A GOP congressman is cheering news that the Department of Defense (DOD) has allocated nearly $10 million in funding for research into the therapeutic potential of MDMA for active-duty military members.
After Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) secured language in defense legislation in 2023 that mandated psychedelic studies at DOD, the department has now confirmed that it’s distributing $4.9 million each for two trials exploring MDMA in the treatment of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
“I’m proud to see the Department of Defense getting real resources to put behind research that could be a game-changer for our active-duty service members battling PTSD, TBI, and other combat-related injuries,” Luttrell told Marijuana Moment on Monday.
“This funding—driven by our work in Congress—moves us closer to giving our warfighters better treatment options beyond the same risky opioid prescriptions,” he said. “Our men and women in uniform deserve every tool available to heal and stay in the fight. This is just the beginning.”
The studies will be carried out by Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Emory University, as Military Times first reported.
For the forthcoming study at Walter Reed, 91 active-duty who aren’t expected to be redeployed will be recruited and administered MDMA over three sessions. It will also involve preparatory and integration sessions
“Unlike other MDMA-Assisted Therapy/Psychedelic Assisted Therapy long-term studies, this will be one of the first that I’m aware of to incorporate long-term follow-up that remains double-blinded, which will provide us with higher confidence data,” the lead researcher, Maj. Aaron Wolfgang, told the military-focused publication.
Then-President Joe Biden signed the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law in December 2023, with provisions championed by Luttrell to mandate the psychedelics research at DOD.
The department was specifically charged with establishing a process by which service members with PTSD or TBI could participate in clinical trials involving psilocybin, MDMA, ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT.
The list of covered psychedelics was also expanded during bicameral negotiations to broadly include “qualified plant-based alternative therapies.”
Luttrell, a former Navy SEAL, spoke to Marijuana Moment last year about his personal connection to the issue. In 2018, the veteran experienced firsthand the transformative effects of ibogaine and 5‐MeO‐DMT, which he equated to offloading a “500-pound rucksack” that had weighed him down since suffering a traumatic brain injury from a helicopter crash.
“I understand I’m fairly conservative,” he said. “But this saves lives. This is changing the landscape of the medical space in a way that is safe and it’s effective.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI)—co-chair of the Psychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus—told Marijuana Moment earlier this month that he’s optimistic about the prospects of further advancing psychedelics reform under President Donald Trump, arguing that the administration’s efforts to cut spending and the federal workforce will give agencies “spines” to tackle such complex issues.
He pointed out that, under the prior administration, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected an application to authorize MDMA-assisted therapy based on an advisory panel’s recommendation. He called the denial a “spineless way out.”
Although Bergman is hopeful about putting money into psychedelics studies, it’s worth noting that the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) created by the Trump administration, recently touted the cancellation of a grant to support marijuana research.
Asked about the relative inaction on cannabis policy issues under the new Congress, Bergman drew a parallel to flying airplanes, as he’s done as a veteran himself.
“The laws of aerodynamics only apply across all platforms up to a certain limit. So in this case, let’s stick to the psychedelics side,” he said.
Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA), the other co-chair of the PATH Caucus, also spoke with Marijuana Moment and similarly drew a distinction between marijuana and psychedelics policy considerations under the 119th Congress.
“If I may presuppose, I think we’ve got the momentum” with respect to psychedelics,” he said. “The momentum is there.”
While talks of marijuana legalization or even more modest proposals such as banking reform have been largely muted so far this Congress, psychedelics policy has been a point of interest at the state and federal level this year. For example, veterans service organizations recently called attention to the need for alternative therapies such as psilocybin at congressional appropriations hearings.
Meanwhile, in December, Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) urged FDA to finalize guidance on conducting clinical trials into psychedelics to facilitate research, including investigations focusing on the potential benefits of substances such as MDMA and psilocybin for military veterans.
FDA released first-ever draft guidance on studying psychedelics last year.
Separately, in December bipartisan congressional lawmakers celebrated news that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be funding a study to explore the efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
After VA announced that it would be providing $1.5 million in funding for the research initiative, Bergman and Correa put out statements cheering the effort and claiming some credit for the development after advocating for expanded federal studies into psychedelics therapy.
Congressional lawmakers also staged an event at the U.S. Capitol calling for the MDMA approval by FDA last July, and they additionally launched an art installation memorializing military veterans who died by suicide.
Feds Say Marijuana Can Be ‘Summarily’ Seized From State-Legal Businesses—But Not If It’s Rescheduled
Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype and Apollo.
The post GOP Congressman Cheers Defense Department’s $10 Million Investment In Psychedelic Research For Active-Duty Military appeared first on Marijuana Moment.
