Trump to Sign Order Accelerating Psychedelic Research

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order as early as this week to accelerate federal research into psychedelic compounds, including ibogaine, for treating mental health conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression and addiction, particularly among veterans.

The order, drafted by the White House, would direct agencies including the Food and Drug Administration, Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Justice to reduce regulatory barriers that have limited studies on these substances. Most psychedelics, classified as Schedule I drugs under federal law due to their high potential for abuse and lack of accepted medical use, have faced significant hurdles in clinical research despite emerging evidence of therapeutic benefits. The measure stops short of reclassifying any drugs but aims to expedite approvals for investigational treatments, especially for terminally ill patients who have completed early trials.

A key focus is ibogaine, a psychoactive compound derived from the root bark of the Tabernanthe iboga shrub native to Central and West Africa. For centuries, indigenous Bwiti communities in Gabon and nearby regions have used it in...