>> I THINK THERE’S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PLACE FOR PSYCHEDELICS TO SLIDE IT. COULD PSYCHEDELIC SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS. THEY’RE ILLEGAL IN FLORIDA, BUT SOME DOCTORS SAY A DOSE OF MAGIC MUSHROOMS DOES WONDERS FOR CERTAIN DISORDERS. >> NEW AT 5 GULF COAST NEWS ANCHOR MEGYN MUELLER INVESTIGATES HOW TRIPPING COULD HELP YOUR MENTAL STATE. >> THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION ISSUED NATIONAL PRIORITY VOUCHERS TO 3 COMPANIES STUDYING PSYCHEDELIC BASED MEDICINES. 2 OF THEM ARE WORKING WITH PSILOCYBIN THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT IN MAGIC MUSHROOMS FOR TREATMENT, RESISTANT DEPRESSION AND MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER. ANOTHER IS USING METH ALONE, A DRUG SIMILAR TO MDMA FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. PSYCHEDELICS REALLY ARE A PARADIGM CHANGER. >> AND POTENTIALLY, I THINK WE DON’T YET KNOW HOW MUCH. BUT THERE REALLY SEEMS TO BE A UNIQUE WAY THAT THEY HAVE OF WORKING THAT ONE OR 2 DOSES CAN CAUSE RAPID RELIEF OF SYMPTOMS WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS. AND THAT FOR MANY PEOPLE THAT REALLY SEEMS TO LAST FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS. BUT THE PATH FORWARD ISN’T WITHOUT CONCERN. >> DR DAVID HELLERSTEIN WONDERS WHAT WILL HAPPEN ONCE THESE DRUGS MOVED FROM TIGHTLY CONTROLLED STUDIES INTO REAL WORLD USE. THE STUDIES ARE DONE FOR FDA APPROVAL. THEY REALLY CAN PICK VERY SELECTIVE GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY THEY HAVE THE PURE DISORDER. THEY DON’T HAVE OTHER CONDITIONS, PSYCHIATRIC OR MEDICAL CONDITIONS. >> AND THEY’RE TREATED IN VERY HIGH INTENSITY. HIGH PRESSURE KIND OF SETTING IN WHICH THERE’S THE LEAST CHANCE OF BAD THINGS HAPPENING. THEN ONCE A DRUG IS RELEASED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, YOU HAVE. WAS EFFECTIVENESS AND WE WERE STUDYING FOR HIS SEAT BEFORE 9 YEARS STUDYING THE EFFECTIVENESS IN LARGE POPULATIONS. THESE ARE PEOPLE, MANY OF THEM WHO WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN APPROVED TO GET INTO A STUDY, HAVE OTH
FDA prioritizes research into psychedelics for mental health treatment
Updated: 7:54 PM EDT May 13, 2026
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued national priority vouchers to three companies studying psychedelic-based medicines, including psilocybin and methylone, for mental health treatment. Two of the companies are researching psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” to address treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder. Another company is studying methylone, a drug similar to MDMA, for post-traumatic stress disorder. “Psychedelics really are a paradigm changer, potentially. I think we don’t yet know how much, but there really seems to be a unique way that they have of working that one or two doses can cause rapid relief of symptoms within a couple of days, and that for many people that relief seems to last for weeks or months,” said Dr. David Hellerstein, professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University. Despite the promising results, Hellerstein raised concerns about the transition of these drugs from controlled studies to real-world applications. “I think what people often don’t realize is the studies that are done for FDA approval, they really handpick very selected groups of people who are very, they have the pure disorder, they don’t have other conditions, psychiatric or medical conditions, and they’re treated in a very high intensity, high pressure kind of setting in which there’s the least chance of bad things happening. Then once the drug is released to the general public, you have what’s called effectiveness. We were studying efficacy before, and now you’re studying the effectiveness in large populations. These are people, many of them who would never have been approved to get into a study. They have other conditions in addition to the depression or PTSD,” Hellerstein said.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued national priority vouchers to three companies studying psychedelic-based medicines, including psilocybin and methylone, for mental health treatment.
Two of the companies are researching psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” to address treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder. Another company is studying methylone, a drug similar to MDMA, for post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Psychedelics really are a paradigm changer, potentially. I think we don’t yet know how much, but there really seems to be a unique way that they have of working that one or two doses can cause rapid relief of symptoms within a couple of days, and that for many people that relief seems to last for weeks or months,” said Dr. David Hellerstein, professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University.
Despite the promising results, Hellerstein raised concerns about the transition of these drugs from controlled studies to real-world applications.
“I think what people often don’t realize is the studies that are done for FDA approval, they really handpick very selected groups of people who are very, they have the pure disorder, they don’t have other conditions, psychiatric or medical conditions, and they’re treated in a very high intensity, high pressure kind of setting in which there’s the least chance of bad things happening. Then once the drug is released to the general public, you have what’s called effectiveness. We were studying efficacy before, and now you’re studying the effectiveness in large populations. These are people, many of them who would never have been approved to get into a study. They have other conditions in addition to the depression or PTSD,” Hellerstein said.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.