U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Saturday, April 18 to accelerate the use of psychedelic drugs in mental health treatment, targeting conditions such as depression and anxiety.
According to reports from the New York Post and NPR, the order directs the U.S. government to allocate $50 million in federal funding to improve access to these treatments and instructs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to speed up its review process for substances such as psilocybin and ibogaine.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump joked, “Can I have a little of it?” which drew laughter from those present. Attendees at the event included Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, and podcast host Joe Rogan.
Rogan revealed that he had previously texted Trump about ibogaine, to which the president reportedly replied, “Sounds good. Do you need FDA approval? Then let’s do it.” Luttrell said such drugs had genuinely changed his life and believed the policy could save many lives.
The FDA is expected to issue “national priority review vouchers” for three psychedelic drugs next week, significantly speeding up the approval process. FDA Commissioner Mary Makary said the mechanism could shorten review timelines to just weeks, marking the agency’s first fast-track approach to psychedelic substances.
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The White House executive order states that the United States is facing a serious mental health crisis. Data shows that more than 14 million American adults suffer from severe mental illness, with around 8 million receiving prescription drug treatment. Additionally, more than 6,000 U.S. veterans die by suicide each year.
Trump emphasized that some psychedelic drugs have already shown positive effects in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), particularly among active-duty service members and veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs is currently involved in at least five related clinical trials in New York, California, and Oregon.
In fact, as early as the 1950s, scientists discovered the potential of psychedelics in treating addiction and mental illness. However, research was halted in the 1960s after widespread recreational use emerged. In recent years, research in the field has resumed. A 2025 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a single dose of LSD could reduce anxiety and depression symptoms for several months.
Data from the National Institute of Mental Health shows that at least 21 million American adults have experienced a major depressive episode, and about 10 percent of the population has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
However, psilocybin and ibogaine are currently classified as Schedule I controlled substances by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, meaning they are considered to have “no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Psilocybin is the active compound in “magic mushrooms,” while ibogaine is derived from the West African iboga plant and has historically been used to treat certain drug addictions.
Trump stated that the executive order will push for the reclassification of these substances and is expected to accelerate FDA approval processes. In 2024, the FDA previously rejected approval of MDMA for treating PTSD.
