TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Nov 11, 2024

Veterans are campaigning to mainstream psychedelic therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, despite the Food and Drug Administration's rejection of an ecstasy-based treatment back in August, Axios reports. While psychedelics have been classified as controlled substances since 1970, interest has grown in their potential to treat mental health conditions, particularly among veterans. About 29% of veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq are expected to develop PTSD, and veteran suicide rates are higher than the general population, according to the paper. In 2017, the FDA granted fast-track review to a PTSD treatment combining ecstasy and talk therapy. The Veterans Affairs Department began funding psychedelic therapy research this year, and Congress passed legislation directing the Pentagon to study the treatments. However, the FDA's August rejection of the fast-tracked therapy, citing safety concerns and allegations of misconduct in clinical trials, set back those efforts. Veterans have continued to advocate for changes at the state and federal level with mixed results. Oregon and Colorado have legalized psychedelic mushrooms, while Massachusetts voters recently rejected a similar proposal.