Psychedelic therapy may be coming to your doctor’s office as questions swirl
“The people who need this most are those who have already tried everything and found no real relief,” she told Fox News Digital.
“I think about veterans I served with, people who have done years of therapy, cycled through medications, and are still carrying the weight of their service. Too many are still losing that fight at home.”
Risks and caveats
Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions in Washington, D.C., expressed concerns about the executive order.
“While we support rigorous research for treatment discovery, President Trump’s executive order on ibogaine puts politics and hype ahead of science by suggesting that a dangerous, unapproved hallucinogen can somehow be a medical treatment,” he shared with Fox News Digital.
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“Ibogaine remains a Schedule I substance with serious safety concerns, including documented cardiotoxicity and deaths. [The government] should not normalize unproven and risky drugs under the guise of helping those who have served our country.”
Siegel also cautioned about the risk of improper prescribing of psychedelics by unqualified practitioners. “Unfettered recreational use and microdosing can increase the risk of psychosis and other anxiety disorders,” he added.
A man walks past FunGuyz, a Canadian magic mushroom business, in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, on March 8, 2025. Psychedelics, psychoactive compounds that act largely through serotonin pathways, are being studied in controlled clinical settings for mental health treatment, experts say. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto)
Kopelman noted that the primary risk of ibogaine is its “cardiotoxicity properties.”
“It can prolong the QT interval in the heartbeat, which can lead to arrhythmia or even heart attack,” he told Fox News Digital, noting that this risk is mitigated by “rigorous medical examinations” and monitoring during treatment.
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Mercer agreed that these treatments aren’t appropriate for everyone.
“They can have significant psychological effects and, in some cases, physiological risks, which is why they should only be administered in controlled clinical settings by trained providers,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Continued research is essential to better understand who these therapies are right for, and who they’re not, before broader implementation.”
What’s up next
While Trump’s order is a step toward FDA approval for psychedelics, the substances still need to go through clinical trials and the standard regulatory pathway, including rescheduling, Mercer noted.
“It’s not like prescribing someone a Tylenol and sending them home — these medicines require medical oversight.”
Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/psychedelic-therapy-may-coming-your-doctors-office-questions-swirl