The effort comes as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) searches for additional treatment options for former service members struggling with persistent psychiatric conditions. President Donald Trump has backed efforts to accelerate research and clinical trials, while federal officials acknowledge that delivering these therapies across the VA healthcare system would present substantial challenges.
Millions of Veterans Could Qualify for Psychedelic Treatment Under VA Plans
According to Politico, Andrew Gradison, a senior adviser at the Veterans Health Administration, outlined the administration’s ambitions during the Horizons: Perspectives on Psychedelics conference in New York City in October.
Gradison said approximately 6.4 million veterans regularly receive healthcare through the VA. Of those, roughly one-third experience mental health conditions such as PTSD or depression, putting the potential population for psychedelic treatment at 2.1 million.
The substances under consideration include psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in certain mushrooms, and MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy. Another substance attracting federal attention is ibogaine, which remains classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law.
The administration’s plans follow an executive order Trump signed in April 2026 directing federal agencies to accelerate psychedelic research, clinical trials and patient access. Yet Gradison acknowledged that implementing treatment on such a scale would take considerable time.
“It’ll be a challenge” for the VA “in the first year to treat four digits’ worth of patients” with an FDA-approved psychedelic drug, he said. “Our demand will exceed our ability to supply these therapies, no doubt.“
The VA is already involved in 20 psychedelic clinical trials. It has also introduced Spravato, an FDA-approved esketamine treatment for depression, within its healthcare system. Veterans’ mental health remains a significant concern. VA research cited by Politico found that 23% of veterans receiving VA care had experienced PTSD at some point, compared with 7% of veterans who did not receive VA care.
FDA Approval and Treatment Capacity Remain Major Obstacles
The proposed expansion depends on federal regulators determining whether psychedelic medicines meet established safety and effectiveness standards.
In 2024, the Food and Drug Administration rejected an application seeking approval for MDMA combined with psychotherapy to treat PTSD. Regulators raised concerns about missing safety data, the reliability of trial results and the difficulty of separating the drug’s effects from those of psychotherapy.
According to Newsweek, the administration has since taken steps to accelerate development. One week after Trump’s April executive order, the FDA allowed fast-track application reviews for three companies developing psychedelic treatments.
Among them is Compass Pathways, which is developing a synthetic psilocybin formulation for treatment-resistant depression. The company expects to complete its FDA application submission during the fourth quarter of 2026 and anticipates possible approval in the first half of 2027.
Even with regulatory clearance, providing treatment would require trained clinicians, suitable facilities and adequate patient monitoring. Christopher DiViaio, clinical director at Eleve Behavioral Health, told Newsweek that psychedelic treatments should not be presented as universal solutions.
“These substances can bring up intense emotions and psychological experiences, and they’re not appropriate for everyone,” he said. For the VA, regulatory approval would represent only one stage in making these treatments available to veterans.
