WASHINGTON (KWTX) — President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order Saturday that will accelerate access to treatments for patients with serious mental illness, directing federal agencies to remove barriers to psychedelic drugs as potential therapies.
The order directs the Food and Drug Administration to fast-track psychedelic drugs that have shown promising early results for treating serious mental illnesses.
The FDA and the Drug Enforcement Agency will establish a pathway for eligible patients to access investigational psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine compounds, that are under FDA review and have met basic safety requirements under Trump’s Right to Try Act, according to the order.
The order requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to allocate $50 million through the Advanced Research Projects for Health program to match investments made by state governments to advance research into psychedelic programs for populations with serious mental illness.
HHS and the FDA will collaborate with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the private sector to increase clinical trial participation and evidence generation surrounding experimental psychedelic therapies, according to the order.
The Attorney General will initiate reviews of relevant products upon successful completion of their final-stage clinical trials so they can be reclassified under drug laws as soon as possible upon FDA approval, where appropriate, the order directs.
Mental illness and suicide rates
According to the White House, over 14 million American adults have a serious mental illness, defined as a diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional disorder that substantially interferes with a person’s life and ability to function. Of those, 8 million are on prescription medication for their conditions.
Suicide rates during the first Trump administration decreased for the first time since 2000, officials said. The COVID-19 pandemic and the Biden administration’s prolonged shutdown stunted this progress, and suicide rates rebounded upwards again to their peak rate in 2022.
According to the Trump administration, veterans often suffer in greater measure from suicide. For over 20 years, there have been more than 6,000 veteran suicides per year. The suicide rate among veterans is more than twice as high as that of the non-veteran adult population.
Research and state initiatives
According to officials, world-leading medical research institutions, including Stanford University, Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University, are studying therapies involving psychedelics.
The FDA has granted special status to some psychedelic drugs that have shown preliminary clinical evidence of substantial improvement over other current therapies, the White House said.
The state of Texas launched a research consortium in 2025 to accelerate ibogaine clinical trials and drug development, according to the Trump administration.
Previous actions
According to officials, Trump worked to pass and sign into law the Right to Try Act during his first term, giving terminally ill patients a pathway to access potentially lifesaving treatments under FDA review.
Also during his first term, Trump signed an executive order to ensure all veterans have seamless access to high-quality mental healthcare and suicide prevention resources as they transition from uniformed service to civilian life, the White House said.
Trump signed into law the HALT Fentanyl Act in 2025, which reformed research activities on controlled substances, including the process for conducting medical research on Schedule I substances, according to the Trump administration.
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