President’s EO speeds research, funding for psychedelic drug treatments

President Trump April 18 signed an executive order to accelerate research into psychedelic drugs for the treatment of serious mental illnesses, calling out ibogaine compounds as an example of such psychedelics. While the order does not mandate a change in drug schedule for these substances under the Controlled Substances Act, it does direct the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration to prioritize review of certain psychedelic drugs and to establish a pathway for patients to access psychedelic drugs.

The order also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, to allocate $50 million to work with states that are already developing programs to advance the use of psychedelics to treat mental illness.