The Psychedelics Movement Saw Wins And Losses At The Federal And State Levels In 2024

The psychedelics reform movement went through a series of ups and downs in 2024, with a mix of victories and setbacks on the federal and state levels.

Among the most notable events: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected an application to allow for MDMA-assisted therapy, much to the disappointment of advocates who pointed to the growing scientific literature supporting its therapeutic potential.

Then, while Colorado and Oregon moved forward with their voter-approved psychedelics legalization laws, Massachusetts voters soundly defeated a ballot measure to follow suit.

But it wasn’t all bad news. Several other states advanced reform policies, and the recognition of psychedelics as a novel medicine for serious mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder was evident even in the federal government, with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announcing funding for psychedelic studies.

All told, 2024 appears to have set the stage for yet another year of significant policy change on the psychedelics front in 2025—an effort that benefits from the unique bipartisan support the issue has enjoyed.

Here are the top psychedelics moments of 2024:

FDA rejects application to authorize MDMA-assisted therapy

FDA faced criticism from advocates and bipartisan lawmakers this year after rejecting a new drug application to permit MDMA-assisted therapy in the treatment of PTSD.

After an FDA advisory panel first voted to reject the proposal, the full agency accepted that recommendation, calling into question the results of Phase 3 clinical trials coordinated by the psychedelics research company Lykos.

The decision to reject the application came despite the fact that 80 members of Congress—including 19 senators and 61 representatives from the House—sent separate letters to the Biden administration and the head of FDA, urging serious consideration of approving the psychedelic as a treatment option.

Bipartisan lawmakers separately staged an event at the U.S. Capitol calling for the MDMA approval and also launched an art installation memorializing military veterans who die by suicide.

VA funds psychedelics studies for military veterans

VA announced in December that it’s providing $1.5 million in funding to study the efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder (AUD).

This marks 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.

VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal previewed the research initiative in October during a panel that also featured Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), who have separately advocated for psychedelics reform.

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers celebrated the funding news, with Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Lou Correa (D-CA) claiming some credit for the development after advocating for expanded federal studies into psychedelics therapy.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) renews effort to ban two psychedelics despite pushback from researchers

As DEA has moved forward with the Biden administration’s marijuana rescheduling proposal, the agency separately held administrative hearings to consider its push to ban two psychedelic compounds that scientists say would disrupt valuable research into their therapeutic potential.

That was one of the latest developments in a years-long rulemaking process that saw DEA propose, withdraw and then re-propose placing 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC) in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

The scheduling of the administrative hearings came about two months after a federal court dismissed a case challenging the constitutionality of DEA’s process for adjudicating scheduling actions as the agency seeks to ban the two psychedelic compounds.

Prior to that ruling, DEA had formally cancelled the planned administrative hearing, which came in response to an agency administrative law judge staying the proceeding in light of the now-dismissed lawsuit.

DEA first attempted to ban DOI and DOC in 2022, only to withdraw the proposal amid pushback from the scientific community. The agency separately withdrew from a proposal to ban five different tryptamine psychedelics in 2022.

Massachusetts voters reject psychedelics legalization ballot initiative

Last month, Massachusetts voters defeated a ballot measure to legalize psychedelics, rejecting the proposal that would have allowed adults 21 and older to legally possess, grow and share certain amounts of substances such as psilocybin, ibogaine and DMT.

Under the banner of Massachusetts for Mental Health Options, veterans groups and drug policy advocates strongly campaigned to secure a victory ahead of Election Day. That did not come to fruition, however. It lost 57-43 percent.

The covered psychedelics and possession limits proposed under the measure were: DMT (one gram), non-peyote mescaline (18 grams), ibogaine (30 grams), psilocybin (one gram) and psilocin (one gram).

But it wasn’t all setbacks in Massachusetts this year.

For example, a state legislative committee advanced a bill in February that would legalize psilocybin therapy in the Commonwealth and set up a framework to license facilitators who would supervise medical, therapeutic and spiritual applications of the drug.

The governor of Massachusetts also signed a military veterans-focused bill in August that includes provisions to create a psychedelics working group to study and make recommendations about the potential therapeutic benefits of substances like psilocybin and MDMA.

