Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill to fast-track the study of psychedelic drugs, which a coalition of veterans say hold enormous potential to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
More veterans die from suicide in America on a daily basis than average daily combat deaths in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan combined, according to data collected by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A growing number of former service members are now turning to psychedelics to treat the mental health conditions caused by wartime trauma and traumatic brain injury.
The nonprofit organization Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions is a big believer in the power of psychedelic therapies such as ibogaine, which co-founder and former Navy SEAL Marcus Capone credits with saving his life.
This legislative cycle, VETS sponsored Assembly Bill 1103 to eliminate roadblocks to approve the study of psychedelics in California.
“After 13 years as a Navy SEAL and multiple deployments, I tried every conventional therapy available — none worked for me,” Capone said in a statement. “Ibogaine gave me my life back. With AB 1103, California is leading — empowering researchers to advance rigorous studies with the urgency this work warrants.”
AB 1103 targets the Research Advisory Panel of California, which is responsible for approving any studies involving the administration of Schedule 1 and 2 drugs after they have received approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Almost all psychedelics are classified as Schedule 1 drugs, meaning they have no legalized medical uses and are considered to be at high risk for abuse. The advisory panel was founded in 1968 and is intended to help ensure that studies involving psychedelic drugs are carried out safely and efficiently.
However, this additional layer of approval, which does not exist outside of California, can delay the starts of studies.
Issues with the advisory panel became apparent last year when it did not meet for 11 months due to a tussle over a state law requiring government meetings to be held in public.
AB 1103 allows Schedule 1 and 2 drugs to be approved without having to wait for a meeting of the full advisory panel. Under the bill, researchers who can show that their FDA-approved study is already compliant with California law will be eligible to have their proposal approved by a smaller group of panel members within a matter of days.
The bill goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and is scheduled to remain in effect until Jan. 1, 2028. Based on how it works in practice, lawmakers can later propose legislation to make the policy changes permanent.
“This is a pivotal moment for science, for mental health, and for every veteran who has waited too long for better treatment options,” said Amber Capone, co-founder and chief executive of VETS, in a statement. “AB 1103 will accelerate the research needed to transform care, not just for veterans but for all Californians affected by trauma, addiction, and depression.”
VETS has sent more than 1,000 veterans to clinics in Mexico for psychedelic therapy and is advocating for legislation across the country that can pave the way to legalize these treatments in the U.S. Earlier this year, a Texas bill backed by the organization created a $50-million fund for clinical studies on ibogaine.
Ibogaine, which is currently illegal in America, is among a number of psychedelics that have show promise in treating PTSD and treatment-resistent depression.
In a Stanford observational study on the effects of ibogaine on 30 special forces veterans, participants saw average reductions of 88% in PTSD symptoms, 87% in depression symptoms and 81% in anxiety symptoms.
In addition, clinical studies of MDMA have shown strong results in treating PSTD, while Oregon and Colorado legalized psilocybin for supervised therapeutic use to address depression, anxiety, trauma and addiction.
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