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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, signed an executive order this Saturday in the Oval Office to promote research and access to psychedelic substances — such as ibogaine, psilocybin, and LSD — as new treatment options for individuals with severe mental health disorders.
The directive establishes new guidelines for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand researchers' access to these substances, which are currently classified as illegal drugs in the United States, in strictly controlled therapeutic settings.
"I am pleased to announce historic reforms aimed at drastically accelerating access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs," Trump stated before signing the order.
The leader was flanked by the Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; the FDA Commissioner, Marty Makary; the popular podcast host Joe Rogan; and the brothers Marcus and Republican Congressman from Texas and Navy veteran Morgan Luttrell.
Trump justified the measure by citing the suicide crisis among veterans: according to the 2024 Department of Veterans Affairs Annual Report, an average of 17.6 veterans die from this cause every day in the United States, with 6,407 deaths recorded in 2022 alone.
"In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown the potential to transform the lives of those suffering from severe mental illnesses and depression, including our beloved veterans," the president emphasized.
The order creates fast-track pathways for evaluation and approval through national priority certificates for psychedelics that already have the FDA's Innovative Therapy designation.
It also directs the FDA and the drug enforcement agency to establish a mechanism for eligible patients—especially terminally ill patients—to access psychedelics that are in the research phase.
Furthermore, the directive allocates 50 million dollars through the advanced health research program to fund state programs involving psychedelics aimed at serious mental illnesses.
The Attorney General must review the regulatory status of psychedelic substances that successfully complete phase three trials, with the aim of facilitating their reclassification and medical use as soon as possible.
A study from Stanford University, published in July 2025, documented average reductions of 88% in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, 87% in depression, and 81% in anxiety among 30 veterans treated with ibogaine one month after the treatment.
Joe Rogan related that he was the one who sent Trump information about ibogaine, and the president responded immediately: "Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let’s do it."
The initiative is part of the movement Making America Healthy Again, driven by Kennedy since he was confirmed as Secretary of Health in February 2025, and comes months after Trump signed an order in December 2025 to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug to facilitate medical research.
"We owe it to our fighters and veterans to turn over every stone to alleviate the emotional and mental impact of their deployments," concluded Trump.
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