“In recent years, there has been growing interest in and active research on the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs, in particular for the treatment of serious mental health conditions,” the FDA stated. “In response, FDA has made significant advances in psychedelic drug development through the issuance of scientific guidance, engagement with federal partners and the public, and regulatory actions to support drug development.”

A four-hour public hearing has been set for September 14 at the FDA campus in Silver Spring, Maryland. Requests to attend, either virtually or in person, must be submitted by August 21. The public can submit comment electronically up through October 5. Confidential submissions can also be sent by mail, as long as they’re received by the same deadline.

It’s likely that the first approvals of Schedule I psychedelics would be followed by proposals for rescheduling.

The clinical guidance is the final version of draft guidance the FDA issued in June 2023.

“Drug development programs for psychedelic drugs are subject to the same regulations and same evidentiary standards for approval as other drug development programs,” the final guidance states. “However, designing clinical studies to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of these products presents a number of unique challenges.”

The agency went on to describe the potential for “intense perceptual disturbances and alterations in consciousness,” as well as “both rapid-onset and long-term benefits,” sometimes after only one dose.

“There is preliminary evidence that psychedelic therapies can rewire the brain and produce rapid improvements for people with serious mental illness or substance use disorders,” stated National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. “However, we still have much to learn about long-term benefits and risks, including the potential for misuse.”

A number of psychedelic substances have been heavily researched for their potential to treat conditions like SUD, post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder. These include psilocybin (the active compound in “magic mushrooms”) LSD, MDMA and ibogaine—all of which are banned under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Because the criteria for Schedule I are a “high potential for abuse” and no medical use approved by the FDA, it’s likely that the first INDA approvals would be followed by proposals to reschedule those psychedelics to a less-restrictive category, the same process by which medical marijuana was recently moved to Schedule III. The final clinical guidance states that in the event of a Schedule I psychedelic being approved for medical use, “the abuse potential assessment [from the INDA] would assist in determining an appropriate rescheduling action.”

HHS singled out ibogaine in particular.

The HHS announcement singled out ibogaine in particular. The plant-based psychedelic from Central West Africa appears to be in favor with the Trump administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse is currently funding research exploring it as a treatment for opioid use disorder.

On July 13, HHS also announced a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the VA. At publication time the VA was involved in 20 active clinical trials studying psychedelic treatments for mental health conditions.

“Under the agreement, HHS and VA will coordinate workforce training, develop evidence-based clinical protocols, support research and real-world evidence generation, and prepare the VA healthcare system to responsibly implement future FDA-approved rapid-acting psychiatric drug products as they become available,” the MOU states. 

It will be in effect through 2031. The partnership will aim to increase veteran participation in clinical trials, train the health care workers involved in such trials, create public awareness materials and facilitate data-sharing that could allow the FDA to issue INDA approvals more quickly.

The HHS announcement also referenced a “separate, complementary MOU” pertaining to mental health treatment more broadly, but this appeared to be the same one announced by the FDA. That MOU is the only one recently listed in the FDA’s Domestic MOU catalog, although there its expiration date is “Indefinite” rather than the five-year term described elsewhere. The FDA did not respond to Filter’s inquiry.

Image via Hillsboro, Oregon

The post FDA Schedules Psychedelics Hearing, Amid New Push for Medical Approval appeared first on Filter.

The new psychedelics measure was inserted as an amendment into an economic development omnibus bill, which passed the House by 148 votes to 2 on July 8. 

If it becomes law, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health will be required to develop and implement the five-year pilot. Up to three licensed mental health clinics would be authorized to provide monitored care using naturally occurring psychedelics, such as psilocybin.

The pilot program would exclude commercial interests. Participating providers could not be subsidiaries, affiliates or members of cannabis industry organizations, psychedelic molecule development companies, or pharmaceutical companies. 

The clinics would be required to track patient outcomes related to the diagnosis and psychedelic treatment of depression, anxiety, PTSD and substance use disorder. The health department would use this data to refine clinical protocols and finalize regulatory frameworks. The department would be tasked with drafting regulations for patient assessment and program oversight, and would also coordinate with research institutions to expedite federally authorized research on psychedelic-assisted therapies.

The measure would additionally establish a Medical Psychedelics Fund to finance access for people in need, structured similarly to the psilocybin treatment equity fund in New Mexico. 

“There were plenty of skeptics who doubted the Commonwealth was ready to lead on this issue. This vote proves them wrong.”

Psychedelics advocates in Massachusetts are split over the model. Many argue that confining services to a small number of health care settings is far too restrictive, presenting unjustified barriers. Others favor the carefully regulated care that clinical settings could provide for people with mental health conditions, or at least see this as part of a journey toward wider access.

Those backing the measure include the advocacy organization Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS). “Massachusetts just took a meaningful step toward becoming a national leader on psychedelic-assisted therapy,” VETS Legislative Director Logan Davidson told Filter. “There were plenty of skeptics who doubted the Commonwealth was ready to lead on this issue. This vote proves them wrong.”

“This win belongs to the grassroots advocates who refused to let this stall,” Davidson added. “We’re not slowing down until this becomes law.”

Graham Moore, educational outreach director for psychedelic advocacy group Mass Healing, is a former Yes on 4 staffer turned whistleblower on its alleged campaign finance violations. He also supports the new approach. 

“This is a triumph for a new kind of politics in the psychedelics advocacy sphere, built on integrity, compromise and mutual, earned trust,” Moore told Filter. “At the beginning of this legislative session, the psychedelic advocacy sphere was operating with a trust deficit in Massachusetts because of catastrophic mismanagement. This victory was possible only through responsible leadership: unafraid to confront bad actors, admit mistakes and operate dynamically.”

Activists have voiced concerns that the high cost of care in Oregon and Colorado’s state-regulated psychedelic treatment programs should not be repeated.

After the 2024 defeat of Question 4, Massachusetts lawmakers filed 12 psychedelic bills in January 2025. The Massachusetts Psychiatric Society endorsed three of these bills in July 2025, becoming the first American Psychiatric Association regional branch to support legal medical access.

Activists have voiced concerns, however, that the high cost of care in Oregon and Colorado’s state-regulated psychedelic treatment programs, excluding many people on lower incomes, should not be repeated in Massachusetts.

