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Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services signed a memorandum this week to improve cooperation on psychedelic drug trials, a VA HHS psychedelic MOU that might lead to new treatments for veterans and others suffering from mental health conditions.
The Executive Order Behind the VA HHS Psychedelic MOU
The memo is in service to an April executive order from President Donald Trump, directing his administration to accelerate new medical treatments, including the use of psychedelic drugs, for serious mental illness. Psychedelics, including ibogaine compounds, have shown potential in clinical studies to address serious mental illnesses for patients whose conditions persist after completing standard therapy, according to the executive order.
What the Agreement Aims to Accomplish
“America owes every veteran the best care our nation can provide,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a news release on the memorandum of understanding with VA that is intended to increase clinical trial participation, collect and share data on the effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted treatments, and more. VA is already involved in 20 clinical trials focused on psychedelic therapies for mental health conditions.
Why HHS Says the VA HHS Psychedelic MOU Can’t Wait
“We’re not going to wait while promising treatments sit on the sidelines,” Kennedy said. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, HHS and the VA are working together to develop safe, FDA-approved innovations and transition them from research into care so veterans can access the treatments they deserve.”
Veteran Support for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
A recent RAND study found that about half of veterans supported VA providing or paying for psilocybin-assisted therapy, a form of treatment that uses a psychedelic drug, or MDMA-assisted therapy, if those therapies are approved by the FDA. This level of support suggests meaningful demand within the veteran community for the kinds of treatments this VA HHS psychedelic MOU aims to accelerate.
Veteran Advocacy Groups React to the VA HHS Psychedelic MOU
Kyleanne Hunter, the CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said her organization applauds the joint work from VA and HHS to explore the possibility of psychedelics in treating veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or other ailments, both mental and physical. “There’s anecdotal evidence that psychedelics have a positive impact,” Hunter said. “We’ve seen some real good outcomes, or people have expressed good outcomes. There’s been promise from trials that have been done in other countries. And so, we really welcome this advancement.”
A Call for Rigorous, Diverse Clinical Trials
“That said, as well, we know that there needs to be rigorous clinical trials to see not only the benefits but what the risks are, what the possible adverse consequences are, so that if this is something that is going to be implemented, it’s done in the safest way possible,” Hunter said. PTSD is incredibly complex, and she urged VA to open clinical trials to a diverse group of veterans. Hunter said most evidence on the effectiveness of psychedelics to date comes from a patient population of former special operations troops, which isn’t representative of the veteran community as a whole.
A Broader Tool for Veteran Care Under the VA HHS Psychedelic MOU
Hunter said psychedelic-assisted therapy could be another tool in the bag for helping veterans struggling with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain and more. She said IAVA supports any well-tested therapy that can help veterans live a better life. “It’s why we also advocated strongly for cannabis use for veterans,” she said, drawing a parallel to the organization’s past advocacy work on alternative treatment options.
What Psychedelic Drugs Are and How They’re Classified
Psychedelic drugs are a class of substances that alter consciousness or awareness and can be organically or synthetically produced, VA said. This broad classification includes both naturally occurring compounds like ibogaine and psilocybin, as well as synthetic substances like MDMA, all of which fall under the scope of research contemplated by the VA HHS psychedelic MOU.
What Comes Next for the VA HHS Psychedelic MOU
VA said its clinical use of psychedelic drugs outside of research will only be considered once FDA approval is granted, underscoring that this agreement accelerates research infrastructure and data sharing rather than immediate clinical deployment. With VA already involved in 20 active clinical trials and veteran advocacy groups pushing for broader, more representative trial populations, the coming months will likely reveal how quickly this expanded federal collaboration translates into new trial enrollment and, eventually, potential treatment options for veterans.
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