President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order to fast-track psychedelic drug research after a direct text message from podcast giant Joe Rogan.
The decision followed a rapid chain of events that unfolded over just a few days, culminating in a striking, and at times awkward, Oval Office appearance on Saturday afternoon.
The directive aims to accelerate federal review of substances like ibogaine and LSD, marking a significant shift in US drug policy.
The move followed what Rogan described as a brief exchange with the president that quickly escalated into a full-scale policy push inside the administration.
‘We all respect Joe and he’s a little bit more liberal than I am, that’s okay. I have a lot of friends that are liberal,’ Trump said. ‘Joe is an amazing guy. He wrote me a little note about this and I had it checked out. Everybody came back with the same answer.’
Rogan sent Trump information about ibogaine – a powerful psychedelic that some veterans have used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction – including data on its reported success rates. Rogan said Trump replied immediately.
‘The text message came back: “Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let’s do it,” Rogan said of Trump’s response during the White House event. ‘It was literally that quick.’
What followed was, in the words of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, an ‘unimaginable task’ – a weeklong sprint to transform a private exchange into federal policy.
By Saturday, Trump had signed an executive order directing his administration to accelerate research and regulatory review for certain psychedelic drugs – substances long classified among the most restricted under federal law.
‘In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression, including our cherished veterans,’ Trump said at the signing.
Behind the scenes, officials had already been working for months on ways to expand access to psychedelic therapies.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had made the issue a priority, and aides including Calley Means and Dr. Heidi Overton helped push the effort forward once Trump signaled his approval, according to people familiar with the process.
But Rogan’s involvement appears to have pushed the issue to the top of the agenda.
The executive order directs the Food and Drug Administration to expedite review of drugs designated as ‘breakthrough therapies,’ encourages data sharing between federal agencies and opens the door to rapid rescheduling of psychedelics if approved.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said the agency will issue national priority vouchers allowing certain drugs to move through approval in weeks instead of months.
It is a dramatic shift for substances that remain illegal under federal law and are classified alongside drugs such as heroin.
The president added that the directive would help ‘dramatically accelerate’ access to potential treatments.
‘If these turn out to be as good as people are saying, it’s going to have a tremendous impact.’
Ibogaine, derived from a West African shrub and used in religious ceremonies in countries like Gabon, has drawn growing attention from veterans’ groups and some Republican lawmakers.
Advocates say it could help address PTSD, addiction and depression – but medical experts have warned about serious risks, including heart complications and a lack of large-scale clinical evidence.
The drug is classified as a Schedule I substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration, meaning there are no accepted medical uses for it and a high potential for abuse.
‘It’s been incredibly difficult to study ibogaine in the US because of its known cardiotoxicity,’ Frederick Barrett of Johns Hopkins said, noting that expanded research could help determine whether the drug is safe and effective.
Schedule I drugs also include drugs like heroin and ecstasy (methylenedioxymethamphetamine).
Drug classifications are sectioned into five different ‘schedules,’ with one being the highest potential for abuse.
Ibogaine is unregulated in countries including Mexico, the Netherlands, Germany and Canada.
The drug has gained popularity in recent years and generated the attention of medical professionals.
Stanford Medicine released a study in 2024, concluding that ibogaine effectively treated military veterans with traumatic brain injuries.
The study found that when combined with magnesium to protect the heart, the drug safely and effectively reduced PTSD, anxiety and depression.
‘No other drug has ever been able to alleviate the functional and neuropsychiatric symptoms of traumatic brain injury,’ said Nolan Williams, an associate professor of behavioral sciences and psychiatry.
‘The results are dramatic, and we intend to study this compound further.’
The momentum behind psychedelics has also been fueled by high-profile testimonials.
‘You’re going to save a lot of lives through it,’ former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell told Trump during the Oval Office event. ‘It absolutely changed my life for the better.’
Standing just behind the president as he made the announcement, Rogan, one of the most influential voices in media and a key figure in Trump’s 2024 campaign found himself the subject of a pointed aside as Trump noted how Rogan was more ‘liberal’.
The comment came as Rogan lingered in the background of the tightly packed Oval Office and underscored the uneasy dynamic between the two men who may be allies at times yet critics at others.
Rogan endorsed Trump in the 2024 election but has since taken aim at the administration on his podcast, particularly over immigration policy and the war with Iran, which he has described as ‘terrifying.’
The awkward optics saw Rogan partially obscured as he stood behind the president.
