Really all this kind of stuff is firmly rooted in the grey area. Basically, it's legal till a court rules otherwise. Some precedents have been set, there have been high level court rulings allowing the use of ayahuasca, peyote, and mushrooms within a ceremonial and/or personal use context at various times in various locations. Above ground grey-market trade of botanicals still flourishes openly, and of course sites like this one providing open source grow information and teks have placed these tools and experiences in the hands of anyone willing to spend some time googling for the information.
Of course, you can still be locked in a cage based on arbitrary enforcement by local police and judicial systems. They generally have enough real violent and/or big money drug crimes to deal with such that they don't have the time or resources to go after a few hippies drinking some strange plant potions and not bothering anyone. It's that old, don't ask don't tell game. The only time these little groups get into trouble is when they start making enough noise to be seen as a nuisance to the locals. Many of these kind of churches have been operating openly for decades. There have been many individual court cases quietly played out at the local level, some won, some lost. There have been a few that were big enough to catch headlines, again some won, some lost. There is a general trend toward avoiding attracting attention and having to issue actual rulings in these types of cases. It's important to keep in mind that each case is unique and that the media doesn't have the best track record for fair and accurate reporting when it comes to a sensational drug story.
It's wise to be skeptical of these organizations and to thoroughly explore their intentions and motives if you are considering getting involved with them. There are a lot of sheisters out there looking to sell you spirituality. However, if no one ever stands up for our collective birthright to utilize these plant medicines as the sacraments they are, we will all continue to be oppressed, ostricized, and arrested for practicing a religion that pre-dates all notion of religion. While remaning skeptical of any individual group, I see great need for supporting the overall cause of religious freedom for plant medicines.
