In the last decade, it seems like polarization has become the hallmark of American politics. It’s rare to find an issue that the two major political parties agree on, even when the topic is seemingly apolitical. Perhaps surprisingly, there is at least one thing both staunch Democrats and Republicans agree on: expanding access to psychedelic medicine.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, has been a vocal advocate for providing psychedelic therapies to veterans, hoping for progress in the next year. According to him, as of the end of June, there were 11 clinical trials at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for current and retired service members.
RFK said he speaks with Doug Collins—the VA Secretary—often about the health benefits of the drugs. Collins has expressed his openness to providing vouchers for veterans to access them.
“I want to see people healed,” said the Secretary in an interview with Newsmax TV. “I want to make it very clear: I’m very open to this. I want to see it moved out, because I see it actually helping our veterans…they may not be the solution for everybody. But if it’s a solution for some, I want to make sure that it happens.”
In more recent news (and on the other side of the aisle), Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) spoke to Shawn Ryan on a podcast and said California is “all in” on medically supervised use of psychedelics. He mentioned wanting to ensure that the medical market is strong enough to ensure that recreational use remains controlled, using the persistence of the illicit cannabis market as an example of what he hopes won’t happen with psychedelics.
In 2023, Newsom vetoed a bill to legalize low-level possession of psilocybin and other similar drugs, but called on the state’s legislators to come back to him with a bill about regulated therapeutic access. Since then, lower-level attempts at psychedelic reform have fallen short. Still, the governor seems to wholeheartedly support the notion, especially after hearing anecdotes by veteran constituents.
During the podcast, Newsom expressed wanting to shield the market from being overtaken by opportunists.
“The downside for me is I have a lot of entrepreneurial friends that are eager to get in this space, and that’s where I’m…cautious because I can see capitalism move this in a very different direction than where we want to move it.”
Other bipartisan initiatives
PATH—the Congressional Psychedelic Advancing Therapies Caucus—is co-chaired by Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI). The Congressional Cannabis Caucus is similarly bipartisan, co-chaired by Reps. Brian Mast (R-FL) and Dave Joyce (R-OH). The support of legalization from both sides of the aisle sparks hope—these days, it’s not enough to resonate with only one party.
In June, the House voted to allow VA doctors to recommend medical marijuana to veterans and to lead more psychedelic research. The measure was supported by both of the aforementioned committees.
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As psychedelic access continues to make strides around the country, big changes become more possible with every passing day. With bipartisan support and powerful allies, the people who’d benefit the most from medical use may see it become a reality sooner than they expected.