Lobbying spending on psychedelics-related issues on Beacon Hill reflects this tension. Compass Pathways, a company currently seeking FDA approval for its synthetic psilocybin compound, reported $54,000 in expenditures during the first half of 2025, up from $32,100 in 2024. These funds targeted the governor’s office and the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Veterans Services. Traditional health care entities have also spent heavily to shape psychedelic care in Massachusetts. Health New England Inc. and the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans spent a combined $140,000 during the first half of 2025.

One figure associated with the influence of private capital on psychedelic policy reform in the state is Colin Beatty, co-founder of the Massachusetts-based startup Control Z Health, who has been criticized by many grassroots activists.

In June 2025, Beatty testified in support of establishing a psychedelic pilot program during a committee hearing at the Massachusetts State House. He explicitly opposed broader decriminalization and attacked the thinking behind Question 4. Beatty called the push for general adult-use access “a mistake representing an irrational exuberance about the potentials of psychedelics.” 

Rooting his demand for a strict medical model in his family’s history, Beatty testified: “I founded my previous company [Column Health] … because I couldn’t find humane, medical … care in the community for a loved one of mine.”

Despite Beatty’s stated intentions, online patient reviews for his former company Column Health’s mental health and addiction clinics across Massachusetts suggest a pattern of severe failings.  

One reviewer described the clinical care as “laughable … the worst of any addiction treatment center I’ve ever been in contact with.” Another reviewer wrote that they’d attended the company’s Arlington facility and would not be surprised if it prevented more people from recovering than it helped. Similar sentiments were expressed by people who wrote that they’d attended the group’s Lawrence and Lowell locations, with one calling the company’s clinical model “the absolute worst.”

“Management and executives are hopeless,” wrote one former employee in a scathing review on Glassdoor. “Every decision they make is driven by money … they do not care about patients at all.”

“If the bill becomes law, the Department will have an important responsibility to ensure that … safety and quality, not commercial interests, drive the model.”

For Dr. Franklin King, a Boston-based psychiatrist specializing in psychedelics research, the impact of the measure passed by the House will hinge on who controls the rulemaking process.

“The House’s passage of this bill reflects growing recognition that many people are already seeking psychedelic experiences outside the traditional medical system and that there is value in creating a regulated pathway for supported, guided use,” King told Filter. “If the bill becomes law, the Department of Public Health will have an important responsibility to ensure that regulations are shaped by people with genuine expertise in psychedelic care, so that safety and quality, not commercial interests, drive the model.”

Whether such concerns are addressed if the measure becomes law remains to be seen. But for now, many psychedelic advocates are expressing pride in the progress of a measure with tangible equity provisions.  

 “This is a victory for everyone affected by PTSD, treatment-resistant depression, addiction, and other serious mental and physical health conditions who urgently need new treatment options,” Jamie Morey, co-founder and executive director of Mass Healing, told Filter. 

Morey credited the milestone to a coalition of researchers, clinicians and patients, alongside lobbying efforts from VETS and local philanthropists Peter Palandjian and former actress turned psychedelic therapist Eliza Dushku.

The larger omnibus bill under which the proposed psychedelic program falls is now headed to the Massachusetts Senate, which is expected to draft and pass its own version of the economic development package in the coming weeks. 

Photograph of Massachusetts State House by Coralie Mercier via Flickr/Creative Commons 2.0

The post Massachusetts House Advances Psychedelic Therapy Pilot Program appeared first on Filter.

The coalition is pushing for the passage of Senate Bill 1018, formally known as the North Carolina Healing Through Evidence-Based Access to Lifesaving Care Act, or HEAL Act. The legislation aims to advance clinical research into the use of United States Food and Drug Administration-designated psychedelic “breakthrough therapies”—such as MDMA, psilocybin and ibogaine—to treat debilitating, trauma-related mental health conditions.

Backed by a proposed $5.4 million appropriation, the HEAL Act would establish the Breakthrough Therapies Research Grant Fund within the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. It would create a Breakthrough Therapies Task Force, responsible for overseeing a competitive grant process to award up to five $1 million grants to state-based academic or federal research entities. Under the bill’s guidelines, funded clinical studies would have to focus specifically on populations disproportionately impacted by trauma—including veterans, frontline health care workers and survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault. 

“North Carolina is home to some of the largest military installations in the country, and a veteran community that deserves better than the status quo.”

The task force would also be responsible for monitoring the ongoing research—and for evaluating legal, regulatory and public health pathways to ultimately integrate psychedelic treatments into mainstream psychiatric care across the state.

Advocates involved in the Day of Action say North Carolina is uniquely positioned to benefit from such legislation, due to its large military footprint and the gaps in current treatment options for veterans returning home with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“North Carolina is home to some of the largest military installations in the country, and a veteran community that deserves better than the status quo,” Logan Davidson, legislative director for Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), told Filter. “SB 1018 represents a real opportunity to expand access to proven, innovative therapies for the men and women who’ve sacrificed the most. Today’s Day of Action sends a clear message to legislators: The time to act is now.”

North Carolina advocates emphasize that the campaign transcends partisan lines by putting its focus on an escalating crisis that affects people of all backgrounds and beliefs.

“Today in Raleigh, we gathered as a community to raise awareness about North Carolina’s ongoing mental health crisis.”

“Today in Raleigh, we gathered as a community to raise awareness about North Carolina’s ongoing mental health crisis and to honor the countless individuals and families impacted by trauma, depression, PTSD, addiction and other mental health challenges,” Gina Giorgio, founder of Carolinas for Care, told Filter on June 16. “Across our state, people are searching for hope and healing when existing treatments have failed them.”

“The HEAL Act represents an important step toward expanding research, education and access to innovative mental health treatments,” she continued, “including psychedelic-assisted therapies that are showing promising results for conditions that have long been difficult to treat.”

The push in Raleigh reflects a broader trend across the South. Over the past 18 months, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia are among states to have enacted legislative reforms focused on psychedelic research. Reform bills have meanwhile been introduced in Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Virginia. Municipal or county measures have additionally been explored in recent years in places like Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; and Chesterfield County, Virginia.

“North Carolinians deserve access to evidence-based treatment options and compassionate care. The stories shared today remind us that this issue is not political—it’s personal.”

