2 days ago
Nearly one in three veterans who relies on the government for health care could benefit from taking psychedelic drugs like magic mushrooms or MDMA.
That's not the ******* sment of some hippie or fading 1960s rock star. It came from Andrew Gradison, a senior adviser at President Donald Trump's Veterans Health Administration. Gradison told a conference for psychedelics enthusiasts this month that he is eager to ramp up the VA's capacity to give the drugs to as many as 2.1 million veterans with mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. Gradison said 6.4 million veterans regularly rely on the VA for care.
No government regulator has deemed psychedelics safe or effective for mental illness. Under former President Joe Biden, the Food and Drug Administration in 2024 resoundingly rejected a proposal to authorize MDMA — also known as ecstasy — combined with talk therapy, to treat people with PTSD.
But psychedelics are getting a second chance in the Trump administration. Trump in April issued an executive order to accelerate research, clinical trials and patient access to the drugs. Republicans in Congress are among psychedelics' biggest backers. And the constituency they are seeking to please, veterans, are disproportionately Republicans.
Veterans, frustrated with high suicide rates among their fellow ex-service members, are lobbying aggressively to see Trump follow through.
#Veterans #psychedelics #drugs #mdma
That's not the ******* sment of some hippie or fading 1960s rock star. It came from Andrew Gradison, a senior adviser at President Donald Trump's Veterans Health Administration. Gradison told a conference for psychedelics enthusiasts this month that he is eager to ramp up the VA's capacity to give the drugs to as many as 2.1 million veterans with mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. Gradison said 6.4 million veterans regularly rely on the VA for care.
No government regulator has deemed psychedelics safe or effective for mental illness. Under former President Joe Biden, the Food and Drug Administration in 2024 resoundingly rejected a proposal to authorize MDMA — also known as ecstasy — combined with talk therapy, to treat people with PTSD.
But psychedelics are getting a second chance in the Trump administration. Trump in April issued an executive order to accelerate research, clinical trials and patient access to the drugs. Republicans in Congress are among psychedelics' biggest backers. And the constituency they are seeking to please, veterans, are disproportionately Republicans.
Veterans, frustrated with high suicide rates among their fellow ex-service members, are lobbying aggressively to see Trump follow through.
#Veterans #psychedelics #drugs #mdma
3 months ago
AtaiBeckley (NASDAQ:ATAI), a clinical-stage mental health and psychedelic drug developer, closed at $7.15, up 33.4%. Eli Lilly's (NYSE:LLY) announced acquisition drove the move, and investors are watching the deal terms and closing process. Trading volume reached 164.9M shares, coming in about 1,494% above its three-month average of 10.3M shares. AtaiBeckley IPO'd in 2021 and has fallen 64% since going public.
The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) fell 0.50% to 7,535, and the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) fell 1.47% to 25,882. Among clinical-stage biopharmaceuticals focused on mental health and psychedelic therapeutics, COMPASS Pathways (NASDAQ:CMPS) fell 6.61% to $12.43, while broader psychedelics sentiment stayed tied to AtaiBeckley's Lilly deal.
Pharmaceutical behemoth Eli Lilly acquired AtaiBeckley in a purchase worth up to $3.8 billion today, sending the latter's shares 34% higher. The deal consists of $6.75 in cash per ATAI share, as well as $2.50 in contingent value rights (CVRs) tied to two of AtaiBeckley's treatments meeting certain milestones over the next four, five, and seven years.
Thanks to the value of these CVRs, ATAI's $7.15 share price currently sits above the $6.75 cash portion of the deal, suggesting the market sees potential in AtaiBeckley's psychedelic treatments reaching their various milestones. AtaiBeckley offers DMT and other psychedelic treatments for depression, anxiety, and opioid use disorder, and has seen its stock double over the last year thanks to today's deal and the Trump administration's positive outlook on psychedelic-based treatments.
Before you buy stock in AtaiBeckley, consider this:
The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) fell 0.50% to 7,535, and the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) fell 1.47% to 25,882. Among clinical-stage biopharmaceuticals focused on mental health and psychedelic therapeutics, COMPASS Pathways (NASDAQ:CMPS) fell 6.61% to $12.43, while broader psychedelics sentiment stayed tied to AtaiBeckley's Lilly deal.
Pharmaceutical behemoth Eli Lilly acquired AtaiBeckley in a purchase worth up to $3.8 billion today, sending the latter's shares 34% higher. The deal consists of $6.75 in cash per ATAI share, as well as $2.50 in contingent value rights (CVRs) tied to two of AtaiBeckley's treatments meeting certain milestones over the next four, five, and seven years.
Thanks to the value of these CVRs, ATAI's $7.15 share price currently sits above the $6.75 cash portion of the deal, suggesting the market sees potential in AtaiBeckley's psychedelic treatments reaching their various milestones. AtaiBeckley offers DMT and other psychedelic treatments for depression, anxiety, and opioid use disorder, and has seen its stock double over the last year thanks to today's deal and the Trump administration's positive outlook on psychedelic-based treatments.
Before you buy stock in AtaiBeckley, consider this:
4 months ago
Olympic gold medalist skier Bode Miller has entered a not guilty plea to a pair of misdemeanor drug charges following his arrest for possessing psilocybin mushrooms.
Court records indicate Miller's arrest occurred on June 6 in eastern Idaho, with his not guilty plea to possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia entered the following week. Neither his attorney, Jeromy Stafford, nor his longtime representative, Lowell Taub, responded to requests for comment, and it remains unclear if Taub still represents Miller.
Specific details regarding the circumstances of Miller's arrest are not outlined in the court documents. However, a probable cause statement from Fremont County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Hurt noted that Miller was found with a white dispensary bag containing 4.1 grams of the psychedelic substance.
Idaho maintains some of the nation's most stringent drug laws. Conversely, states like Colorado and Oregon have legalized psilocybin for therapeutic use, reflecting a growing interest among health advocates who suggest microdosing or therapeutic application could alleviate anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing the Food and Drug Administration and other federal bodies to accelerate research and ease restrictions on psychedelics. The FDA responded by announcing an ultra-fast review for three psychedelic drugs under development for mental health conditions.
Court records indicate Miller's arrest occurred on June 6 in eastern Idaho, with his not guilty plea to possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia entered the following week. Neither his attorney, Jeromy Stafford, nor his longtime representative, Lowell Taub, responded to requests for comment, and it remains unclear if Taub still represents Miller.
Specific details regarding the circumstances of Miller's arrest are not outlined in the court documents. However, a probable cause statement from Fremont County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Hurt noted that Miller was found with a white dispensary bag containing 4.1 grams of the psychedelic substance.
Idaho maintains some of the nation's most stringent drug laws. Conversely, states like Colorado and Oregon have legalized psilocybin for therapeutic use, reflecting a growing interest among health advocates who suggest microdosing or therapeutic application could alleviate anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing the Food and Drug Administration and other federal bodies to accelerate research and ease restrictions on psychedelics. The FDA responded by announcing an ultra-fast review for three psychedelic drugs under development for mental health conditions.
