As President Donald Trump backs efforts to advance psychedelic drugs, doctors are speaking out about how the move could impact mental health treatments.
On Friday, to fast-track the research, funding and potential FDA approval of psychedelics like ibogaine, psilocybin, LCD and MDMA, primarily to treat PTSD, depression and addiction.
Psychedelics, psychoactive compounds that act largely through serotonin pathways, are being studied in controlled clinical settings for , experts say.
Trumps move is drawing mixed reactions, with supporters praising its potential to transform mental health treatment, particularly for veterans, while critics warn about limited evidence on safety and effectiveness.
“The presidents action today opens a pathway to research that will further open doors to expedited approval of this life-saving medicine as a treatment for our veterans â and society â who have suffered for decades from , TBI (traumatic brain injury) and depression,” Jay Kopelman, former Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and CEO of Mission to Live Foundation in San Diego, told Fox News Digital.
“This act will require the VA Health System to begin psychedelics research and clinical trials, making psychedelics available to veterans for whom the traditional modalities of care (SSRIs and talk therapy) havent worked.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, agreed that psychedelics hold “big potential” for severe , and said he supports Trumps commitment to funding more research.Â
“It changes brain chemistry in a way that can provide more modulation of dopamine, serotonin and other neurochemicals, making a patient less fearful,” he told Fox News Digital.Â
“At the same time, the psychiatric impact of psychedelics can be useful to change perception in a positive way.”
Siegel emphasized, however, that need to be further researched, and that doses and exact indications must be carefully determined.
Juliana Mercer, a 16-year and the executive director of New York-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing psychedelic-assisted therapy for veterans, applauded the presidents’ move as a “meaningful step.”
“The people who need this most are those who have already tried everything and found no real relief,” she told Fox News Digital.
“I think about , people who have done years of therapy, cycled through medications, and are still carrying the weight of their service. Too many are still losing that fight at home.”
Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions in Washington, D.C., expressed concerns about the executive order.
“While we support rigorous research for , President Trumps executive order on ibogaine puts politics and hype ahead of science by suggesting that a dangerous, unapproved hallucinogen can somehow be a medical treatment,” he shared with Fox News Digital.Â
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“Ibogaine remains a Schedule I substance with serious safety concerns, including documented cardiotoxicity and deaths. [The government] should not normalize unproven and risky drugs under the guise of helping those who have served our country.”
Siegel also cautioned about the risk of improper prescribing of psychedelics by unqualified practitioners. “Unfettered recreational use and microdosing can increase the and other anxiety disorders,” he added.
Kopelman noted that the primary risk of ibogaine is its “cardiotoxicity properties.”
“It can prolong the QT interval in the heartbeat, which can lead to arrhythmia or even heart attack,” he told Fox News Digital, noting that this risk is mitigated by “” and monitoring during treatment.
Mercer agreed that these treatments arent appropriate for everyone.
“They can have significant and, i