Advocates in nearby states are paying close attention to North Carolina’s efforts. Will Nelson, co-founder of Decriminalize Nature Virginia, told Filter that he’s, “excited to see this kind of momentum and initiative being taken by our neighbors in North Carolina.”

“It’s so important for people across the Southeast to gain access,” he continued. “Here in Virginia, we’ve been continuing our own organizing efforts across the state.”

North Carolina’s Senate Bill 1018 remains under consideration by senate committees. Its passage would place the state within an expanding network of state-funded scientific inquiries examining how long-banned psychedelic compounds might safely stabilize people with severe psychological injuries.

“Carolinas for Care believes that North Carolinians deserve access to evidence-based treatment options and compassionate care,” Giorgio said. “The stories shared today remind us that this issue is not political—it’s personal. Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a community seeking healing.”

“We are committed to ensuring that those voices continue to be heard,” she concluded, “as we work toward a future with accessible and effective care.”

Photograph (cropped) of North Carolina state legislative building by Jayron32 via Wikimedia Commons/Creative Commons 3.0

The post Coalition Rallies Behind North Carolina Bill for Psychedelic Care appeared first on Filter.

Several states and other jurisdictions have led the way on decriminalizing psychedelics and facilitating therapeutic access. In Oregon and Colorado, psilocybin is legal to consume under the supervision of a therapist or licensed facilitator, while New Mexico is set to implement a medical psilocybin program specifically funding access for people on low incomes.

Ketamine, a synthetic psychedelic, is now widely available for prescribed use treating a conditions including severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. For several years, MDMA has been undergoing clinical trials for PTSD with promising results. And on April 18, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Medical Illness, to allocate funding and fast-track research on psilocybin, ibogaine, and MDMA for a variety of mental health conditions.

There is good reason for excitement. Many patients with seemingly insurmountable conditions see significant improvement when granted access to psychedelics. Scientific evidence on the efficacy of these medicines is still emerging, but shows great promise across a range of substances and a range of needs.

The people most affected by the relevant conditions are often the very people excluded from treatment, people who also face systemic barriers like poverty, racism and state violence.

Ronald Bowman, who participated in the 2021 Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) MDMA-assisted therapy clinical trials for PTSD, told Filter that he noticed a “favorable” difference after just the first dose, which allowed him to “talk with sturdy confidence” about traumas he was unable to effectively communicate previously.

However, he also found that, due to the complexity of his trauma, he needed more than the three sessions allotted by the study. As a retiree, he was unable to follow through with a private practitioner because of cost.

As we celebrate the potential for change carried by these medicines, it is important to simultaneously examine issues of access. The people most affected by the relevant conditions—including severe depression, PTSD and addiction—are often the very people being excluded from research and treatment, people who also face systemic barriers like poverty, racism and state violence.

People impacted by the criminal-legal system, in particular, have been widely overlooked.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimates that 44 percent of people in jail and 37 percent in prison have a mental health condition, and that 68 percent of people in jail and 57 percent of people in prison have a substance use disorder. 

Moreover, a 2019 study found that parents with mental health conditions were eight times more likely to become involved with child services. And the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare reports that, according to data collected in 2021, 39 percent of children removed from their homes had a parent with a substance use disorder—which doesn’t include families whose children are not removed but remain under surveillance by the system.

Right now, most of these people do not have access to psychedelic therapies and are unlikely to receive it any time soon. Those that are legal tend to be financially inaccessible to the vast majority of people impacted by these systems. But income is not the only barrier to fair access to these potentially life-changing therapies.

“The courts just willy-nilly choose some medication that they think is less ‘abusable.’”

Sally Friedman, senior vice president of legal advocacy at Legal Action Center, has defended many clients involved with child services and the criminal-legal system. While she has not personally had a psychedelics case, she has seen many times how judges and case workers control or terminate people’s medication access, even when they have prescriptions and have demonstrated positive changes as a result of the therapies.

“I had a client on ADHD medications and she was forced off by a court,” Friedman told Filter. “I’ve had clients forced to switch from methadone or buprenorphine to naltrexone … the courts just willy-nilly choose some medication that they think is less ‘abusable.’”

When it comes to psychedelics or other novel treatments, she continued, “I just don’t think it would be a surprise for any medication developed for substance use disorder or [other mental health conditions], for one of these two huge systems—criminal-legal or family regulation—to discourage it because of lack of understanding, especially if it’s a controlled substance.”

The roots of exclusion go much deeper than systems involvement, noted Ifetayo Harvey, executive director of the People of Color Psychedelics Collective. “I would say for the most part, people who have been justice-impacted are a demographic of people that aren’t really considered in psychedelic research and therapy,” she told Filter.

Racism persists within psychedelic research, as well as in the legal system—something Harvey’s collective is working to dismantle. One report found that, between 1993 and 2017, psychedelic research participants were 82.3 percent non-Latino white. When the criminal-legal and family regulation systems have long disproportionately targeted people of color, multiple layers of discrimination combine.

“We have data coming out that’s really compelling, but we are really not applying the more common-sense rules of drug use, set and setting.”

Besides the issue of access, there’s the added question of efficacy given the circumstances of vulnerable populations’ lives, as Michael Galipeau, a New York State LMSW, pointed out.

“We have data coming out that’s really compelling, but we are really not applying the more common-sense rules of drug use, set and setting,” he told Filter. “Where is the context for healing when you’re going to a shelter where you don’t know if you or your stuff are going to be okay, or you’re facing going to jail, or you don’t know if you’ll survive to the next day?”

To that point, a 2023 paper suggested that the overpolicing of Black populations could eliminate benefits of psychedelics use. But that’s a reason to work to end systemic injustice, not to give up on seeking equitable access.

“I would challenge, too, that there’s highly resilient people tangled in the system and more than able to lean into ketamine therapy,” Craig Salerno, a licensed professional counselor and licensed addiction counselor, told Filter.

Salerno offers counseling for ketamine-assisted therapy patients at his Boulder, Colorado, clinic. He feels that with proper discernment on the part of the practitioner, even some high-risk patients can benefit from psychedelic therapies.

