Trump Administration Will Take ‘Bold Stance’ On Psychedelics Access For Veterans, Former Top VA Official Predicts

President Donald Trump’s administration is “going to take a pretty bold stance” on psychedelics medicine for military veterans, a former top official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says—adding that legal access to the substances could be available within a “couple of years.”

In a series of interviews from late last year that were featured in a CBS News “60 Minutes” segment that aired on Sunday, then-VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal spoke about the department’s progress on advancing psychedelics therapy research, and his sense that the work will continue under Trump.

While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected an application to approve MDMA-assisted therapy last year, VA is carrying out multiple clinical trials exploring both MDMA and psilocybin as a potential alternative for the treatment of serious mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Elnahal, who left the department following Trump’s inauguration, said that “we need to do larger phase three clinical trials” in order to “understand what the true adverse events are and whether we can reproduce these results in larger populations of veterans,” but he said he’s “very optimistic we will be able to demonstrate that” based on the existing data.

“It could be another couple of years” until the therapy is available to veterans,” Elnahal said. “The incoming administration is going to take a pretty bold stance on this.”

Host Anderson Cooper pressed the official on that point, asking what him confident that the Trump administration will continue the work to make psychedelics therapy available. And Elnahal pointed to the potential confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“We’ve heard the nominee for HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, talk about what he thinks the potential breakthrough therapy is,” he said, referencing the nominee’s comments supporting psychedelics access. “We’ll see what the stance is of other health officials. That’s really promising.”

Elnahal said that although more research needs to be done, he’s heard from other VA officials—including Rachel Yehuda, who serves as the department’s director of mental health—about major findings supporting the use of plant-based medicine within the veteran community.

Yehuda said on Monday that she’s “thrilled” VA’s research was spotlighted in the “60 Minutes” feature.

“Vets will benefit from this work so we need to keep going to increase safe access,” she said. “Excited about 3 upcoming psychedelic trials at our Center at Bronx VA. Stay tuned.”

Thrilled our study – 1rst completed RCT at VA for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD – was mentioned. Vets will benefit from this work so we need to keep going to increase safe access. Excited about 3 upcoming psychedelic trials at our Center at Bronx VA. Stay tuned. https://t.co/gFz6XUtqvU

— Rachel Yehuda (@RachelYehuda) February 3, 2025

Elnahal, meanwhile, said in a LinkedIn post about the 60 Minutes segment that VA’s efforts on psychedelics “will be key in continuing to build trust with Veterans, thousands of whom already try to access these therapies outside the United States.”

“The research will also inform what is likely to be a revolution for treating severe mental health conditions in patients across the nation,” he said.

He previously said that although he hadn’t been asked to continue serving under Trump, he would’ve been “honored” to do so in order to “advance the agenda for veterans,” including promoting psychedelics research.

“I really appreciate Bobby Kennedy’s approach to trying to instill wellness as a bigger part of American life—I think veterans would benefit from that,” Elnahal said of the HHS nominee at the time. “When it comes to breakthrough therapies for mental health and tackling veteran suicide, psychedelics fall straight into that agenda.”

In November, the VA official separately touted the first agency-funded psychedelics study since the 1960s, exploring the efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder.

While Kennedy is the pick for HHS, Trump also nominated former Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) to head up the VA—a choice that raises questions about how the agency might navigate marijuana issues given his prior record of voting against medical cannabis access for military veterans during his time in Congress. But it doesn’t appear he’s publicly weighed in on psychedelics policy.

Meanwhile, Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) recently urged FDA to finalize guidance on conducting clinical trials into psychedelics to facilitate research, including investigations focusing on the potential benefits of substances such as MDMA and psilocybin for military veterans.