The União do Vegetal (UDV) is a Brazilian Christian Spiritist religion founded in 1961 that uses ayahuasca (called 'hoasca' or 'vegetal') as its central sacrament. Approximately 600 members practice in the United States across active nucleos (local chapters) in New Mexico, Colorado, California, Connecticut, Texas, Florida, and Washington. The UDV operates legally in the US following the unanimous 2006 Supreme Court ruling in Gonzales v. O Centro Espírita Beneficente União do Vegetal. The church emphasizes community, spiritual discipline, and ongoing practice rather than one-time transformational experiences. Prospective members typically attend introductory sessions before full participation. NOTE: The UDV is a religious organization, not a clinical program. It does not employ licensed clinicians or conduct medical screening in the Western clinical sense. However, the sustained community container and the Hoasca Project research evidence place it in a distinct category from both retreat centers and underground ceremony.