Many indigenous peoples around the world have developed traditional uses for psychedelic compounds. In Western medicine, these were mostly unknown until Albert Hoffmann synthesized LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) in 1938. He later tried to figure out how it might be used after having an extraordinary personal experience. By the mid to late 1960s, psychedelic drugs like LSD or psilocybin had become a cultural phenomenon. By 1970, medical research on such drugs was essentially shut down. A personal note: I worked in the Neuropharmacology Laboratory at the New Jersey Neuropsychiatric Institute from 1967 to 1969. My mentors were Dr. Carl Pfeiffer and Dr. Leonide Goldstein. Both were actively involved in basic research into psychedelic compounds such as LSD and psilocybin. Dr. Pfeiffer’s first paper on the topic was published on March 14, 1957 in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. I tested these hallucinogenic compounds in rabbits and rats using a quantitative EEG technology that Dr. Goldstein brought to the US from France. One of our papers was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Oct. 1969). I share this in an effort to provide full transparency so that you will understand I was involved in basic psychedelic research before it was unacceptable to conduct such investigations. What Scared the FDA and the NIH? After 1970, if a researcher wanted to perform research on psilocybin or LSD, the FDA was not supportive. Neither were funders such as the NIH or private foundations. The memory of the 1960s with the slogan sex, drugs and rock and roll created a no-fly zone for scientific investigation after 1970. That was when the federal government passed the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The CSA made LSD and related compounds Schedule 1. The meant that LSD and related hallucinogens were categorized like heroin with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” This made scientific research virtually impossible. But over the last decade or so, there has been increasing interest in the use of such compounds to ease the anguish of post traumatic stress disorder, the existential crisis of a cancer diagnosis, drug dependency or even schizophrenia. But the hallucinatory potential of such drugs continues to discourage many researchers from studying such compounds. President Donald Trump Signs the Psychedelic Drugs Executive Order On April 18, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order titled: “Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness“ For the first time in decades, investigators will be encouraged to conduct research into the therapeutic potential of hallucinogens such as psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine. Health and Human Services (HHS) will be encouraged to fund research into psychedelic programs. And eligible patients will able to access such compounds for therapeutic purposes under the “Right to Try Act.” Here is the dramatic reversal: “The FDA and Drug Enforcement Administration shall facilitate and establish a pathway for eligible patients to access psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine compounds, under the Right to Try Act (21 U.S.C. 360bbb-0a), including any necessary Schedule I handling authorizations for treating physicians and researchers, consistent with 21 U.S.C. 823, and any applicable waiver authority under the Controlled Substances Act.” What Does This Mean? First and foremost, it means that psychedelic drugs can now be studied without fear by researchers at prestigious medical institutions. Agencies can now fund such research. The head of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Marty Makary, is on the record encouraging the FDA to accelerate review of such compounds. There is growing evidence that psychedelic compounds may help people dealing with severe mental health conditions. You will see research and have access to interviews with investigators that have been studying these drugs for years. Yes, there has been research, even if it was not sanctioned by federal agencies. Current Research on Psychedelic Drugs Over the past decade or so, investigators have been conducting research on the healing potential of psychedelic drugs. Dr. David Nichols, an international authority on these compounds, describes the history of this research. His son Charles Nichols, a pharmacologist, studies the molecular and behavioral effects of hallucinogens in animal models. The Healing Potential of Mystical Experience Dr. Matthew Johnson, associate director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, has conducted a number of clinical trials utilizing psilocybin. He and his colleagues have been exploring the possible uses of psychedelic drugs as medicines for people with life-threatening cancer. They have also examined the possible benefits of a single dose of psilocybin for smoking cessation and overcoming alcohol misuse. Their research was highlighted in an episode of the CBS television show “60 Minutes.” How Psychedelic Drugs Affect Existential Crises When people are diagnosed with terminal cancer or other life-threatening conditions, many become extremely anxious or depressed. While this reaction may seem rational in the face of a frightening diagnosis and foreshortened life expectancy, it can interfere with people actually appreciating the days, weeks or months they have left. Dr. Johnson and other scientists have found that a session with psilocybin that results in a mystical experience can alter people’s lives dramatically. They have far less anxiety and depression and seem to find more purpose in their lives, along with other positive changes. How does this work? Dr. Johnson’s most recent publication (with colleagues) explores the nature of these mystical experiences (PLoS One, April 23, 2019). Our Radio Show Guests David Nichols, PhD, is an adjunct professor at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. David Nichols had an active research program