Trump to loosen federal restrictions on psychedelic drugs

President Donald Trump is planning to sign an executive order that would boost research and ease federal restrictions on psychedelic compounds, including LSD, ecstasy, and psilocybin, which have shown promise in treating mental health conditions such as severe depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to three senior administration officials. The order could come as early as April 18 and would also allocate US$50 million for state-level research into ibogaine, a psychedelic derived from a Central African shrub that has drawn interest for its potential to treat opioid use disorder and substance abuse. Texas, which has already committed US$50 million to studying ibogaine, would be the most immediate beneficiary of the funding. The executive order is expected to direct the Food and Drug Administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Department of Justice to reduce regulatory barriers that have long stymied researchers studying psychedelic compounds, most of which remain illegal at the federal level. It would also pave the way for terminally ill patients to access investigational drugs that have completed early clinical trials but have not yet received FDA approval. Administration officials, citing the ongoing opioid death epidemic and high veteran suicide rates, said the goal was to issue approvals within weeks while maintaining safety standards. The initiative comes as a growing body of research suggests that psychedelic compounds may be effective treatments for conditions that have proven resistant to conventional therapies. The FDA is expected to make decisions on these compounds expeditiously, with one senior official stating that there should be no idle time or delays to slow potential approvals.