Published May 26, 2026, 4:25 PM EDT
The latest testing follows encouragement from President Trump himself for the VA to explore different modalities to treat various symptoms.
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Published May 26, 2026, 4:25 PM EDT
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Tuesday announced a new clinical trial of methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy, more commonly known as MDMA, to evaluate the safety and efficacy when treating current and former military personnel for severe mental health disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder. The latest announcement comes on the heels of a strong federal government-wide push across multiple branches to study and, ultimately, lawfully recognize different modalities like MDMA, psilocybin, LSD and ibogaine. Legislation has been crafted on bipartisan levels in both the U.S. House and Senate to accelerate the pace for which the VA, Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can collectively give the green light for more widespread use in controlled settings. “We need an all-of-the-above strategy when it comes to improving mental health treatments, and under President Trump, that’s exactly what VA is working to deliver,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement. “This trial represents an important step in safely evaluating new approaches and innovations to treat Veterans with severe mental health conditions.”
