Bipartisan Push for Psychedelic Therapy in VA Care Gains Momentum
A bold new bill introduced in Congress could radically change how the VA treats PTSD and other mental health conditions — and it’s gaining bipartisan support.
The proposal?
To create VA-run “Centers of Excellence” focused on psychedelic-assisted therapy.
This would mark a massive shift in the way the government approaches trauma healing for veterans — and could be a lifeline for thousands who’ve tried everything else without results.
What the Bill Proposes
The legislation, introduced by Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rand Paul (R-KY), would establish specialized VA facilities dedicated to researching and delivering psychedelic therapies like MDMA and psilocybin for veterans suffering from:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Treatment-resistant depression
- Anxiety and moral injury
- Substance use disorders
These therapies would be conducted in safe, clinical environments — guided by trained professionals, not recreational drug use. The goal? To make the breakthrough results seen in clinical trials accessible to veterans through the VA healthcare system.
Learn more via Task & Purpose’s full article.
The Research Is Clear — But the System Is Slow
Numerous clinical studies — some sponsored by the Department of Defense — have shown remarkable outcomes for veterans undergoing guided psychedelic therapy.
For example:
- MDMA-assisted therapy has been shown to reduce PTSD symptoms in over 70% of participants in clinical trials.
- Psilocybin (the active compound in “magic mushrooms”) has demonstrated fast-acting results for depression and trauma-related anxiety.
But despite the science, veterans currently have almost zero access to these treatments through the VA.
Why?
Because psychedelic substances are still classified as Schedule I drugs — illegal for general use — under federal law. This bill is a push to change that for veterans, and carve out a safe, evidence-based path through the VA.
Why This Matters to the Veteran Community
Every day, 17–22 veterans die by suicide. Many more live with invisible wounds that are barely touched by traditional medication or talk therapy. Psychedelic therapy offers a new option — not a silver bullet, but a powerful tool — especially for:
- Veterans who have “failed” multiple rounds of antidepressants
- Combat vets still carrying trauma decades later
- Survivors of military sexual trauma
- Veterans dealing with chronic substance abuse linked to mental health
Let’s be honest: VA mental health treatment, while improved, still isn’t reaching many of the people who need it most. This bill aims to expand — not replace — existing services and make the VA a leader in trauma innovation.
What Happens Next?
This bill has been introduced — but not passed. And if history is any guide, change will only happen if veterans speak up and push lawmakers to act. Here’s what you can do:
- Call Your Senator
Ask them to support the VA Psychedelic Therapy Centers of Excellence bill. You can find your senator here: senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm - Join Advocacy Groups Fighting for Psychedelic Access
Groups like Heroic Hearts Project and Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) are leading this charge. - Talk to Other Veterans
Stigma still surrounds this topic. Share credible research, survivor stories, and resources to open up the conversation.
Final Thoughts: Innovation or Excuse?
This isn’t about “getting high.” It’s about finally getting help — for the veterans who’ve already been through hell and back.
The VA’s legacy should be built on care that evolves with the science, not bureaucracy that buries it. If psychedelics can help even a fraction of the veterans struggling with PTSD, then access should be a right — not a privilege.
Let’s not wait for another decade of lost lives before the VA catches up.
Let’s push for the change now.
Hell NO! Unless you want to be a guinea pig, again. I believe that psychedelics can help some people. But I wouldn’t trust the VA to do anything but kill me. They have f’d up so many times on the easy stuff I would not trust them to make PTSD better when they will lie about the outcome and say you are cured, when you are not and then cut your benefits and other programs as well.
And just a suggestion. If you haven’t tried EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) I highly recommend it. I know many veterans who have been helped a lot by it but you need to find a certified provider as there are too many people claiming to be trained. They probably read the book. Here is the source to find legitimate practitioners: https://www.emdria.org/find-an-emdr-therapist/.
There’s no such thing as PTSD anymore. You got personality disorder. Then after the next war it they’ll go back to the PTSD shit. Tell them about mental health problems in the family and childhood trauma. You’ll never see a day of actual healthcare again or another dime in benefits.
Need to get to a point to where we can sue the people who work for VHA personally. That should be the goal because a lot of shit flies flock there and hide behind the VHA’s unlimited legal resources and immunity. We can’t have supper citizens. Until then, the place will always be nothing more than a trillion dollar soup kitchen.
“Trump doesn’t want to boost taxes on millionaires because he’s worried they’d leave the country.” – Independent
They’d leave the country anyway if they realized they were funding a trillion dollar redistribution apparatus and scam… Veterans “Healthcare” Administration. Yeah right. It’s an incompetent insane asylum.
“Trump’s ‘Anti-Christian Bias’ Effort Put in Action by Veterans Affairs.” – Newsweek
That’s a shame too because you know those idiots are the ones who Dudley Doright when it comes to PTSD benefits and they make a plethora of bogus claims and absurd assumptions. The belief in things not backed by proof or evidence extends beyond their bullshit irrational ideology.
“The U.S. government detained a U.S. citizen for 10 days on claims he was an undocumented immigrant, and then lied in their official account.” – The New Republic
That’s what slick shits at the VA do too..lie their asses off in notes… which they downgraded from medical records just so they couldn’t be charged with crimes. Take it up with the derelicts after work. There is no other civilized form of justice available.
We used to take MDMA in service. Big party. Nobody waiting decades on these pseudo intellectuals…who wouldn’t take half the shit that they push and prescribe themselves. Same assholes who wanted to use pot use as proof and evidence that people had “pre service mental health conditions” a decade ago. Just a bunch of bullshitters who will do anything and everything to deny people care at VA. They’re pissed that they didn’t go to medical school instead of fucking off in service or too long at the university… didn’t have the aptitude for medical school so chip on shoulder.
When VA stays the same or gets worse under Dementia Donaldo… you’ll know who to blame… and who do you think works there in these red areas? Conservatives who hate benefits and people with problems. Keep on voting for the sons of bitches. They’re the one’s fighting progress everywhere.
MDMA good. Shrooms bad…bad trip man. Had too many bad trips. Even pot, if you smoke it enough, can cause psychotic symptoms. The VA can’t handle the legal heat from that because they’re already derelict, malfeasant, and above the law. If we had functional judicial system then none of this would be such an issue.