In February, an eighth city in Massachusetts adopted a local policy to deprioritize arrests around psychedelic plants and fungi, also urging county prosecutors to stop pursuing cases of possession, cultivation or distribution of the substances.

Colorado finalizes rules for novel psychedelics law

In August, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and Department of Revenue (DOR) adopted a set of final rules to implement a voter-approved psychedelics legalization law.

The rules cover facilitator licensing, qualification and training, standards of practice and facilitator discipline. Regulators separately approved rules for healing centers, cultivation, manufacturing and testing this year.

Minnesota psychedelics task force takes steps toward final report recommending reform

In October, a Minnesota task force charged with making psychedelics-related policy recommendations advised that lawmakers should decriminalize the use and possession of personal-use amounts of psilocybin mushrooms.

Other recommendations that were approved by the body include the creation of a state-regulated clinical psilocybin program and the appropriation of research dollars to study the therapeutic use of psilocybin, MDMA and LSD. It will be up to lawmakers, however, to introduce and pass any psychedelics-related legislation to formally enact the suggestions.

Created through a measure signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz (D) in May of last year, the state’s Psychedelic Medicine Task Force is responsible for advising lawmakers on “the legal, medical, and policy issues associated with the legalization of psychedelic medicine in the state.” It is charged with returning a final report to the state with findings and recommendations by January 1, 2025.

California psychedelics therapy bill stall out, while governor approves measure to break research logjam

While California advocates have experienced a series of setbacks in the push to provide legal access to certain psychedelics over the past several sessions, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) approved a bill in September that’s meant to streamline the processing of applications to study psychedelics and marijuana.

The signing of the legislation came after another psychedelics bill was withdrawn by the sponsors due to a lack of support in a key Assembly committee. The “Heal Our Heroes Act” would have authorized a pilot program to provide psilocybin treatment to military veterans and former first responders.

A Senate committee also effectively killed a broader bill that would have legalized psychedelic service centers where adults 21 and older could have accessed psilocybin, MDMA, mescaline and DMT in a supervised environment with trained facilitators.

Utah law allows for psilocybin and MDMA therapy pilot program at hospitals

In March, the Republican governor of Utah allowed a bill to become law without his signature that authorizes a pilot program for hospitals to administer psilocybin and MDMA as an alternative treatment option.

The law provides for regulated psychedelics access at two types of health care systems in the state. Psychedelics can be administered by a privately owned, non-profit health care system with at least 15 licensed hospitals or within medical programs operated by institutions of higher education.

By July 1, 2026, any hospital that establishes a psychedelics therapy pilot program will need to submit a report to the legislature that details which drugs are being utilized, healthcare outcomes of patients and any reported side effects.

Maryland psychedelics task force holds initial meeting to prepare policy recommendations

A psychedelics task force in Maryland held its initial meetings last month, beginning work on what will eventually become a report to lawmakers on how to reform the state’s laws on substances such as psilocybin, DMT and mescaline.

The Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances was formed following Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) signing of a pair of bills into law in May. The 17-person body, overseen by the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA), is charged with studying how to ensure “broad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances” in the state.

The group will specifically consider policies around psilocybin, psilocin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and non-peyote-derived mescaline, though the legislation that created the body also gives members discretion to put more psychedelics under review as they see fit.

Nevada task force recommends allowing psychedelic-assisted therapy and decriminalization

A government task force in Nevada approved a report this month recommending that lawmakers create a program for regulated access to psychedelic-assisted therapy and consider reducing legal penalties for entheogenic plants and fungi.

The report from Nevada’s Psychedelic Medicines Working Group notes that research increasingly indicates that treatment with substances such as psilocybin, 5-MeO-DMT, mescaline and ibogaine may improve mental health and substance use disorders, and that other states and localities are already taking steps to research or implement their own therapeutic psychedelics programs.

The psychedelic task force was created through legislation signed into law in June 2023. Initially the measure as introduced would have legalized psilocybin and promoted research into the substance and also encouraged studies of MDMA.