“You don’t want to lean in with someone who’s not ready,” he cautioned. “If someone is unhoused, you may not want to do deep trauma work and throw them [back] into an unstable environment. But some are close enough to touch deep psychedelics work and still find ways to manage.”

Salerno works with people experiencing severe opioid use disorder, for example. “Some people say that’s too acute, but to me, with the likelihood of death and overdose, sometimes you need to go for it.”

“What concerns me is that the success of psychedelic medicine is amazing, but it doesn’t get us off the hook for deeper social issues, and access to basic human rights.”

We are at a unique point in the US history of psychedelics. These therapies are rapidly emerging into our cultural narrative, but are not yet established enough to be cemented in any particular nationwide policy. So we have an opportunity now to examine, acknowledge and repair the wrongs of our past, and implement psychedelic therapies with conscious equity.

This repair goes beyond psychedelics. It means following New Mexico’s example to break down the income barrier to psychedelic therapies. It means including system-impacted people, especially people of color, in psychedelics research, leadership and discussions—actively implementing their ideas—and funding grassroots efforts rather than relying solely on institutions.

It means creating and upholding laws that prohibit judges and caseworkers from making medical decisions. It means increasing funding for food, housing and other basic needs. It means dismantling systems of government oppression that keep people with and mental health conditions trapped in loops of imprisonment and surveillance.

“The psychedelics community has to stop seeing itself as a separate movement from the larger movement to end the War on Drugs,” Harvey said. And the movement to end the drug war itself recognizes that it is part of a much larger struggle against societal injustice.

“As a social worker,” Galipeau concluded, “what concerns me is that the success of psychedelic medicine is amazing, but it doesn’t get us off the hook for deeper social issues, and access to basic human rights. Those are fundamental to human health.” 

Photograph (cropped) via FreeRangeStock/Public Domain

The post The Time to Build an Equitable Psychedelic Landscape Is Now appeared first on Filter.

As the state and federal reform movement has intensified, the University of California, Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP) on May 13 released its second national survey on how voters view the substances, as well as their opinions about differing psychedelic policy proposals.

Overall, the results show that “regulated use with clear guardrails related to safety is gaining traction, while support for unregulated access is not,” the center’s memo on the poll said. That’s based on an analysis of the survey data from 2025, which revealed a “striking increase” in voter approval of “two different kinds of policy approaches” for psychedelics, as compared to a prior survey done in 2023.

Support for making psychedelics available as prescription medicines increased 12 percentage points between 2023 and 2025—growing from 29 percent to 41 percent. Similarly, support for allowing the legal, therapeutic use of psychedelics grew 10 percentage points, from 36 percent to 46 percent in the span of two years.

“Voters appear to be warming up to psychedelics as medical treatments accessed within regulated frameworks,” the authors said. There was a notable exception: decriminalization.

The other policy approach that gained traction over the last two years was making it easier for scientists to study psychedelics. In 2023, just under half (49 percent) of voters said they backed that proposal; by 2025, support leaped to 63 percent.

“Voters appear to be warming up to psychedelics as medical treatments accessed within regulated medical and therapeutic frameworks,” the authors of the survey report said. They added, however, that there was a notable exception, with one policy concept that curiously saw a “nonsignificant” 1 percentage point decrease in support since 2023: decriminalization.

In the latest poll, only 28 percent of voters said they backed removing criminal penalties for the personal use and possession of psychedelics—a policy that has for years enjoyed majority, often bipartisan, support when applied to marijuana.

“Despite an increase in local legislation that decriminalizes personal possession, we observed only tepid support from voters for this kind of policy,” the survey report said. “The wave of support for scientific research and for other highly regulated options might indicate that many voters are curious about psychedelic substances and their effects, but have concerns about their safety and efficacy.”

“One interpretation is that people could be worried about the risks—or mindful of their current and historical legal parameters and stigma—resulting in them being more supportive of psychedelics in a controlled environment,” it said.

How do U.S. voters feel about psychedelics?

Our latest national survey reveals growing awareness of psychedelics and strong support for scientific research, alongside caution and safety concerns.

Find out more on https://t.co/cOtjJlmBFQ pic.twitter.com/cEwJ9Y7TSW

— UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (@SciPsychedelics) May 13, 2026

Meanwhile, the researchers also found that policy views about the therapeutic use of psychedelics varied when responders were asked about their application in specific instances. For example, 48 percent said they favor regulated psychedelics access, and 38 percent said they favor removing criminal penalties for psychedelics, if the person using them is in end-of-life care.

Majorities of voters also support regulated therapeutic access to psychedelics for military veterans (56 percent), people with depression (60 percent) and people experiencing addiction (54 percent).

For decriminalization, support for the reform was highest for end-of-life care. Another 26 percent said they back the policy for anyone aged 21 and older, followed by veterans (22 percent), people with depression (17 percent) and people with addiction (12 percent).

With respect to perceived safety of psychedelics, 37 percent of respondents said it’s either “pretty” or “extremely” safe to use the substances in a supervised setting; 20 percent said the same about the safety of psychedelics compared to tobacco, and 18 percent expressed the same about its relative safety compared to alcohol.

“Our main areas of exploration—exposure to psychedelics, trust, policy changes, and stigmas and concerns—yielded findings that are relevant for the quickly evolving psychedelics policy landscape,” the report concluded.

The data also reflected “widespread concern and stigma around psychedelics.”

“Despite large increases in support for several policy ideas, only a single idea—making scientific research on psychedelics easier (63 percent)—had majority strong support, which we believe reflects the caution with which voters view psychedelics. We also identified some appetite for public high school education on the risks and benefits of psychedelics (35 percent ‘strong support’ and 30 percent ‘somewhat support’), further underscoring voters’ desire for information and its dissemination.”

The data also reflected “widespread concern and stigma around psychedelics,” the authors wrote, noting the safety comparisons to tobacco and alcohol. Between 35 percent and 38 percent of voters also said psychedelics are “addictive” and “can cause new mental health challenges.”

Additionally, while 48 percent of respondents described psychedelics users as “open-minded” and another 37 percent called them “creative,” about a quarter said people who take the plant-based medicines are “irresponsible” (24 percent) or “addicts” (24 percent).

“The complex mix of perceptions and attitudes shown in these data, paired with systematic demographic variations, suggest that effective messaging strategies and public education will need to build trust with specific audiences and fill knowledge gaps,” the survey concluded.

