THE ROAD TO DISMISSING THE FIRST FEDERAL AYAHUASCA INDICTMENT: A FULL CIRCLE EXPERIENCE

George Lake
Apr 21
5 min read

Updated: Jun 3

As I sat on the beach in Treasure Island, Florida today, pondering the depth of the content for this article, I chuckled to myself. I watched the tide rise and fall gently through the waves. How had water, an elemental form of life, mastered the poetic art of rising and falling so consistently and gracefully? Throughout my journey as an entheogenic church lawyer, I have embraced the idea that water reflects divinity and sanctity. When it moves, it speaks. Today, it clearly reminded me that the tides have changed for me both internally and externally; as above, so below.

A Decade of Change

What a long and crazy ride my life has been over the last decade. Approximately ten years ago, I endured a horrifying experience that began with a SEVENTEEN DOLLAR DISPUTE. At 3:00 a.m., I was taken at gunpoint in front of a crack house. I was stripped naked and hit on the head with an iron fire poker, leaving me at the edge of death. I refused to give up on myself when it seemed the whole world had. After that incident, I grabbed the same butcher knife used to cut my clothes and ran. I made my way to my grandparents' house, approximately five blocks away. My kidnapper was an African American woman in her late middle age. For a long time, I felt she had taken so much from me: my innocence, pride, and sense of security.

Standing Tall

Yet here I was, standing tall in federal court alongside my client, a late middle-aged African American woman. This time, no gun was needed. I gave my complete self to this woman and her cause from the first day we spoke, about a year ago. Was this my only indicator that my life had come full circle? Not quite.

When I was homeless, survival required removing "half-hearts" from my life. These were people who spoke tough but would not stand by you during critical moments. Reflecting on this, I recalled certain members of our community who promised support but left me holding the "bag." This made it difficult for my staff and me to attend court hearings. I realized that "half-hearts" are archetypical. They stifle progress, leaving only the most dedicated to do the hard work. While such situations usually should be avoided, they became a blessing.

Now, more than ever, it’s clear that I first had to find the internal drive and fortitude inside myself, which then showed me I have what it takes to succeed on my own no matter what. I cannot downplay the help of those around me, including local councils- whose help has been invaluable.

Building Legal Foundations

Imagining what holding this "bag" will feel like once the case is resolved positively, I recalled a speech by my legal elder, the late Joe Jamail, at Stanford Law School. Jamail pointed out that lawyers committed to public interest work often create foundational structures more robust than physical buildings. We lawyers have the capacity to build precedents that can influence human relations for ages. Defending against the first federal indictment directly related to the importation of ayahuasca offers us a chance to strengthen our legal defense for entheogen-based religious practices under RFRA and the First Amendment.

My ancestors took years to gain the divine knowledge to excel in their craft. Likewise, I have devoted the last five years to this journey, engaging in prayers and rituals to secure the spiritual wisdom necessary for a robust defense. My altar's pyramid sits on the counsel table, aligned with true north. I feel it channeling our ancestors, and after the hearing, they confirmed that the cornerstone had been perfectly set.

Reflections on Vulnerability

During my time on the streets, we used to yell "one time" whenever law enforcement entered our area. It was understood that one mistake in front of law enforcement could ruin your life in that stressful environment.

As I walked into the courtroom that fateful day in April, I recalled the struggling souls who had walked out the doors to serve time in prison—perhaps tens of thousands of years collectively. I was reminded that it only took one mistake to fumble the "ball." The potential consequences felt overwhelming. I felt as vulnerable as I did on that infamous morning of my kidnapping. These parallels struck me deeply. However, I found solace in Terence McKenna's "Time Wave Theory." His insistence that "...things are gonna get weird" resonated with me and started making sense of it all.

The Journey Back to Self

Through all of this, I remembered that my journey is about coming back to myself. For the past three years, I have dedicated a significant part of my legal career to serving the women and minorities in our community through pro bono services in state and federal courts. Like everyone else, I am striving to find my way back home to myself.

I enjoy providing educational content and sharing my experiences as a pro bono litigator for entheogen-based religious practitioners. I encourage those interested to consider joining my Patreon channel or following me on social media. Let’s share this journey through the law and back home together.

Greg's Patreon Channel

The Legal Lowdown

Before I delve into the aspects of the Codi case, I want to express my gratitude for the charity of our expert witnesses, including Dr. Brad Stoddard, Dr. Peter Hendricks, and Dr. Leanna Standish. These scholars dedicated themselves to helping me achieve a good outcome for Mrs. Codi. Their assistance made significant progress possible at the April 14th hearing.

The RFRA evidentiary hearing took place in front of retired Judge David Proctor at the Hugo Black Federal Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama. This hearing was in response to defendant Harmel Codi’s Motion to Dismiss the Indictment under the federal Religious Freedom and Restoration Act and Selective Prosecution. Mrs. Codi argued that the government's action against her substantially burdens her “exercise of religion” and should be dismissed.

I officially entered the Codi litigation pro bono on July 5, 2024, although Mrs. Codi had reached out to me as early as April. After a preliminary investigation, I decided to join her case with local counsel.

Initially, I gathered all discovery materials and sent them to my experts. Dr. Stoddard agreed to provide a favorable report on Mrs. Codi’s ayahuasca-based religious beliefs. Dr. Standish reviewed health and safety implications of these practices. I also engaged Dr. Hendricks for both health safety and sincerity aspects of Mrs. Codi’s defense.

From August to late November, I worked to further the research and investigation into Mrs. Codi’s case while awaiting expert reports. During this time, we received several continuances from the Court. By mid-December, we had gathered expert reports, but movement halted due to the holidays.

On January 4, 2025, I submitted an eleven-page letter and a seventy-page legal memorandum to the U.S. Attorney outlining our experts' findings. The Judge later directed the U.S. Attorney and counsel for Mrs. Codi to meet and discuss the indictment’s dismissal.

This meeting did not yield immediate results. Instead, both parties agreed to reduce the controversy into written motions for the Court's decision. Within a week, we filed the motion to dismiss, which led the government to seek an evidentiary hearing.

During the April 14, 2025 hearing, both parties presented facts under the RFRA statute. We successfully argued that Mrs. Codi’s ayahuasca-based beliefs are sincere and religious. The government conceded that her practices did not implicate a "compelling governmental interest" regarding health and safety.

A lingering issue remains about whether ceremonial participants consuming ayahuasca in a strictly religious context constitute diversion under the RFRA statute, considering their potential non-religious intentions. The Court has agreed to continue the hearing until no later than May 16, 2025.

In the meantime, we will refine our case with local counsel and prepare winning arguments for the next hearing. I ask that you keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we strive for a favorable resolution of Mrs. Codi’s case.

I AM

Much Love!!!!

/s/ George G. Lake, Esq.

George G. Lake, Esq.

Principal, Law Office of George G. Lake, PLLC

Principal, EntheoEsq, LLC