Hodges said that Zide Door isn’t “an excuse to sell drugs. This is what we truly believe is the origin of all religion and really what religion should be.”
No arrests took place during the 2020 raid, which was the result of a complaint that prompted an undercover officer to pose as a church member. Authorities seized roughly $200,000 in cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms, along with reports of $4,500 in cash—none of which were ever returned.
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Officers raided the church because it believes it operates more as an illegal dispensary than a religious institution. They fined Hodges and gave him a warning.
The church claims that both the city of Oakland and the Oakland Police Department violated their constitutional and religious freedoms.
Zide Door is seeking compensation for damages the authorities caused to their building during the raid. They are also asking for the return of the money, cannabis, mushrooms, and computers that were seized. Hodges claims the raid caused roughly $50,000 in damages.
