The Department of Veterans Affairs launched a clinical trial on Aug. 24 evaluating psilocybin — the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms — as a treatment for major depressive disorder in veterans, marking a historic shift in how the federal government approaches psychedelic-assisted therapy.
The trial includes veterans with concurrent post-traumatic stress disorder, a population that has proven particularly resistant to conventional antidepressant medications. The VA reports approximately 17 veteran suicides per day, underscoring the urgency of developing new treatment options, according to the department.
The VA trial represents a significant policy development because VA facilities operate under federal law that still classifies psilocybin as a Schedule I controlled substance — the most restrictive category, reserved for drugs with no accepted medical use and high abuse potential.
Early-phase research at academic medical centers has shown promising results, suggesting psilocybin-assisted therapy may produce rapid, durable antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant patients. Studies at Johns Hopkins University and New York University have reported that a single or small number of psilocybin sessions, combined with psychotherapy, can produce lasting improvements in depression symptoms.
The VA trial is separate from the department’s GLP-1/semaglutide trial for veteran alcohol use disorder, also launched in recent months, indicating an expanded willingness within the VA to investigate novel therapeutic approaches.
The trial’s launch may accelerate broader acceptance of psychedelic-assisted therapy within mainstream medicine and prompt congressional scrutiny of psilocybin’s Schedule I classification. Several states and cities have already moved to decriminalize psilocybin possession in recent years.
Veteran service organizations have increasingly advocated for expanded access to psychedelic therapy, with groups including the Veterans of Foreign Wars publicly supporting federally funded research into alternative treatments for PTSD and depression.
The trial’s design, enrollment criteria and expected timeline were detailed in the VA’s clinical trial registration.