US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced an easing of restrictions on research into psychedelic drugs — such as so-called “magic mushrooms” — that have shown promise in treating people with mental health conditions.
The president said the order would “clear away unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, improve data sharing among the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the Department of Veterans Affairs and facilitate fast rescheduling of any psychedelic drugs that become FDA approved.”
Currently, many psychedelics including LSD and psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”) are classified — or “scheduled” — as having high abuse and addiction potential, and are not approved for medical use, limiting the ability for scientists to study them.
If the FDA, which is charged with regulating pharmaceuticals in the United States, officially finds a medical benefit for some of the psychedelics, they could be rescheduled, allowing for greater clinical use.
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The order only provides for accelerated research and does not immediately require law enforcement authorities to reclassify the drugs, meaning therapeutic use will not expand immediately.
In recent years, there has been a growing push to research the effects of the drugs in treating people — especially war veterans — with difficult anxiety and depression cases, especially those who had experienced traumatic stress.
Many veterans and other patients have complained that traditional antidepressant cocktails not only fail to work but change their personalities in ways that alienate them from their friends and family.
In 2023, 6,398 veterans took their own lives, the Department of Veterans Affairs said.
During the signing ceremony at the White House, Trump pointed to one drug called ibogaine, claiming patients who had taken it “experienced an 80 to 90 percent reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month.”
“Can I have some, please?” he joked.
The full extent of the benefits and potential side effects of psychedelic medications is not yet known, since research has been restricted.
While many are thought to show promising mental health benefits, there are risks. Ibogaine, for instance, is thought to potentially damage the heart.
If you are a US veteran in need of help, or concerned about one, you can dial 988 and press 1, or visit www.veteranscrisisline.net.
AFP