Mass. Voters Said No. Trump Just Changed the Conversation on Psychedelics.

Last Friday, the president signed an executive order directing the federal government to fast-track research into psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, MDMA, and ibogaine as potential treatments for serious mental illness. The order tells the FDA to speed up its review of qualifying psychedelics, directs $50 million toward federal-state research partnerships, and opens a pathway for eligible patients to access experimental psychedelic treatments under the existing "Right to Try" law. It also orders federal agencies to work with the VA to expand clinical trials focused on veterans. -whitehouse.gov

This is not legalization. The order focuses on research acceleration rather than changing the legal status of these drugs. But for Massachusetts, the timing is interesting.

Massachusetts voted no

Remember Question 4? Just 18 months ago, Massachusetts voters narrowly rejected a ballot measure that would have allowed supervised, regulated access to psychedelics at licensed centers for adults 21 and older. It failed 53 to 47. Now the conversation is back, this time driven from Washington.

The answer for opiate addiction?

In March, a state legislative committee advanced two bills aimed at creating state-sanctioned pilot programs for psychedelic therapies here in Mass. There is already a specific push focused on ibogaine, a compound being studied for its potential to rapidly reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms, which is a big deal for a state still deep in the grip of the opioid crisis. -binj.news

The federal order could give those efforts real momentum. It sets aside $50 million to match state government investments in psychedelic research programs The White House, meaning Massachusetts could pull down federal dollars if it moves forward with its own pilot programs.

A Republican president, with Joe Rogan standing next to him, just put the weight of the federal government behind psychedelic medicine.