President Trump signed an executive order directing the FDA to expedite approval of psychedelic drugs for treating mental health conditions, allocating $50 million in federal funding and promising approval within weeks rather than years for substances currently banned as Schedule I drugs.

Historic FDA Action on Banned Substances

The FDA will issue national priority vouchers next week to three psychedelic compounds, including psilocybin and ibogaine, marking the first time the agency has fast-tracked these drugs. FDA Commissioner Mary Makary stated the expedited review could result in approval within weeks. Trump directed the agency to reclassify psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, and ibogaine, derived from West African plants, both currently listed as having no accepted medical use and high abuse potential under federal law.

The Oval Office ceremony featured Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Dr. Mehmet Oz from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, and podcast host Joe Rogan. Luttrell credited psychedelic treatment with changing his life, telling Trump the order would save lives. Rogan revealed he texted the president about ibogaine, receiving an immediate commitment to pursue FDA approval.

Veterans Driving Treatment Push

The Department of Veterans Affairs currently participates in five clinical trials testing psychedelics on military personnel and veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder across New York, California, and Oregon. Trump emphasized these treatments address a national mental health crisis affecting over 14 million American adults with serious mental illness and 8 million on prescription medications. Government research into psychedelics ended in the 1960s when recreational use became widespread, despite promising 1950s studies on addiction and psychiatric conditions.

Scientific Evidence Builds Support

Recent research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2025 demonstrated that a single dose of LSD could ease anxiety and depression for months. With 21 million American adults experiencing at least one major depressive episode and one in ten diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, proponents argue alternative treatments deserve consideration. The FDA rejected MDMA for PTSD treatment in 2024, making this executive action a significant policy reversal on psychedelic medicine.