Trump signs order to accelerate access to psychedelic drug treatments

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order intended to speed up access to medical research and treatment based on psychedelic drugs.

The order instructs the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expedite review of drugs such as ibogaine, a drug that U.S. military veteran groups have said can help treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

At an event in the Oval Office, U.S. federal officials said that the reforms would pave the way for the drugs, which can cause hallucinations and are largely illegal, to be reclassified after successful clinical trials. Trump also said the U.S. would dedicate $50 million to federal research into ibogaine.

Health Secretary ​Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has championed the idea of using drugs such as ibogaine as an alternative treatment for mental health conditions such as depression.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary on Saturday said that decisions on the drugs could come as soon as this summer.

Reporting by Stephen Nellis and Trevor Hunnicutt, Editing by Louise Heavens and Sergio Non.