Rev. Heidi Grossman-Lepp Takes Time 4 Hemp
Hemp, Healing, and Holy Purpose
Written by Casper Leitch
In the ever-evolving movement for cannabis and hemp reform, few figures stand as boldly, or as spiritually, as Reverend Heidi Grossman-Lepp. A fierce advocate, trailblazer, and unapologetic truth-teller, Heidi has made it her life’s mission to defend natural medicine and sacred traditions in the face of government repression. As the founder of the Sugarleaf Church in California, she has redefined what it means to be both a cannabis activist and a spiritual leader, building not only a congregation, but a movement.
Founded in 2014 in Yuba and Yolo counties, Sugarleaf Church isn’t your average house of worship. It’s a sanctuary rooted in the ancient traditions of entheogenic healing, where cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms are celebrated as divine sacraments. Reverend Heidi believes these natural substances are gifts from God and our ancestors; tools for healing the body, opening the heart, and connecting with the soul. With over 30,000 members, 160 church branches, and 365 legal cannabis cultivation sites at its height, Sugarleaf blossomed into a beacon for people seeking both spiritual freedom and physical wellness through the sacred use of cannabis.
But Heidi's journey has not been without tribulation. Facing over 20 raids by militarized law enforcement, the Sugarleaf Church became ground zero in the modern battle for cannabis religious freedom. In 2017, after an aggressive raid campaign and a highly publicized arrest, Heidi stood defiant before local authorities, calling out hypocrisy and demanding justice. Her fearless defense of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, paired with a staggering 22 legal victories for church members, underscores her unbreakable spirit and her sophisticated legal acumen. She’s not just preaching to the choir; she’s teaching it how to fight back.
The story of Heidi Grossman-Lepp also honors the legacy of her late husband, Charles Eddy Lepp, a titan in the cannabis movement, whose own advocacy landed him in federal prison for cultivating over 32,000 plants. Together, they formed a power couple of plant-based resistance, blending spirituality with civil disobedience and turning their faith into action. Eddy’s influence remains a driving force in Heidi’s life, and Sugarleaf Church continues to honor his vision of a world where hemp and cannabis are not criminalized, but revered as a gift from The Creator.
What makes Reverend Heidi’s work truly revolutionary is how it merges spiritual healing with cannabis activism. She has created a space where the war on drugs meets its philosophical match, a church that offers legal support, community empowerment, and a safe haven for alternative medicine. Whether she's helping parents treat children with medical marijuana, guiding trauma survivors through psilocybin-assisted spiritual sessions, or standing up to gun-toting raids, Heidi’s message remains clear: cannabis is not a crime; it is a calling that drives her Spirit.
Her story represents more than one woman’s fight, it’s a rallying cry for hemp legalization, cannabis medical freedom, and the restoration of indigenous healing traditions. For those of us working to end prohibition and usher in a new era of hemp-based health, Heidi Grossman-Lepp is both warrior and healer, teacher and trailblazer. And Sugarleaf Church? It’s not just a place, it’s a revolution wrapped in reverence.
So whether you’re lighting up for enlightenment or planting hemp seeds for a better world, know that Reverend Heidi is out there, fighting the good fight, one sacred sweet leaf at a time.