The BCSP survey involved interviews with 1,577 United States voters from April 16-28, 2025, with a +/-2.5 percentage point margin of error.

A separate survey released by the RAND Corporation in February found that, while support for legalizing the use of psychedelics was relatively low, public opinion on the issue seemed be closely following in the footsteps of the marijuana reform movement before the first states started enacting cannabis legalization.

The latest survey data were released about a week after a bipartisan coalition of 32 members of Congress urged federal health officials to expedite ongoing reviews of psychedelic therapies.

RAND researchers also released data in January showing that nearly 10 million US adults microdosed psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, LSD or MDMA in 2025.

The latest survey data out of UC Berkeley were released about a week after a bipartisan coalition of 32 members of Congress urged federal health officials to expedite ongoing reviews of psychedelic therapies.

For their part, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in April announced steps that they say will help with “accelerating” therapeutic access to psychedelics for patients dealing with serious mental health conditions.

That move followed a psychedelics executive order that President Donald Trump signed that month.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said recently that the Trump administration is “very anxious” to create a pathway for access to psychedelics therapy, and that top officials across federal agencies want to “get it out to the public as quickly as possible.”

In an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience in February, Kennedy said he’s confident “we’re going to get it done,” with plans to develop and finalize rules that would enable patients with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression to access psychedelic substances like psilocybin and MDMA in a “very controlled setting.”

In June 2025, Kennedy said his agency is “absolutely committed” to expanding research on the benefits of psychedelic therapy and, alongside of the head of FDA, is aiming to provide legal access to such substances for military veterans “within 12 months.”

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins also disclosed in April that he had an “eye-opening” talk with Kennedy about the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine. And he said he’s open to the idea of having the government provide vouchers to cover the costs of psychedelic therapy for veterans who receive services outside of the VA, as Congress considers pathways for access.

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers introduced legislation this session to provide $30 million in funding annually to establish psychedelic-focused “centers for excellence” at VA facilities, where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine.

A Senate committee held a hearing in April on a bipartisan bill to promote research into the therapeutic potential psychedelics, by creating a new office at VA that would advance the development of innovative treatments for serious mental health conditions and assist in reviewing the scheduling status of drugs like psilocybin, ibogaine and MDMA.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) has said ibogaine represents an “astonishing breakthrough” in the nation’s current “sick care system” that’s left people with serious mental health conditions without access to promising alternative treatment options.

Photograph by Alan Rockefeller via Wikimedia Commons/Creative Commons 4.0

This story was originally published by Marijuana Moment, which tracks the politics and policy of cannabis and drugs. Follow Marijuana Moment on X and Facebook, and sign up for its newsletter.

The post “Striking Increase” in Public Support for Legal Access to Psychedelics appeared first on Filter.

A single psilocybin dose combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was more effective for quitting than the nicotine patch paired with CBT, found a recent study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Psilocybin acts on serotonin receptors and can alter perception, mood and thought. What exactly is behind its demonstrated potential for smoking cessation? 

“We don’t know for sure, and it is not likely one mechanism,” Dr. Matthew Johnson, one of the study authors, told Filter. “It most likely is an increase in mental flexibility and learning, combined with a perspective-shifting subjective experience.” 

At six-month follow-up, 40.5 percent in the psilocybin cohort were abstinent compared with just 10 percent in the nicotine patch cohort.

The 82 study participants, aged 21 to 80, were people who smoked daily and had more than one previous unsuccessful quit attempt. All received 13 weeks of CBT that included keeping a daily smoking diary, listing reasons for quitting versus continuing to smoke, exploring health and financial drawbacks of smoking, and developing strategies to manage cravings and withdrawal. 

The trial randomized participants to additionally receive either one 30 mg dose of psilocybin or a nicotine patch. The participants in the psilocybin group received education regarding the effects of the drug, and the protocol for its administration involved laying on a couch wearing eyeshades while listening to music through headphones. 

On the day after the target quit date, 38 psilocybin participants (90.5 percent) and 32 nicotine patch participants (80 percent) self-reported achieving 24 hours of abstinence from smoking. At six-month follow-up, 17 participants (40.5 percent) in the psilocybin cohort were abstinent compared with just four participants (10 percent) in the nicotine patch cohort. No serious adverse events were reported in either group.  

The researchers wrote, “The results of this study add to the increasing evidence that psychedelic treatment may have general anti-addiction efficacy across various addictive drugs,” the researchers wrote, “[… and] suggest that psilocybin holds potential in the treatment of tobacco use disorder and, along with other psychedelics, should be investigated further for tobacco and other substance use disorders.”

It is vital that future research allows diverse cohorts to benefit from trials.

There were significant limitations to the study, including a glaring lack of racial diversity among participants: Just 3.7 percent were Black and none were Indigenous, while 89 percent were white. Study participants had to be “psychiatrically healthy,” so people with schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorder were excluded. People with a recent substance use disorder or a positive drug screen were also ineligible.  

Black and Indigenous people, people with mental health diagnoses and people who use (other) drugs are all among those most vulnerable to smoking-related harms! It is vital—especially when the study concludes that various psychedelics should be further investigated for substance use disorder—that future research is designed to represent these populations and allow diverse cohorts to benefit from trials. Failure to do so would be research malpractice.

And why use nicotine patches in the study, when decades of research has demonstrated low rates of efficacy? “There are more studies for the patch, it is FDA-approved for smoking cessation, and there is no variability across products,” Johnson said.  

Perhaps a better comparator would have been vapes; a growing number are FDA-authorized, and vapes in general have proved more effective than Nicotine Replacement Therapy.

Photograph by afgooey74 via Flickr/Creative Commons 2.0

The post Psilocybin Shows Growing Potential for Smoking Cessation appeared first on Filter.

The bill passed the House in March. If signed into law by Governor Kevin Stitt (R), it will mark a significant shift in Oklahoma’s approach to the ongoing crises around mental health and substance use disorders. It would authorize the State Department of Health to enter into contracts with drug developers to conduct extensive, state-monitored clinical trials for ibogaine-based therapeutics. Lawmakers who championed the bill argue that traditional treatment methods have consistently fallen short, necessitating a research-driven exploration of breakthrough therapies.

