This chapter examines the contested process of recognizing the religious use of ayahuasca as intangible cultural heritage in Brazil. While ayahuasca was historically subject to drug policies, the early 2000s marked a shift as heritage policies emerged as a new framework for legitimization. I analyze how the state defining the cultural status of ayahuasca use became a source of opportunities and conflicts, and how indigenous groups increasingly asserted their role as original stewards of ayahuasca knowledge, challenging the legitimacy of ayahuasca religions as cultural representatives of the ayahuasca tradition. The chapter traces how these negotiations unfolded, revealing the complex dynamics between religious identity, cultural politics, and state recognition. Ultimately, it highlights the ways in which patrimonialization serves not only as a legal and bureaucratic process but also as a site of political struggle in contemporary Brazil.