{"id":79260,"date":"2024-12-04T08:54:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T16:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/12\/04\/bipartisan-congressional-lawmakers-celebrate-va-plans-to-fund-psychedelics-study-for-veterans\/"},"modified":"2024-12-04T19:45:56","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T03:45:56","slug":"bipartisan-congressional-lawmakers-celebrate-va-plans-to-fund-psychedelics-study-for-veterans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/12\/04\/bipartisan-congressional-lawmakers-celebrate-va-plans-to-fund-psychedelics-study-for-veterans\/","title":{"rendered":"Bipartisan Congressional Lawmakers Celebrate VA Plans To Fund Psychedelics Study For Veterans"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers are celebrating news that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be funding a study to explore the efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy<\/a> for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD).<\/p>\n

After VA announced on Tuesday that it would be providing $1.5 million in funding for the research initiative, Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Lou Correa (D-CA) put out statements cheering the effort and claiming some credit for the development after advocating for expanded federal studies into psychedelics therapy.<\/p>\n

This will mark the first agency-funded psychedelics study since the 1960s, with the grant being awarded to VA researchers affiliated with Brown University and Yale University. The clinical trial will take place at Providence VA Medical Center and West Haven VA Medical Center. Enrollment is expected to begin next year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a huge step in the right direction,\u201d Bergman, who along with Correa cofounded the Congressional Psychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus, said. \u201cI applaud the VA for moving the ball forward in this fight to help those who so desperately need these breakthrough therapies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve said it before and I\u2019ll say it again, if psychedelic-assisted therapy can help treat a Servicemember or Veteran\u2019s PTSD or prevent them from taking their own life, then we owe it to them to take an active role in researching these potentially life-saving therapies,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m grateful for Secretary [Denis] McDonough\u2019s commitment to this cause and to our Nation\u2019s heroes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Correa said<\/a> VA\u2019s announcement is \u201cnothing short of monumental,\u201d adding that he and Bergman have spent years \u201cpushing the Department to research the impact of breakthrough therapies, like psychedelics, on the invisible wounds of our country\u2019s most valiant warriors. And just last year, the House passed our amendment to do so. That\u2019s real progress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese therapies. like MDMA, promise to be one of the largest breakthroughs in mental health treatment in nearly half a century, and show potential to cure our veterans of their invisible wounds. I\u2019m so proud to be in this fight alongside General Bergman,\u201d Correa said. \u201cWe won\u2019t rest until these potentially life-saving therapies are accessible to all who would benefit from them.\u201d<\/p>\n

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In their statement, Bergman and Correa also referenced a letter they signed, along with dozens of other bipartisan members, expressing urgency to the federal government<\/a> as it looked into the possibility of authorizing MDMA-assisted therapy, particularly as it concerns veterans with severe mental health conditions.<\/p>\n

McDonough, the VA secretary, acknowledged that letter in a response to the lawmakers on Tuesday, writing that the department \u201chas been actively conducting research of certain psychedelic compounds\u2014 including MDMA and psilocybin\u2014using external funds for years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough this research and future studies, we are gathering rigorous scientific evidence on the potential efficacy and safety of psychedelic compounds when used in conjunction with therapeutic approaches,\u201d he said. \u201cAll studies have been and will continue to be conducted under stringent safety protocols. VA is committed to exploring all avenues that promote the health of the Nation\u2019s Veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur mission is to serve those who served our country and to provide them with world-class health care and benefits. In addition to researching psychedelics, we offer Veterans a comprehensive suite of heath care and treatments for substance use, PTSD, and other mental health conditions,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal\u00a0previewed the research initiative in October during a panel<\/a>\u00a0that also featured Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), who have separately advocated for psychedelics reform.<\/p>\n

\u201cVA is on the cutting edge of clinical research for Veteran health, including in the investigation of psychedelics for mental health,\u201d Elnahal said in a press release on Tuesday. \u201cThis study will give us better insight into the potential of MDMA-assisted therapy as a treatment for Veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Rachel Yehuda, director of mental health at VA\u2019s James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, touted an initial study the agency funded that produced\u00a0\u201cstunning and robust results\u201d from its first-ever clinical trial into MDMA therapy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This comes as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) faces criticism from advocates and researchers after denying an application to approve MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD based on separate research.<\/p>\n

Just one day before\u00a0FDA declined to approve a new drug application for MDMA-assisted therapy<\/a>, Yehuda said she\u2019s been asked how that decision might affect the department\u2019s own work. She said\u00a0the answer is: \u201cDouble down on the research. Keep generating the data and the cases. The nature of challenge is, well, that it is challenging. But I am optimistic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bipartisan lawmakers\u2014including Bergman and Correa\u2014separately staged an event at the U.S. Capitol calling for the MDMA approval<\/a> by FDA, and they lso launched an art installation memorializing military veterans who died by suicide.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives\u00a0recently approved amendments to a large-scale spending bill<\/a>\u00a0that would authorize VA doctors to issue medical marijuana recommendations to military veterans and support psychedelics research and access.<\/p>\n

In August, the Senate Appropriations Committee also passed report language for appropriations legislation\u00a0conveying concerns about restrictions on marijuana and psychedelics research<\/a>\u00a0imposed by current prohibition.<\/p>\n

Separately, advocates in support of expanding access to psychedelic-assisted therapy for America\u2019s military veterans\u00a0released an informational guidebook in October that backers say<\/a>\u00a0\u201cresponds to the demand for alternative treatment solutions and equips veterans with practical, clinically-backed strategies to safely explore these therapies.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear how VA\u2019s own work on psychedelics research will be impacted under the incoming Trump administration.<\/p>\n

President-elect Donald Trump recently announced\u00a0his intent to nominate former Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) to head up VA<\/a>\u2014a choice that raises questions about how the agency might navigate marijuana issues given his prior record of voting against medical cannabis access for military veterans during his time in Congress.<\/p>\n

Before last month\u2019s election, Vice President-elect JD Vance said\u00a0he was \u201cfascinated\u201d by the therapeutic potential of psychedelics<\/a>, asking podcaster Joe Rogan for advice on a creating a possible \u201cpathway\u201d for providing access to substances such as MDMA and psilocybin for military veterans with serious mental health conditions.<\/p>\n

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U.S. Taxpayers Spent Almost $13B To Fund Global War On Drugs In The Past Decade, Report Shows<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype<\/a> and Apollo<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The post Bipartisan Congressional Lawmakers Celebrate VA Plans To Fund Psychedelics Study For Veterans<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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\nRead More: Bipartisan Congressional Lawmakers Celebrate VA Plans To Fund Psychedelics Study For Veterans<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers are celebrating 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 on Tuesday that it would be providing $1.5 millionContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79260"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79260"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79260\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79261,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79260\/revisions\/79261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}