It was significantly scaled back in a Senate committee, however, to examine the use of entheogens “in medicinal, therapeutic, and improved wellness” and develop a future plan for regulated access.

Vermont working group issues report recognizing therapeutic benefits of psilocybin

A working group in Vermont tasked with evaluating opportunities surrounding psychedelic-assisted therapy concluded in a report last month that psilocybin has the potential to help manage depression and anxiety.

But members stopped short of advising any major changes to how the state regulates access to psychedelics.

Top-level recommendations from the Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group’s report advise increased harm-reduction training for health practitioners and the public, noting the growing trend of psychedelics use for therapeutic and recreational use.

Alaska lawmakers approve bill to create task force to study regulating psychedelics-assisted therapy

An Alaska bill to create a state task force to study how to license and regulate psychedelic-assisted therapy formally became law in September without the signature of Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R).

The measure will not change the legal status of any drugs in Alaska. Rather, it formed a legislative task force that were tasked with spending the rest of the year studying how to license and regulate psychedelic therapy in the event of federal approval of substances such as MDMA, psilocybin and others.

Indiana law enacted to fund clinical trials investigating therapeutic potential of psilocybin

The governor of Indiana signed a bill in March that includes provisions to fund clinical research trials on the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin.

Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) approved the legislation, which broadly focuses on health care issues, but which was amended to add the psychedelics language.

Under the law, the state will create a therapeutic psilocybin research fund “for the purpose of providing financial assistance to research institutions in Indiana to study…the use of psilocybin to treat mental health and other medical conditions.”

Georgia Senate recommends investment in research exploring psychedelics therapy for PTSD

A study committee in Georgia’s Senate in November recommended that the state earmark as much as $5 million to fund research into how psychedelic substances such as MDMA and psilocybin might be used to treat PTSD.

Among other recommendations, the report urges state officials to “allocate up to $5 million to support innovative studies on the use of psychedelic therapies (such as MDMA, psilocybin, and other compounds)” for the treatment of post traumatic stress (PTS), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and “other mental health conditions affecting veterans.”

The recommendations also say the legislature should amend Georgia law to automatically keep the state’s own drug-scheduling statutes in sync with federal scheduling statutes as well as “to remove unnecessary obstacles to implementation” and “accelerate medical access for veterans.”

Psychedelics research expands

The year saw numerous studies published that identify potential benefits of a wide range of psychedelics.

A report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), for example, found that psilocybin-assisted therapy in a group of frontline clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic “resulted in a significant, sustained reduction of symptoms of depression.”

Research published this month on the psychiatric effects of psilocybin suggests a complicated, potentially bidirectional relationship between the psychedelic’s therapeutic effects and sleep. Taking psilocybin not only appears to reduce sleep disturbances in patients for up to four weeks, the study says, but sleep itself may actually modulate the substance’s benefits in a “complex yet prominent” way.

Two other studies on psychedelics and alcoholism published this year—including one with contributions from a top federal drug official—offer hope for new ways to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD).

One says a single dose of psilocybin “was safe and effective in reducing alcohol consumption in AUD patients,” while the other concludes that classic psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD “have demonstrated potential for treating drug addiction, especially AUD.”

Single-dose psilocybin use is “not associated with risk of paranoia,” while other adverse effects such as headaches are generally “tolerable and resolved within 48 hours”—according to a new scientific review published by the AMA.

Another AMA study published in JAMA Psychology looked at pairs of twins in an effort to untangle the relationship between psychedelic use and psychotic or manic symptoms in young people, concluding—contrary to popular fears—that use of psychedelics “may be associated with lower rates of psychotic symptoms among adolescents.”

Also this year, the federal government itself published a web page acknowledging the potential benefits the psychedelic substance might provide—including for treatment of alcohol use disorder, anxiety and depression. The page also highlights psilocybin research being funded by the federal government into the drug’s effects on pain, migraines, psychiatric disorders and various other conditions.

Separately, the first time ever, researchers are administering LSD to patients in a Phase 3 clinical trial. The new study focuses on whether the psychedelic can be used to effectively treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

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