ACKNOWLEDGMENT, LIABILITY RELEASE,
INDEMNITY AND NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

General Provisions

This Acknowledgement, Liability Release, Indemnity and Non-Disclosure Agreement (“Agreement”) is voluntarily entered into between the undersigned individual (“Participant”) on one side and the Followship of the Golden Grove and its service provider Herbs & Alchemy, LLC on the other side (Fellowship of the Golden Grove and Herbs & Alchemy, LLC are collectively referred to as “Golden Grove” herein). This Agreement is intended to cover all activities by Participant with Golden Grove as described below. The Agreement is effective as of the date signed below.

Golden Grove is a contemporary earth-based and animist religious community rooted in Nordic Pagan traditions. Golden Grove is a syncretic church that weaves eternal moral, ethical, and spiritual guidance from many traditions into its practices and ceremonies. We believe that all life exists within an interconnected universal consciousness and that human beings are not separate from nature, but participants within a greater living world. Golden Grove provides a sacred community for those seeking connection, transformation, spiritual exploration, and personal enrichment through intentional practice, communion with nature, community, and sacrament. Golden Grove and its members and participants believe that psilocybin mushrooms (“Sacrament”) serve as a divine teacher and guide to those who engage in its sacramental, ceremonial use. Our Sacrament reveals the divine teachings of the creator. Our Sacrament is essential to our spiritual practice, and only through its sincere religious use can participants understand the moral, ethical, and spiritual wisdom and psychospiritual healing of its divine nature.

Participant acknowledges and accepts Golden Grove has agreed to provide certain services including spiritual guidance, coaching, harm reduction services, beneficial community-based use and healing, supported use, or other related services related to Participant’s spiritual use of our Sacraments (“Services”). Golden Grove is not providing any medical or mental health services as part of this Agreement. While Golden Grove will perform a ministerial screen to assess your eligibility for use of our Sacrament, Participant is encouraged to seek independent medical and/or mental professional clearance of your fitness before engaging in the use of our Sacraments.

Herbs & Alchemy, LLC provides coaching and harm reduction services supporting the Participant with the Services conducted by Golden Grove through preparation, harm reduction, and integration of use of our Sacrament. Herbs & Alchemy, LLC engages in these activities because it shares the spiritual values of Golden Grove and is motivated to support these spiritual practices by its own religious beliefs. Any payment for the services provided under this Agreement are for the Service only. Golden Grove does not charge for Sacrament.

Golden Grove and Herbs & Alchemy, LLC operate with a good faith belief that its practices are protected by state and federal law, including but not limited to the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act and each state’s religious freedom provisions of its state Constitution or statutes. A copy of our spiritual principles can be found on Golden Grove’s here. Participant’s activities related to the Sacrament, if done in alignment with Golden Grove’s spiritual beliefs may also create protections for you under state and federal law; however, we note that each state’s laws are unique and you are required to review your own state law to determine any protections it provides. Golden Grove is not responsible for any negative consequences if Participant’s activities are not protected by their own state laws. Our Sacrament may not be resold or distributed to any person or minor for any purpose at any time.

Participant understands that the use of our Sacrament may be transformational and may create positive changes in my spiritual wellbeing, mood, habits, and emotional state if engaged in with intention. Participant understands and acknowledges that there are also risks associated with engaging in the use of our Sacraments, as discussed throughout this Agreement. Participant understands that Golden Grove cannot and does not guarantee any particular outcome from Participant’s use. Participant acknowledges that they should seek independent medical advice from a qualified professional to determine if they are medically cleared to engage in activities related to the use of our Sacraments.

Psilocybin side effects and warnings

The effects of psilocybin mushrooms include altered perception of time and space and intense changes in mood and feeling. Other possible effects of psilocybin include: euphoria, peacefulness, spiritual awakening, derealization, or the feeling that surroundings are not real, depersonalization, or a dream-like sense of being disengaged from surroundings, distorted thinking, visual alteration and distortion, such as seeing halos of light and vivid colors, dilated pupils, dizziness, drowsiness and yawning, impaired concentration, muscle weakness, lack of coordination, unusual body sensations, nausea and vomiting, paranoia, confusion, frightening hallucinations, and other physical, mental, and emotion effects. The effects of psilocybin vary between people, based on the user’s mental state, personality, and immediate environment.

