Trump to sign executive order on psychedelic drug used abroad to treat PTSD

Exclusive Politics Trump to sign executive order on psychedelic drug used abroad to treat PTSD By Jennifer Jacobs, Jennifer Jacobs Senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs is a senior White House reporter at CBS News. Read Full Bio Jennifer Jacobs, Dr. Céline Gounder Dr. Céline Gounder Medical Correspondent Dr. Céline Gounder, an internist, epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist, is a CBS News medical correspondent as well as senior fellow and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News. Read Full Bio Dr. Céline Gounder Updated on: April 16, 2026 / 11:51 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google A psychedelic used in some countries to treat post-traumatic stress disorder is expected to get a closer examination from the federal government on its safety and effectiveness, sources told CBS News.The White House is drafting an executive order that would signal the Trump administration's willingness to further U.S. research into a drug called ibogaine. Ibogaine, a naturally occurring compound from a shrub native to Africa, is used to treat depression, anxiety, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and brain trauma. Because it's illegal in the United States, Americans have been traveling to unregulated clinics, often in Mexico or the Caribbean, to take the drug. The Trump administration doesn't plan to reclassify the drug for medical use at this time — it will remain a Schedule I drug. President Trump intends to sign the executive order as soon as this week, two of the sources said. White House spokespeople didn't immediately comment. The action on ibogaine is meant to open the door to federal funding for further research on its effectiveness with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, especially among veterans, several sources said. "60 Minutes" last year covered a group of nine U.S. veterans who traveled to a remote village near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for a week-long psychedelic retrea...