What to Know About Trump’s New Executive Order on Psychedelic Drugs

TIME
by Veronique Greenwood
April 21, 2026
4 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

President Trump signed an executive order to accelerate psychedelic drug development for medical treatments.

How This Affects You

This order could lead to faster approval of psychedelics for conditions like depression and PTSD, potentially expanding treatment options for patients.

AI Summary

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 18, 2026, aimed at accelerating the development of psychedelic drugs as medical treatments. The order directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to give expedited consideration to psychedelics meeting certain criteria and allocates $50 million from the Department of Health and Human Services to match state research investments. This move signals the administration's unusual openness to considering federally banned substances like LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin as potential treatments for conditions such as treatment-resistant depression and PTSD. While it doesn't change FDA safety and efficacy evidence requirements, it could significantly impact the budding psychedelic industry by offering manufacturers accelerated review timelines of 1-2 months. Harvard Law School's Mason Marks notes this could encourage states to fund research and represents a shift from past federal drug policies.

What's Being Done

President Trump signed an executive order directing the FDA to expedite consideration and allocating $50 million for research.

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Trump Administration's Psychedelic Drug Initiative

President Trump signed an executive order to accelerate access to psychedelic drug treatments and research for mental health. This initiative aims to expand the availability of substances like LSD, psilocybin, and ibogaine for medical use.

Trump's Executive Order on Psychedelic Research

President Trump signed an executive order to ease restrictions and accelerate research into psychedelics, including ibogaine, LSD, and psilocybin, for mental health treatments. This move aims to expand access to these substances and expedite their review process.

Trump's Psychedelics Research Initiative

President Trump signed an executive order to ease restrictions and accelerate research into psychedelics like ibogaine, LSD, and psilocybin for potential medical applications, particularly in mental health treatment. The initiative aims to expand access to these substances and expedite their review process.

Trump's Executive Order on Psychedelic Research

President Trump signed an executive order aimed at accelerating the federal review process for psychedelics. The order seeks to expand access to psychedelic drug treatments for mental health, specifically mentioning substances like ibogaine, LSD, and psilocybin.

Trump Administration Accelerates Psychedelic Drug Research

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to fast-track the review and research of psychedelic drugs for mental health disorders. This move aims to accelerate access to treatments like psilocybin and ibogaine, with the President publicly endorsing their potential.

Trump Administration Accelerates Psychedelic Drug Research

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to accelerate research and review of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and ibogaine for mental health treatments. This move aims to fast-track their potential medical applications, with figures like Joe Rogan joining the announcement.

Trump Administration's Psychedelic Drug Research Initiative

President Trump has signed an executive order to accelerate research and review of psychedelic drugs for mental health disorders, including psilocybin and ibogaine. This initiative aims to expand access to these therapies, with podcaster Joe Rogan reportedly influencing the decision.

Trump Executive Order on Psychedelic Drug Research

President Trump signed an executive order to accelerate research and access to psychedelic drug treatments for mental health disorders. The initiative aims to fast-track the review process for substances like psilocybin and ibogaine.

Trump Administration's Push for Psychedelic Drug Research

President Trump has signed an executive order to accelerate research and review processes for psychedelic-based therapies. This initiative, reportedly influenced by Joe Rogan, aims to loosen restrictions and explore the potential of psychedelics for mental health disorders.

Trump Administration's Psychedelic Drug Review

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to accelerate the review and research of psychedelic-based therapies for mental health disorders. This move, reportedly influenced by figures like Joe Rogan, aims to fast-track access to treatments like ibogaine and psilocybin.

Trump Administration's Psychedelics Initiative

President Trump has signed an executive order to accelerate research and review of psychedelic drugs for mental health disorders, reportedly influenced by a text from podcaster Joe Rogan. This initiative aims to fast-track therapies like psilocybin and ibogaine.

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