The legislation is also designed to facilitate collaboration with other states currently conducting similar clinical research, creating a multistate consortium aimed at securing federal regulatory approval.

Ibogaine is derived from the root bark of the iboga shrub. For decades, the compound has shown observational promise in interrupting severe substance use disorders—particularly opioids—and alleviating post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. However, because ibogaine is federally classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, it remains illegal to possess, distribute or administer outside of highly restricted research settings. This has seen desperate patients seek unregulated and costly treatments abroad.

Proponents of the bill stress that it would bring the treatment out of the unregulated shadows and into highly controlled medical environments.

Ibogaine use for these purposes is not without controversy or risk. There are well-documented medical hazards, most notably the potential for severe cardiac complications, which have led to efforts to develop safer versions of the compound. There are also risks around resumed opioid use with lowered tolerance if ibogaine is used for withdrawal and abstinence.

Recognizing these issues, proponents of the Oklahoma bill stress that state-sponsored clinical trials would bring the treatment out of the unregulated shadows and into highly controlled medical environments. Under the proposed framework, patients would undergo rigorous pre-treatment medical evaluations and receive the drug under continuous monitoring by medical professionals.

To mitigate financial risk to the state and seek a high standard of research, the bill imposes requirements on participating drug developers. Any drug developer contracting with the health department would have to match the state’s financial investment in the trials dollar-for-dollar. Developers would additionally be required to submit a detailed plan for obtaining approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, along with protocols for trial participant recruitment, patient screening criteria, safety, and post-acute treatment support.

The bill also mandates that drug developers prioritize treatment access for Oklahoma residents once FDA approval is secured. And the legislation requires a plan to protect the state’s economic interest in any intellectual property generated. The idea is that if the trials yield a profitable, FDA-approved therapeutic, funds will come back to the state.

The legislation establishes a dedicated revolving fund to capture any proceeds. By law, this money could only be utilized for programs or further research that directly benefit at-risk Oklahomans with conditions treatable by ibogaine. The bill grants medical professionals professional immunity too, shielding them from adverse licensing actions by state medical boards for recommending these trials to their patients.

“This initiative was led by a grassroots effort, employed no lobbyists, and focused on education through truly lived experiences.”

The passage of House Bill 3834 through the Senate represents a major victory for a coalition of patient advocates, veterans and others. These groups have spent months sharing deeply personal stories of addiction, trauma and recovery with state lawmakers, aiming to demystify ibogaine and highlight its potential.

“Oklahoma for Ibogaine is celebrating the passing of HB 3834 through the Senate,” Nate Morgans, an Oklahoma-based psychedelics advocate and CEO of the Casey Skudin 343 Fund, told Filter. “Our team has worked tirelessly since December to educate, inform, and persuade Oklahoma legislators on the importance of authorizing and funding FDA clinical trials of Ibogaine. This initiative was led by a grassroots effort, employed no lobbyists, and focused on education through truly lived experiences. Our success today serves as a testament to what can be accomplished with determined hearts.”

In recent months, other state legislatures have begun viewing ibogaine research as a pragmatic health care response. In March, for instance, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) signed similar legislation. The Mississippi law authorizes the state to form a consortium to conduct ibogaine clinical trials in direct coordination with other participating states—most notably neighboring Texas, which has already committed substantial funding to psychedelic research.

While Mississippi’s new law establishes the legal and administrative framework for the clinical trials, the new law does not currently appropriate state general funds toward the program. However, state lawmakers have indicated their intent to allocate a portion of the state’s federal opioid settlement funds to support the initiative. Advocates are divided over such uses of money that could otherwise be funding under-resourced harm reduction efforts.

State efforts to establish ibogaine clinical trials have not been uniformly successful. In April, a similar bill in West Virginia was derailed, after Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) vetoed it.

The bill would have established a state grant program to fund ibogaine drug development trials. It passed the state legislature, but Morrisey cited fiscal concerns in his veto message. Before killing the bill in the hours leading up to the state’s legislative deadline, he said that while he supports this medical innovation in principle, “we should do so without requiring the state to award grants of undefined and unfunded amounts.”

“This bill is more than a policy change—it offers real hope to so many people who desperately need it.”

Despite such setbacks and controversies, advocates for ibogaine access and development remain optimistic about growing national momentum.

“This bill is more than a policy change—it offers real hope to so many people who desperately need it,” Chase Rowan told Filter of the Oklahoma bill. A US Army Ranger veteran, Rowan serves as both the veteran coordinator for Texans for Greater Mental Health and the director of Community Engagement & Advocacy for Americans for Ibogaine.

It’s a development that will “offer hope” to veterans and their families, including those impacted by substance use disorders, he said, and who have “tried every conventional method known to man, with no success.”

“Hello, Ibogaine, now we have an answer,” Rowan continued, “a real legitimate answer, something we can study, a medicine that will help so many people find true healing. Exciting things to come in the world of healing.”

The Oklahoma Breakthrough Therapy Act now heads to Gov. Stitt’s desk, where it remains to be seen if it will be signed into law.   

Photograph of Oklahoma Senate chamber by Oklahoma Legislative Services Bureau via Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

The post Oklahoma Senate Advances Research-Focused Ibogaine Bill appeared first on Filter.

The bill, introduced in March by Senators Tim Sheehy (R-MT)  and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to create an Office of Novel Therapeutics—responsible for developing national clinical standards, readiness plans and workforce credentialing frameworks ahead of potential Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of psychedelics like psilocybin, ibogaine and MDMA.

Under S.4220, the VA would also notably prohibit “step therapy” rules, which often force patients to try less expensive, older treatments before accessing new therapies. The bill would also establish a Veteran Advisory Committee to monitor patient safety and mandate a national preparedness strategy within 180 days of enactment.

During the hearing, Dr. Mark A. Koeniger, the VA’s acting assistant under secretary for Health for Patient Care Services, told lawmakers the VA already utilizes “novel therapeutics,” in the form of ketamine and esketamine, at 53 facilities.

“We understand that these novel therapeutics have a potential benefit,” Koeniger said. “What we want to do is to make sure that those are rolled out in a very objective and scientific way, because we certainly don’t want to injure veterans.”

