President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Saturday aimed at fast-tracking the federal review of psychedelic drugs to treat mental health conditions, a move the administration says is necessary to address a national crisis.
The directive, signed in the Oval Office, orders the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expedite the review of substances such as psilocybin and ibogaine. The order also allocates $50 million in federal funds to increase accessibility to these treatments for conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression, including our cherished veterans,” Trump said during the signing ceremony.
The policy shift appears to have been accelerated by personal outreach from podcast host Joe Rogan, who attended the signing along with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Rogan stated that he had texted the president regarding the success of ibogaine in treating addiction, to which Trump reportedly replied, “Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let’s do it.”
FDA Commissioner Mary Makary said the agency will issue national priority vouchers for three psychedelics next week, potentially allowing for approval within weeks. This represents the first time the FDA has offered to fast-track psychedelics for clinical use.
The executive order comes as the administration seeks to address a mental health crisis affecting over 14 million American adults with serious mental illness. The Department of Veterans Affairs is already participating in at least five clinical trials of these drugs across New York, California, and Oregon.
While supporters like former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell praised the move, telling Trump the therapies “absolutely changed my life for the better,” medical experts have raised concerns regarding safety. Ibogaine, a derivative of a West African plant, has been linked to cardiotoxicity and more than 30 deaths in existing medical literature.
Both psilocybin and ibogaine are currently classified as Schedule I controlled substances, defined by the Drug Enforcement Administration as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Trump noted that his order would expedite the reclassification of these drugs.
The administration’s push follows recent scientific interest, including a 2025 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggesting that a single dose of LSD could ease anxiety and depression for months.
Despite the new federal momentum, the path to approval remains complex; in 2024, the FDA rejected the use of MDMA to treat PTSD.
At the state level, Oregon and Colorado have already moved to legalize supervised psilocybin therapy, signaling a growing shift in drug policy that the White House is now attempting to lead at the national level.