Marijuana Moment: Bipartisan Senators File Bill To Support Psychedelics Research And Treatment For Veterans

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A bipartisan group of U.S. senators have introduced a bill to promote research into the therapeutic potential psychedelics by creating a new office in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that would advance the development innovative treatments for serious mental health conditions and assist in reviewing the scheduling status of drugs like psilocybin, ibogaine and MDMA.

The legislation—titled the “Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act”—is being led by Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and is cosponsored by Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and John Boozman (R-AR).

“After young Americans who signed up to fight for our nation and were willing to give up their own lives for others come home, we better make sure the VA is ready to care for them and that they have access to the best, most innovative care available,” Sheehy said in a press release. “The VA’s core mission is to care for veterans, and this bipartisan bill will help the hardworking men and women at the VA fulfill that critical mission.”

If enacted, the new bill would direct the VA to take steps to streamline studies into psychedelics and other emerging therapies

This is one of the latest examples of congressional efforts to encourage scientific investigations into psychedelics, with a focus on military veterans with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), treatment-resistant depression, substance use disorder, traumatic brain injury (TBI), chronic pain and more.

“Veterans suffering from invisible wounds like PTSD and depression deserve the same level of care from their VA as those with physical wounds, and it’s past time we do more to ensure our VA is equipped and prepared to navigate these veterans’ unique needs,” Duckworth said. “Our bipartisan legislation recognizes that the VA is uniquely positioned to oversee and administer this care as our veterans’ medical center home and would cut red tape and establish groundbreaking infrastructure to more quickly review and approve emerging therapeutics for our wounded warriors.”

The bill’s findings section says that “emerging therapeutic interventions, including certain psychedelic-assisted therapies under evaluation by the Food and Drug Administration as of the date of the enactment of this Act, may significantly alter the treatment landscape for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other mental health conditions affecting veterans.”

“The administration of certain emerging therapies may require intensive clinical engagement, interdisciplinary teams, dedicated clinical space, structured preparation, and post-treatment integration that differ substantially from traditional outpatient mental health services,” it continues, adding that VA is “uniquely positioned to deliver integrated, veteran-centered care that combines medical, mental health, and peer support services within a single system of care.”

That’s the only explicit mention of “psychedelics” in the legislation, and it doesn’t list specific psychedelic substances that would be prioritized for research, but that’s a common feature of recently filed bills touching on the issue, with various other examples using catchall terminology like innovative or novel treatments or therapies effectively serving as a stand-in for “psychedelics.”

Gallego said in a press release that “when I got back from Iraq, I saw fellow Marines struggle in ways we weren’t prepared to treat. There’s no one way to address veterans’ mental health, and for those who don’t respond to existing treatments, we need to look at new ones.”

“Emerging therapies like psychedelic treatment may offer real hope for veterans with PTSD when nothing else has. This bill makes sure we’re exploring every option to support them,” he said.

Under the measure, a new Office of Novel Therapeutics would be established under the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to facilitate the research initiatives. Studies exploring the alternative treatments would focus on substances such as psychedelics that are under review for potential approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Absent centralized governance and implementation planning, the Department may face delays, safety risks, or inconsistent access following regulatory approval of such therapies,” the bill’s findings section says. “Establishing a dedicated Office of Novel Therapeutics will ensure that the Department is prepared to responsibly evaluate, research, and implement emerging treatment modalities consistent with patient safety and evidence-based practice.”

There would be at least one “Center of Excellence” to facilitate the program in each VA regional district to help develop a national model for the initiative. A Veteran Advisory Committee would be established, comprised of veterans, experts and health professionals, to advise on matters such as access barriers and safety protocols.

VA would also need to coordinate with other federal agencies—including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), FDA, Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), the Department of Defense (DOD) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—to consider regulatory issues, possible rescheduling action for novel therapies and means of providing health care coverage for psychedelics access and treatment.

VA would need to furnish annual reports to Congress updating lawmakers on its progress. Within 180 days of the bill’s enactment, the department would need to report on practical considerations such as staffing needs and regulatory barriers.

Boozman said that “we owe it to veterans to ensure the VA can effectively facilitate access to new therapies and care upon FDA approval.”

“Doing so will give them more options to improve their health, including recovering from the invisible wounds that represent a unique challenge to their well-being,” he said. “I am proud of this bipartisan, proactive effort to meet the needs of our former servicemembers who have earned this support for all they have given to defend our nation and freedoms.”

The legislation is being supported by groups such as Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans and Psychedelic Medicine Coalition.

The bill is somewhat similar in intent to another bipartisan measure filed earlier this month, sponsored by Gallego and Sen. David McCormick (R-PA), that would provide $30 million in funding annually to establish psychedelic-focused “centers for excellence” at VA facilities, where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine.

A House companion version of the bill—sponsored by Congressional Psychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus co-chairs Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI)—was introduced last year, but it has not yet advanced in the chamber. The House and Senate measures are substantively identical, with minor formatting differences.

Lawmakers and advocates supporting such reform bills notably have allies in top positions within the Trump administration, including VA Secretary Doug Collins and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who have both embraced psychedelic policy reform.

Kennedy recently told Joe Rogan on a podcast episode that the administration is “very anxious” to create a pathway for the novel therapies and that officials across federal agencies want to “get it out to the public as quickly as possible.”

Multiple veterans groups also recently advised congressional lawmakers about the need to continue exploring psychedelics and marijuana as alternative treatment options for the military veteran population at hearings on Capitol Hill. The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) specifically cited the Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act as an example of a reform they’re backing.

Correa and Bergman, the House sponsors of that legislation, separately filed a bill in January that would also promote research into the therapeutic potential of certain psychedelics in the treatment of serious mental health conditions experienced by veterans.

The bipartisan duo in January also discussed the importance of strategically advancing psychedelics reform in a way that mitigates bureaucratic conflict and the influence of outside interests. Even just one misstep could threaten to upend the movement, they said.

Last year, the VA secretary touted his role in promoting psychedelics access for veterans with serious mental health conditions, saying he “opened that door probably wider than most ever thought” was possible. The department in 2024 faced criticism after rejecting a grant application from an organization that helps connect veterans to programs abroad where they can receive psychedelic therapy to treat serious mental health conditions.

Meanwhile, in November, Kennedy, Vice President JD Vance, the FDA commissioner and other Trump administration officials attended a “Make America Healthy Again” summit that featured a session dedicated to exploring psychedelic medicine.

In June, Kennedy said his agency is “absolutely committed” to expanding research on the benefits of psychedelic therapy and, alongside of the head of FDA, is aiming to provide legal access to such substances for military veterans “within 12 months.”

The secretary also said in April that he had a “wonderful experience” with LSD at 15 years old, which he took because he thought he’d be able to see dinosaurs, as portrayed in a comic book he was a fan of.

Last October, Kennedy specifically criticized FDA under the prior administration over the agency’s “suppression of psychedelics” and a laundry list of other issues that he said amounted to a “war on public health” that would end under the Trump administration.

Image courtesy of CostaPPR.

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