President Trump on Saturday signed an executive order to expedite research into the psychedelic ibogaine – a drug championed by podcaster Joe Rogan – so it can be used to treat PTSD in veterans and traumatic brain injuries.
The drug is currently classified as a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States.
The order will remove legal restrictions that have prevented extensive studies into the medicine and how it works.
The order will also establish FDA protocols for the “safe therapeutic use” of psychedelics, as well as improve data sharing on studies surrounding the treatment.
Preliminary research indicates that psychedelic ibogaine helps alleviate mental illnesses, including addiction and especially post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by US veterans.
“I’ve always believed in ensuring that the American patients have access to breakthrough treatments and therapies with love for our veterans, and I have a real love for our veterans,” Trump said Saturday.
“Today’s order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life. They’ve been through so much.”
The executive order is a monumental change in how the US approaches such drugs, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said during a Saturday news conference announcing the order.
“This is an entire paradigm shift away from a one-day-a-pill model, which has failed so many and to many who are drug resistant … It offers them a way of getting out of that rut. The question now is, can we study why it works, to understand it better, to use it better?” said Oz.
Clinical trials have indicated that psychedelics, particularly ibogaine, are successful at treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicidal ideation, substance abuse and more.
More than 14 million American adults have been diagnosed with serious mental illness, and more than 6,000 US veterans commit suicide every year, according to the White House.
Ibogaine has several high-profile supporters, including former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Rogan, who had interviewed veterans on his podcast who benefited from the drug.
“They told me how impactful this medicine is. Having that conversation with them, millions of people got a chance to hear their story, hear the stories of all the different people that have had life-changing experiences from it,” Rogan said at the press conference.
The FDA had previously granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to specific psychedelic drugs, and currently has three applicationsfor in-house research of psychedelic medicine, which officials expect to hand vouchers out for next week.
Government-sanctioned treatments could begin as soon as this summer, pending FDA authorization, officials said.
