a prison document would hinder his capability to journey. Specifically, he mentioned, Adzich needs to journey to Peru to attend ayahuasca ceremonies.
Beneath the legislation, teams in Canada can search exemptions to make use of ayahuasca for non secular functions, and roughly a dozen have carried out so. In his resolution Thursday, nevertheless, Arnold famous that Adzich by no means utilized for such a measure.
Quite a few associates and supporters of Adzich submitted character references that indicated he was honest, caring and non secular, in accordance with Arnold.
Prosecution’s view
However throughout a sentencing listening to in September, prosecutor Glen Scheuer tried to puncture the view that Adzich was a person of honesty and integrity, pointing to the character of his efforts to import ayahuasca.
Arnold referred to as Adzich “sneaky and misleading” in bringing the substance to Canada. The choose mentioned he used a former girlfriend in New York Metropolis as a “patsy” to simply accept an ayahuasca supply from Peru, however deceived her about what was really within the bundle.
She didn’t realize it was ayahuasca, however was arrested by Homeland Safety, probably placing her job with the New York Metropolis Police Division in danger.
“Mr. Adzich might have been conducting ayahuasca ceremonies for primarily altruistic functions,” Arnold mentioned. “However he knew that what he was doing was unlawful.”
One other concern that cropped up throughout sentencing had been textual content messages despatched and obtained by Adzich and which had been analyzed by police. In them, he used coded language, tried to supply ayahuasca not topic to high quality testing, and indicated he knew of different police seizures.
The textual content messages had been launched by the prosecution firstly of the sentencing course of final month, however Rashid mentioned he’d not seen them earlier than.
On the subsequent courtroom date, the lawyer conceded they had been on a USB that was a part of the disclosure of proof he obtained in July 2024, however he mentioned he had been unable to open it.
In his resolution Thursday, Arnold was essential of what he referred to as “the failure” of the lawyer to pursue the disclosure, saying he made solely “weak efforts” to resolve the USB drawback with the Crown after which proceeded with the case with out reviewing the textual content messages.
In an interview outdoors the courtroom, Rashid mentioned he doesn’t disagree with the choose and accepts his causes.
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