In brief
- Dr. Samuel Lee, 44, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and requested a jury trial regarding the February 2025 death of Tina Sodhi during a three-day, $2,000 retreat in Miami Beach.
- According to prosecutors, the Sabia Wellness “Heart Protocol” involved the administration of ketamine and MDMA. The medical examiner attributed the death to severe dehydration caused by the combination of substances, a pre-retreat “cleanse,” and prolonged sauna exposure.
- The case highlights the risks of retreats lacking clinical protocols: it is not the molecule, but the context—screening, hydration, temperature, and monitoring—that makes the difference.
Florida’s justice system will bring one of the most serious cases occurring in the gray area of commercial psychedelic retreats before a jury. Dr. Samuel Lee, 44, has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Tina Sodhi, who died on February 10, 2025, after participating in a “Heart Protocol” ceremony hosted by the company Sabia Wellness at a residence in Miami Beach.
What happened, according to the investigation
Sodhi had paid $2,000 for a three-day retreat that promised connection with one’s “higher self.” According to court documents obtained by CBS Miami and NBC Miami, she was administered ketamine—a dissociative anesthetic legal in medical settings—and MDMA, which is federally prohibited, during the ceremony. She was found unresponsive in a rooftop sauna; Lee was performing CPR when police arrived, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The Miami-Dade medical examiner concluded that she died from severe dehydration triggered by the combination of substances, a “parasite cleanse” regimen she had completed prior to the retreat, and prolonged exposure to sauna heat. An independent medical expert described the setup as an “extreme and unjustifiable deviation from basic clinical safety measures.” Lee, charged on July 14, maintains that the ceremony was a “sacrament” of a church for which he serves as an “elder,” rather than an act of his medical practice; the prosecution has also requested that he be barred from practicing medicine for the duration of the trial.
The harm reduction perspective
This case offers no new information about ketamine or MDMA that we didn’t already know; rather, it speaks volumes about contexts lacking safeguards. Combining MDMA with extreme heat and dehydration is one of the best-documented risks of the substance—hyperthermia is its primary medical emergency—and adding a pre-retreat fast or “cleanse” along with a sauna is the exact opposite of what any serious protocol dictates. Clinical trials currently bringing these same molecules into regulated medicine work because they implement what was missing here: prior medical screening, known dosages, temperature and hydration control, continuous monitoring, and trained personnel ready to intervene. Anyone who, in the exercise of their liberty, decides to participate in a retreat should always ask about these safeguards—and be wary of anyone who does not offer them. More information is available in our guides on harm reduction and responsible use and MDMA and empathogens.
Sources
- Doctor charged with manslaughter over a year after woman died during psychedelic retreat in Miami Beach. CBS News Miami.
- Doctor charged after ‘heart protocol’ ceremony kills woman, records show. NBC 6 South Florida.
- Psychedelic Policy Briefing: Week of July 20, 2026. Psychedelics Today, July 20, 2026.
Educational content written from a harm reduction perspective and with respect for individual freedom. It is not a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional and is not intended to encourage or condemn any drug use.
