Psychedelics and marijuana are in the news as President Trump issued two executive orders last week with the potential to elevate the medical status of these drugs nationwide.
Though legally prohibited at the national level, American researchers have for many decades been investigating the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and marijuana. This has culminated in recent years in a modern day “renaissance” in terms of medical research regarding their potential benefits.
Psychedelics
President Trump issued an executive order this month to accelerate research and access to psychedelic medication for people with “serious mental illnesses.” The document stipulates that there will be inter-agency collaboration between the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs to share data and increase clinical trial participation. The order states that on a case-by-case basis, psychedelics will be rescheduled from illegal to legal provided they receive marketing authorization from the FDA.
The unconventional way in which the order seems to have been hastened the president’s decision-making caught the media’s attention. Podcaster Joe Rogan revealed that a text message he sent to Trump suggesting ibogaine has an 80–90% success rate in breaking opiate addiction triggered a positive response by the president: “Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let’s do it.”
Trump has now initiated a federal effort to expedite research and approval for ibogaine and other psychedelics. The executive order directed federal agencies to fast-track research into psychedelics as well as approval pathways.
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