Koeniger noted that while the VA is “anticipating that some [psychedelic drugs] be approved by the FDA,” the department is already laying bureaucratic groundwork through an integrated project team. He cautioned against the “duplication of activities” and offered to work with the committee to identify gaps between the bill’s requirements and current VA initiatives.

“I’m personally very anxious to get this going because a lot of veterans are now going to Mexico and other parts of the world and getting unregulated therapies.”

Sen. Gallego is an Iraq War veteran who is also co-sponsoring the Innovative Therapies Centers for Excellence Act, as Filter previously reported. He expressed urgency at the hearing, citing risks faced by veterans seeking unregulated treatments abroad.

“I’m personally very anxious to get this going because a lot of veterans are now going to Mexico and other parts of the world and getting unregulated therapies, which can be hit or miss, can be dangerous,” Gallego said.

His concerns follow a recent patient death at Ambio Life Science’s facility in Tijuana, Mexico, involving the potent psychedelic ibogaine, which is sometimes used for opioid withdrawal. 

Melissa Lavasani, founder of the Washington, DC-based Psychedelic Medicine Coalition (PMC), attended the hearing, and feels that radical bureaucratic innovation at the VA is long overdue. 

“What came through in this hearing is that the VA is being asked to solve 21st-century health challenges with a system that wasn’t built for them,” Lavasani told Filter. She added that the hearing showed “real bipartisan acknowledgment that we need to evaluate treatments that don’t fit neatly into existing frameworks, including psychedelic-assisted therapies.”

“Without system-level reforms … the VA risks repeating a familiar pattern: promising treatments are approved, but Veterans wait years.”

The bill also found support in written testimony submitted by Dr. Lynette Averill, chief science officer for the Veterans Mental Health Leadership Coalition and the advocacy group Reason for Hope. Averill argued that the measure is necessary to prevent a “familiar pattern” where newly approved treatments remain inaccessible to veterans for years due to a lack of readiness.

“Without system-level reforms to strengthen proactive planning and provide clear implementation authority for truly transformative approaches, the VA risks repeating a familiar pattern: promising treatments are approved, but Veterans wait years before they are meaningfully accessible,” Averill stated.

The push for new VA infrastructure comes amid threats to federal science and health spending. While the administration signaled interest in psychedelic research through President Donald Trump’s April 18 executive order, its proposed budget plans for 2027 include a 50 percent cut to the National Science Foundation and a 13 percent reduction for the National Institutes of Health. The administration’s April 24 dismissal of the entire National Science Board has been seen as another attack on research.

The hearing also occurred against a backdrop of increasing scrutiny of the burgeoning psychedelics industry. The Office of Congressional Conduct is currently reviewing a complaint against the Association for Prescription Psychedelics and its founder, former Representative Mimi Walters, over alleged mishandling of taxpayer-funded data. Separately, former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who has lobbied for ibogaine research, is named in a Justice Department complaint alleging potential violations of federal lobbying rules for former lawmakers.

The bill is “critical, not just as a research effort, but as the infrastructure needed to responsibly move these treatments into real-world care.”

Despite these controversies, recent executive actions have looked to accelerate the federal timeline for psychedelic medicines. Following Trump’s April 18 executive order, the FDA awarded “National Priority Vouchers” to Compass Pathways, Transcend Therapeutics, and the Usona Institute. These are intended to expedite the review of drugs like psilocybin and methylone, potentially reducing the federal review period from months to weeks.

Additionally, the FDA recently approved the first US clinical trial for DemeRx’s Noribogaine compound, a metabolite of ibogaine. The trial, which will evaluate Noribogaine’s efficacy in treating alcohol use disorder, is expected to begin this summer. 

S.4220 is one of three psychedelic-related bills up for consideration this term—including the Innovative Therapies Centers for Excellence Act of 2026, sponsored by Sens. Gallego and Rob McCormick (R-PA), which aims to create a series of specialized VA hubs focused on advancing psychedelic medicine. 

“The question now isn’t whether to explore these options,” Lavasani said, “it’s whether the VA is structurally prepared to test, validate, and, if supported by the evidence, deliver them at scale.“

That, she concluded, is where S.4220 “becomes critical, not just as a research effort, but as the infrastructure needed to responsibly move these treatments into real-world care.”

Photograph (cropped) via GetArchive/Public Domain

The post Senate Committee Weighs “Critical” VA-focused Psychedelics Bill appeared first on Filter.

The move will “dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs,” Trump said.

The order, which the president signed in the Oval Office on April 18 alongside federal health officials, advocates and the podcaster Joe Rogan, directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue new guidance for researchers on conducting clinical trials on psychedelics.

“In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression—including our cherished veterans,” Trump said.

Steps taken under the order will “clear away unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, improve data sharing among the FDA and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and facilitate fast rescheduling of any psychedelic drugs that become FDA-approved,” the president said.

Some psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA have been designated with “breakthrough therapy” status, meaning that preliminary clinical evidence shows they can provide substantial improvement over existing therapies. Trump said his order will “expedite” the further review of such substances.

Trump also announced that the federal government is making $50 million available to support state-level research on ibogaine and is “opening a pathway for the substance to be administered to desperately ill patients under the Right to Try law” that he signed during his first term in office.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said at the signing event that under the president’s order his department “will accelerate research, approval and access to new mental health treatments, including psychedelic therapies.”

“We’re taking this decision, this decisive step, to confront one of the most urgent public health challenges facing our nation, the mental health crisis,” he said. “This executive order will remove legal impediments that block American researchers, scientists, physicians and clinicians from properly studying these medicines and, where appropriate, establishing protocols for their safe therapeutic use.”

Kennedy also said health officials will coordinate with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Justice (DOJ) on “rescheduling reviews after successful Phase 3 trials” on psychedelics.

The order states that “the Attorney General shall, in consultation with HHS, initiate and complete review of any product containing a Schedule I substance that has successfully completed Phase 3 clinical trials for a serious mental health disorder, so that rescheduling, if appropriate under 21 U.S.C. 811, may proceed as quickly as practicable for such specific products that are ultimately approved under section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.”

The FDA will issue three national priority vouchers for psychedelics.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said that his agency will issue three national priority vouchers for psychedelics.

