Overview

• Zide Door, the San Francisco branch of the Church of Ambrosia, will shut down operations on December 28, 2024, due to financial and regulatory challenges.
• The church, which offers psilocybin mushrooms and cannabis as religious sacraments, claims the San Francisco Planning Department imposed excessive and costly structural demands, including $200,000 in window upgrades.
• City officials deny allegations of harassment and religious discrimination, pointing instead to unresolved building code violations, including plumbing and electrical issues and unpermitted alterations.
• The church's founder, Pastor Dave Hodges, asserts that the closure reflects broader difficulties in operating within San Francisco's regulatory environment and plans to continue operations at its Oakland location.
• While psilocybin remains illegal in California, San Francisco and Oakland have deprioritized enforcement, allowing the church to exist in a legal gray area.