Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have introduced a bill to promote research into the therapeutic potential of certain psychedelics in the treatment of serious mental health conditions experienced by military veterans.
Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Lou Correa (D-CA), co-chairs of the Congressional Psychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus, filed the “Expanding Veterans’ Access to Emerging Treatments Act” earlier this month.
The proposal directs the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out clinical trials investigating the therapeutic efficacy of “innovative treatments and emerging therapies”—including psychedelics such as ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT, ketamine and psilocybin.
The VA secretary would be able to develop participation criteria for those with a covered condition, which includes anxiety, chronic pain, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, traumatic brain injury and any other condition designated by the secretary.
“Many conditions, such as chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders, continue to challenge the veteran community amid a lack of new innovative treatments and emerging therapies,” the legislation states.
“These and other conditions represent an urgent unmet medical need among veterans,” it says, adding that VA “should continue to advance research and facilitate timely access to innovative treatments and emerging therapies, including psychedelic- and entactogenic-assisted therapies, for veterans with
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