Why Trump is promoting psychedelics for mental health

Marie Phelan said she had never heard of MDMA before she saw a flyer seeking veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

Now, he says the psychedelic drug commonly known as ecstasy or molly has changed his life.

“My experience with MDMA is that it just opened my heart,” said Phelan, who enlisted in the US Army Reserve in 1999 and was deployed to Iraq in 2003.

“I had a big, heavy bag and I just put it down on the beach and I started to unwrap the little thing as I put each thing in the waves,” Phelan said of the release from the treatment.

Phelan isn’t the only one turning to alternative treatments for injuries. He is among a small group of Americans who have received psychedelic-assisted treatment through clinical trials studying new ways to treat mental health.

Now, access to those treatments is closer than ever to being widely expanded, bringing new options for patients and opportunities for companies – but also new scrutiny about safety and efficacy.

In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at accelerating research into psychedelic drugs for mental illness. The move came as his administration issued critical review vouchers for three companies developing psychedelic or MDMA-like therapies – Campus pathsUsona Institute and Transcend Therapeutics – aimed at speeding up parts of the FDA review process.

The order marks a significant change in tone from Trump’s first term, when his administration took a tough stance on cannabis and other controlled substances. In this case, the White House said that psychedelic compounds “show potential in clinical studies to address severe mental illnesses in patients with persistent conditions after completing standard treatment.”

Investors quickly flocked to the sector. Shares of psychedelic drug developers such as Compass Pathways and other space-bound rivals rallied following the announcement, with Wall Street analysts arguing that the order could legitimize an industry long considered fringe.

The science, however, remains highly contested, raising questions about how much space to grow.

Historically, research on psychedelics has focused on specific conditions. Psilocybin – the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms – was tied to the treatment of depression, MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD and LSD for anxiety.

While drugs like psilocybin and ibogaine — a psychoactive substance derived from a West African tree that some advocates believe can help treat addiction and traumatic brain injury — are considered classic psychotropics, MDMA is technically classified as an empathogen.

However, researchers and regulators often lump MDMA-assisted therapy into the broader field of psychedelic drugs because the therapy involves supervised therapy sessions designed to address conditions such as PTSD, depression and addiction.

“One of the important things to know is that these are very different drugs,” said Brandon Weiss, a researcher at the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Ibogaine and other psychedelic compounds have different safety profiles and different risks.”

Clinical research surrounding some of these compounds has shown promising results. In recent trials sponsored by a non-profit psychedelic research advocacy group According to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, approximately 71% of participants with severe PTSD were still unable to meet the diagnostic criteria for the disorder after an MDMA-assisted treatment session.

The FDA rejected a previous application for an MDMA-assisted treatment in 2024, citing concerns about the design of that same study. and the need for more data. Some psychedelic researchers saw that decision as proof that the movement remains vigilant despite growing public enthusiasm.

Countries outside the United States have begun to loosen restrictions. Australia became the first country to allow licensed psychiatrists to prescribe MDMA and psilocybin for certain mental health conditions by 2023. Researchers in Canada, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have expanded clinical studies testing psychedelic-assisted therapies.

Still, Weiss cautions that not all psychedelic compounds have the same risks — or the same amount of evidence supporting their use.

“Psychedelic compounds, they have different safety profiles, different risks,” Weiss said. “Ibogaine has very high cardiovascular risks, so what needs to be done is a more balanced, methodical assessment of safety and efficacy between ibogaine and other compounds.”

The White House order specifically targets the acceleration of ibogaine research. But unlike psilocybin or MDMA-assisted therapy, ibogaine has not undergone major clinical trials in the United States and has been linked to cardiovascular side effects.

Weiss said the real concern among some researchers is not that psychedelic treatments don’t work, but that political momentum can override the scientific process.

“My biggest concern is that FDA standards have been relaxed for political reasons,” he said. “It is not clear that this is the case, but what is needed is more scientific research and a more objective definition of risks and benefits.”

Kabir Nath, CEO of Compass Pathways, said his company follows the same standards as the FDA has for all drugs. He said the company would not have advanced its drug, COMP360 Psilocybin, into studies in the first place if it felt the data were insufficient.

Even proponents of psychiatry as a treatment agree that treatments are more complicated than taking a prescription pill at home. Most psychedelic-assisted therapy trials involve hours of preparation with a doctor, supervised therapy sessions and follow-up integration therapy afterward.

Treatment also comes with risks. Patients may experience panic attacks, psychosis, elevated heart rate or depression during the session. In some clinical settings, doctors use so-called “rescue drugs” such as benzodiazepines or antipsychotic drugs to calm patients experiencing severe reactions or extreme hallucinations.

Phelan said his experience with MDMA-assisted therapy felt less like intoxication and more like dealing with years of trauma in a controlled environment.

For veteran advocates like Juliana Mercer, executive director of the nonprofit Healing Breakthrough, the administration’s order represents a vindication for patients who have spent years pushing for broader access to alternative mental health treatments. Mercer, a US Marine Corps veteran, said psychedelic therapy “completely changed” his life after the trauma.

“One thing that this incident was able to give me was that I got permission to recover,” said Mercer.

As the Trump administration pursues VA staffing cuts and deeper military engagement with Iran, some veterans are increasingly hesitant to prioritize their care.

As such, some critics of the Trump administration say the tenure is crucial as the president tries to gain support from veterans ahead of the midterm elections.

Phelan, however, rejected the idea that support for psychedelic therapies would translate into political support for Trump.

“They’ve drastically cut veterans’ benefits and medical services,” Phelan said. “Good, you did the right thing. You did the right thing … I can’t speak to how other people will react, but if that’s the intention, I doubt it works.”

Some industry executives also argue that the executive order may have less immediate impact than the headlines suggest. Companies like Compass Pathways were already nearing the final stages of Phase 3 trials before the White House announcement, which means FDA approval is likely to come anyway.

Nath, who is the CEO of Compass Pathways, said that the order shows a wider political acceptance of the sector.

“It definitely gives a huge boost, encouragement and validation,” Nath said.