President Donald Trump on Tuesday reaffirmed his administration's push to expand access to psychedelic-assisted treatments for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and depression. In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced a new step involving the hallucinogenic compound ibogaine. Mental health challenges are a major concern among the veteran community, and the Trump administration has increasingly focused on psychedelic therapies as a potential treatment option for veterans who have not responded to conventional medications or psychotherapy.
In April, Trump’s executive order directed federal agencies to speed research and regulatory review of psychedelic-assisted therapies, including ibogaine, psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine and LSD. The order also called for roughly $50 million in federal support for research initiatives and state-level programs studying psychedelic treatments for serious mental illness. Veterans could be some of the mental health patients who benefit most if these treatments are ultimately proved safe and effective through clinical trials.
In his post on Truth Social, Trump said the University of Miami had provided the federal government with its original 1994 investigational new drug (IND) application for ibogaine, a naturally occurring psychoactive compound derived from the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga. Trump also said that Health and Human Services [HHS] Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had received the application, which will provide researchers and regulators with access to foundational Food and Drug Administration authorization materials related to ibogaine.
"We are moving FAST, so that our Veterans with serious mental illness have a RIGHT TO TRY here in the U.S.," Trump wrote. "We hope to see more companies and institutions join us in this very important work. Our Veterans DESERVE it!" Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive compound found in the root bark of the Tabernanthe iboga shrub native to Central Africa.
Experts say it may help treat PTSD, depression, addiction and other behavioral health disorders by promoting neuroplasticity and reducing withdrawal symptoms associated with substance use disorders. "For decades, veterans suffering from PTSD, depression, addiction and other treatment-resistant conditions have had far too few effective options. The emerging evidence for psychedelic therapies is extraordinarily promising, and the federal government’s willingness to accelerate research and access could be transformative." However, the drug remains a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States.
Federal regulators have not approved it for medical use, and researchers have also raised concerns about potential cardiac risks associated with the treatment. "This is much bigger than psychedelics. We are witnessing the beginning of a revolution in mental health and interventional psychiatry,” Godfrey said.
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