Trump signs order to speed up psychedelic drug research

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced the easing of restrictions on the research of psychedelic drugs, such as so-called "magic mushrooms", which have shown promising results in treating individuals with mental health problems, AFP reported.

Accompanied by Health Minister Robert F. Kennedy Jr., senior medical officials, and podcaster Joe Rogan, who advocated for it, Trump signed an executive order that will help federal researchers reduce bureaucratic hurdles to allow for faster studies.

Trump said the order will "remove unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles, improve data sharing between the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and facilitate the rapid rescheduling of any psychedelic drugs that are approved by the FDA".

Currently, many psychedelic drugs, including LSD and psilocybin ("magic mushrooms"), are classified, or "scheduled", as drugs with a high potential for abuse and addiction, and are not approved for medical use, which limits scientists' ability to study them.

If the FDA, which is responsible for regulating pharmaceutical products in the United States, officially determines a medical benefit for some psychedelics, they could be rescheduled, allowing for greater clinical use.

The order only provides for accelerated research and does not immediately require law enforcement agencies to reclassify the drugs, meaning therapeutic use will not expand immediately.

In recent years, there has been increasing pressure to research the effects of drugs in treatment, especially for war veterans with severe cases of anxiety and depression, particularly those who have experienced traumatic stress.

Many veterans and other patients have complained that traditional antidepressant cocktails not only do not work but also alter their personalities in ways that alienate them from friends and family.

In 2023, 6,398 veterans took their own lives, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported.

During the signing ceremony at the White House, Trump pointed to a drug called ibogaine, claiming that patients who took it "experienced an eighty to ninety percent reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within a month".

"Can I get some, please?" he joked.

The full extent of the benefits and potential side effects of psychedelic drugs is not yet known, as research is limited.

While many are thought to show promising mental health benefits, there are risks. Ibogaine, for example, is considered potentially dangerous for heart damage.