It may be unsafe for people with the following conditions to take psilocybin mushrooms: (a) Psychosis. It may be unsafe for people diagnosed with psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar 1 or 2 disorder, or similar mental health conditions to use psilocybin. (b) Heart problems. Psilocybin could be risky for people with high blood pressure or any other types of heart disease. (c) Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Psilocybin’s effects on pregnancy or breastfeeding are unknown and should be avoided. (d) Medication use. Psilocybin-containing mushrooms are not recommended for people taking certain medications, which can alter the effects of hallucinogenic substances. Some examples include: Lithium (a drug treating bipolar disorder), Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), Haloperidol, an antipsychotic medication, Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft), Trazodone (Desyrel), Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, such as linezolid (Zyvox) or rasagiline (Azilect), and St. John’s Wort. By signing this Agreement, Participant is attesting that they do not have any contraindication listed here and/or they have been medically cleared by a competent medical or mental health professional to use our Sacrament.

Assumption of Risk, Liability Waiver Agreement and Hold Harmless Provisions

Participant assumes the inherent risks of engaging in the spiritual use of Golden Grove’s Sacraments. Being fully informed as to risks laid out above of the Sacraments and in consideration of the Services, Participant shall forever release, indemnify, and hold harmless Golden Grove and any of Golden Grove’s principals, employees, contractors, or agents, from any and all claims, counterclaims, damages, defenses, setoffs, recoupments, debts, demands, causes of action, suits, obligations, losses, costs, expenses, and liabilities of any nature whatsoever, in law or in equity, whether known or unknown, fixed or contingent, including but not limited to those arising from your use of our Sacraments or the Services. Participant covenants not to sue Golden Grove, or any of Golden Grove’s principals, employees, contractors, or agents, and waives any right of recovery, whether known or unknown, that Participant may have to bring a claim or a lawsuit against Golden Grove for any personal injury, death, damage to personal property or other injury arising from the Services or your use of our Sacraments or Services, whether arising from a theory of any tort, including negligence, or any other theory in law or equity. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of any member of the Golden Grove’s agents’ family, spouse, heirs, assigns, real property, attorneys and personal representatives. The Agreement shall be construed broadly to provide a release and waiver to the maximum extent permissible under applicable law. In no event shall Golden Grove’s liability, if any, exceed the amount paid for the Services by the Participant.

Confidentiality & Non-Disparagement

This Agreement is confidential and may not be disclosed by Participant to any third party except as required by any applicable law or valid Court order. Participant shall not make social media or other public posts regarding Golden Grove. Participant agrees not to make any disparaging, false, or misleading public statements about Golden Grove, its affiliates, or its members.

Miscellaneous
Mediation/Arbitration. Prior to initiating any action under this Agreement, the Parties agree to engage in mediation to resolve any disputes. If any dispute is not resolved by mediation, any remaining dispute, claim, interpretation, controversy, or issues of public policy arising out of relating to this Agreement, including the determination of the scope or applicability of this Section, will be determined exclusively by mandatory binding arbitration held in Los Angeles, California, and will be governed exclusively by the applicable state law arbitration act of California. The Parties waive (i) any right of removal to the United States federal courts and (ii) any right in the United States federal courts to compel arbitration, to confirm any arbitration award or order, or to seek any aid or assistance of any kind. If either party brings an action to enforce the provisions of this Agreement and is the substantially prevailing party in any action, the substantially prevailing party will be entitled to recover its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred in such action.
Entire Agreement. This Agreement supersedes all prior discussions and agreements between the Parties and/or their Affiliates with respect to the subject matter hereof and contains the sole and entire agreement between the Parties and their Affiliates with respect to the subject matter hereof.
Waiver. Any term or condition of this Agreement may be waived at any time by the Party that is entitled to the benefit thereof, but no such waiver will be effective unless set forth in a written instrument duly executed by or on behalf of the Party waiving the term or condition. No waiver by any Party of any term or condition of this Agreement, in any one or more instances, will be deemed to be or construed as a waiver of the same or any other term or condition of this Agreement on any future occasion. All remedies, either under this Agreement or by Law, are cumulative and not alternative.
Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any conflict or choice of law provision that would result in imposition of another state’s law. THE PARTIES WAIVE ANY DEFENSES BASED UPON INVALIDITY OF CONTRACTS FOR PUBLIC POLICY REASONS AND/OR THE SUBSTANCE OF THE CONTRACT VIOLATING FEDERAL LAW.
Participant acknowledges that he or she has read this Agreement fully and understands it, including its binding legal consequences, intends to be bound by this Agreement, and is signing this Agreement freely and voluntarily.

Participant attests they are over the age of 21.