By Don Hannaford | Vice President for Public Policy of Rural Minds

The President’s Executive Order, signed on April 18, 2026, represents a bold, compassionate, and evidence-driven shift in federal policy toward psychedelic-assisted therapies. By directing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue Commissioner’s National Priority Vouchers to psychedelic compounds that have received Breakthrough Therapy designations for serious mental illnesses, the order accelerates the review and potential approval of promising treatments. It further instructs the FDA and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to create pathways for eligible patients to access investigational psychedelics, including ibogaine compounds, under the Right to Try Act. Additional provisions include $50 million in Advanced Research Projects for Health (ARPA-H) matching funds for state initiatives, enhanced collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and a directive to the Attorney General to review rescheduling upon successful completion of the Phase 3 trial.

This action is urgently needed to address the nation’s mental health crisis, particularly among veterans, who are over-represented in rural America. U.S. veterans suffer a suicide rate of approximately 35.2 per 100,000 – more than double the rate for non-veteran adults (16.9 per 100,000). In 2023 alone, 6,398 veterans died by suicide, averaging 17.5 per day. Over the past decade, the annual toll has hovered near or above 6,400 veteran suicides per year, with suicide ranking as the second-leading cause of death for veterans under age 45. Conventional treatments, including SSRIs and traditional psychotherapy, too often fail veterans grappling with treatment-resistant PTSD, depression, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and substance use disorders stemming from their service.

Furthermore, the challenge of access to health care in small-town America exacerbates the issue. Rural areas have 20 percent fewer primary care providers than urban areas, and 65 percent of rural counties lack a psychiatrist. Access to new and promising therapies can be a significant step forward for rural communities from both medical and scientific standpoints. 

Emerging research demonstrates that psychedelics – such as MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, and ibogaine for trauma and addiction – offer rapid, durable relief where other interventions fall short. VA-funded trials and independent studies, including a Stanford observational study of special operations veterans receiving ibogaine, show significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Veteran organizations, including the Disabled American Veterans and The American Legion, have endorsed expanded research into these therapies, recognizing their potential to heal the “invisible wounds of war.”

Demonstrating the impact of the executive order, in just the week following its signing, the US Food and Drug Administration issued national priority vouchers to three companies studying these psychedelic-based medicines: psilocybin, for treatment-resistant depression; psilocybin for major depressive disorder; and methylone, a drug similar to MDMA, for post-traumatic stress disorder – better known as PTSD.

For too long, Schedule I classification – rooted in the 1970s War on Drugs – has hindered scientific progress despite mounting evidence of therapeutic value and low abuse potential in controlled clinical settings. This Executive Order recasts this adversarial stance as one of pragmatic urgency: prioritizing veteran-centered research, expanding clinical trial participation through VA-private-sector partnerships, and removing unnecessary regulatory barriers without compromising safety or rigorous science.

By focusing resources on populations with the greatest need – our veterans who have sacrificed so much – this Executive Order honors their service and offers genuine hope for recovery. It aligns federal policy with innovation, compassion, and data, potentially saving thousands of lives. We strongly support its full and swift implementation as a vital step toward delivering breakthrough mental health treatments to those who need them most.