at Purdue University for 38 years prior to his retirement in June 2012. His research interests focused in two areas: the study of hallucinogens (psychedelics), where he was recognized as an international authority, and also discovery of novel D1 dopamine receptor full agonists, which showed efficacy comparable to levodopa in both animal models of Parkinson disease, and in human Parkinson patients. In 1993 he founded the Heffter Research Institute, which has encouraged and supported modern clinical studies of the psychedelic agent psilocybin (from “magic mushrooms”) for treatment of depression, anxiety, and various addictions. His general interests continue in the medicinal chemistry and pharmacology of CNS-active agents. Charles Nichols, PhD, is Professor of Pharmacology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. As David Nichols’ son, he did not begin his career with the intention of studying hallucinogens. However, his current research interests include the molecular and behavioral effects of such compounds on the brain. Matthew W. Johnson, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Center Director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The photograph of Dr. Johnson is courtesy of Johns Hopkins Magazine. The website is https://hopkinspsychedelic.org Listen to the Podcast: The podcast of this program is available for free. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free. Download the mp3 Want More? Here is our radio show # 1317: Psychedelic Compounds for Healing You can listen by clicking on the arrow inside the green circle under the photograph of Bryan Roth, MD, PhD at the top of the page. It’s super easy! You will learn about conditions that may respond to psychedelic compounds: Cluster Headaches Substance Use Disorders Depression and Distress Would You Consider LSD If There Were No Hallucinations? Investigators at University of California, Davis have modified LSD so that it does not cause hallucinations. The new compound, called JRT, appears to have some therapeutic benefit, however. That’s because it increases neuroplasticity. So far, the drug has only been tested in animals, but the initial responses appear promising. The hope is that JRT will have fast-acting antidepressant activity and may even be helpful against schizophrenia (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, April 14, 2025). The authors of this research point out that current treatments of schizophrenia leave a lot to be desired. They don’t work very well: “…for addressing the negative and cognitive symptoms, and evidence suggests that they are unlikely to rescue morphological or synaptic deficits.” One of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia often includes the term anhedonia, which is described as an inability to feel pleasure or joy. It is also characteristic of depression. Another negative symptom of schizophrenia is avolition. It means an inability to get motivated to participate in goal-directed activities. That’s psych talk for profoundly disturbing blahs. People just cannot mobilized to get going or stay going. Social activities are just overwhelming. Then there are the “impairments in attention and working memory.” It is hard to function when you have brain fog, little to no motivation, and few, if any, feelings of joy or happiness. JRT and Neuroplasticity: The researchers who helped create the new compound called JRT suggest that this nonhallucinogenic compound promotes “neuroplasticity” in the brain. So does LSD. What is neuroplasticity, you ask. It is, according to Wikipedia: “…the ability of neural networks in the brainto change through growth and reorganization. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to reorganize and rewire its neural connections, enabling it to adapt and function in ways that differ from its prior state. This process can occur in response to learning new skills, experiencing environmental changes, recovering from injuries, or adapting to sensory or cognitive deficits. Such adaptability highlights the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of the brain, even into adulthood.” The researchers who helped create JRT note that: “Effective treatments for complex neuropsychiatric diseases like depression, substance use disorders, and SCZ [schizophrenia] are likely to involve multiple targets rather than a single site of action. However, the polypharmacology of such agents must be carefully tuned to maximize benefit while minimizing unwanted side effects. The unique polypharmacology of (+)-JRT might endow it with specific advantages compared to compounds currently in use.” “Despite its lower hallucinogenic potential, (+)-JRT has demonstrated profound therapeutic effects.” It’s a long and winding road before JRT could become available as a medication to treat challenging conditions such as PTSD or schizophrenia. In the meantime, there is a lot of new and intriguing research involving drugs that do induce hallucinations. The Future of Psychedelic Drugs? There is no good answer to that question. No one should undertake treatment with a psychedelic compound on their own. This approach requires well-trained healthcare professionals who actually know what they are doing. It requires a therapeutic setting with experienced therapists. Some people should not undergo such an experience. Despite the fact that I worked in a laboratory that had one of the world’s largest collections of LSD and other psychedelic compounds, I was never interested in a hallucinogenic experience. Some people may not be helped and might be harmed by such a “trip.” That said, I am pleased that the research doors (and funding) are beginning to open. After research was halted because of the “war on drugs,” we could now be entering a psychedelic renaissance. Let’s see what the research produces. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below. If you think friends or family might be interested in this article, please send it along. Thank you for supporting our work.