“Under this new program in this administration, drugs can get approved in weeks—not a year or a year plus, but in weeks—if they are in line with our national priorities,” he said.

Makary also announced “the first ibogaine investigational new drug clearance,” which he said will “pave the way for the first-ever human trials in the United States” on the psychedelic.

Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), who also attended the signing ceremony, said in a statement that he “can personally attest to the significant benefits of this treatment.”

“It changed my life, and I look forward to seeing the impact it will have on countless others,” he said. “We’re losing too many veterans. If this treatment gives us a chance to change that, then we owe it to them to pursue it. The President’s executive order brings us closer to a lasting solution that our veterans deserve.”

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz called the president’s action “a paradigm shift for mental health treatment.”

“Grateful to work alongside leaders who refuse to accept ‘No’ when lives are on the line,” he said.

A growing body of research and experience indicates that psychedelics can help people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries, substance use disorder and other mental health disorders.

The move comes four months after Trump issued an executive order to reschedule marijuana—though that still hasn’t happened.

Lawmakers in a number of states have passed legislation to support clinical trials with the aim of developing ibogaine into a legal medication with approval from the FDA.

Texas officials, for example, recently announced that the state will move ahead with launching its own research program on the psychedelic after the they couldn’t find a company to lead a consortium on the issue under a bill enacted in 2025.

The federal psychedelics move comes four months after Trump issued an executive order directing the DOJ to complete the process of moving marijuana from Schedule I of the CSA to Schedule III “in the most expeditious manner”—though that still hasn’t happened.

Meanwhile, Kennedy said in February that the Trump administration is “very anxious” to create a pathway for access to psychedelics therapy and that top officials across federal agencies want to “get it out to the public as quickly as possible.”

In an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience in February, Kennedy said he’s confident “we’re going to get it done,” with plans to develop and finalize rules that would enable patients with conditions such as PTSD and depression to access psychedelic substances like psilocybin and MDMA in a “very controlled setting.”

“Everybody in my agency … is very anxious to get a rule out there that will allow these kind of studies and will allow access under therapeutic settings, particularly [for] the military soldiers who have suffered these injuries to get access to these products,” the HHS secretary said. “We’re working through that process now. We’re all working on it and trying to make it happen.”

“I think that we’re going to get it done,” he said.

In June 2025, Kennedy said his agency is “absolutely committed” to expanding research on the benefits of psychedelic therapy and, alongside of the head of FDA, is aiming to provide legal access to such substances for military veterans “within 12 months.”

VA Secretary Doug Collins also disclosed in April that he had an “eye-opening” talk with Kennedy about the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine. And he said he’s open to the idea of having the government provide vouchers to cover the costs of psychedelic therapy for veterans who receive services outside of VA as Congress considers pathways for access.

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers introduced legislation this session to provide $30 million in funding annually to establish psychedelic-focused “centers for excellence” at VA facilities, where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) has said ibogaine represents an “astonishing breakthrough” in the nation’s current “sick care system” where people with serious mental health conditions have been left without access to promising alternative treatment options.

Image (cropped) via the White House

This story was originally published by Marijuana Moment, which tracks the politics and policy of cannabis and drugs. Follow Marijuana Moment on X and Facebook, and sign up for its newsletter.

The post Trump Orders FDA to “Dramatically” Fast-Track Psychedelic Therapy Access appeared first on Filter.

CBS News reported on April 16 that while the administration doesn’t plan to reschedule the psychedelic out of Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) at this time, the move is “meant to open the door to federal funding for further research on its effectiveness with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, especially among veterans.”

The outlet said that while officials are still in the process of drafting the executive order’s provisions, the aim is to help determine whether ibogaine is what one source described as “snake oil” or is instead a legitimate treatment.

Citing two sources, CBS reported that the president’s move could come within days.

Early research and experience indicates that ibogaine can help people with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and substance use disorder.

Lawmakers in a number of states have passed legislation to support clinical trials with the aim of developing ibogaine into a legal medication with approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Texas officials, for example, recently announced that the state will move ahead with launching its own research program on the psychedelic after it couldn’t find a company to lead a consortium on the issue under a bill enacted in 2025.

The reportedly planned federal move on ibogaine comes nearly four months after Trump issued an executive order directing the Department of Justice to complete the process of moving marijuana from Schedule I of the CSA to Schedule III “in the most expeditious manner”—though that still hasn’t happened.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has said his agency is “absolutely committed” to expanding psychedelic research.

Meanwhile, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in February that the Trump administration is “very anxious” to create a pathway for access to psychedelics therapy and that top officials across federal agencies want to “get it out to the public as quickly as possible.”

In an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience, Kennedy said he’s confident “we’re going to get it done,” with plans to develop and finalize rules that would enable patients with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression to access psychedelic substances like psilocybin and MDMA in a “very controlled setting.”

“Everybody in my agency … is very anxious to get a rule out there that will allow these kind of studies and will allow access under therapeutic settings, particularly [for] the military soldiers who have suffered these injuries to get access to these products,” the HHS secretary said. “We’re working through that process now. We’re all working on it and trying to make it happen.”

“I think that we’re going to get it done,” he said.

In June 2025, Kennedy said his agency is “absolutely committed” to expanding research on the benefits of psychedelic therapy and, alongside of the head of the FDA, is aiming to provide legal access to such substances for military veterans “within 12 months.”

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins also disclosed in April that he had an “eye-opening” talk with Kennedy about the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine. And he said he’s open to the idea of having the government provide vouchers to cover the costs of psychedelic therapy for veterans who receive services outside of VA as Congress considers pathways for access.

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers introduced legislation this session to provide $30 million in funding annually to establish psychedelic-focused “centers for excellence” at VA facilities, where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) has said ibogaine represents an “astonishing breakthrough” in the nation’s current “sick care system” where people with serious mental health conditions have been left without access to promising alternative treatment options.

Photograph of Tabernanthe iboga by Scamperdale via Flickr/Creative Commons 2.0

This story was originally published by Marijuana Moment, which tracks the politics and policy of cannabis and drugs. Follow Marijuana Moment on X and Facebook, and sign up for its newsletter.

The post Trump Reportedly About to Issue Executive Order on Ibogaine Research appeared first on Filter.