Texas passed a landmark law in June 2025, supported by former Gov. Rick Perry, that allocates US$50 million to support research on ibogaine, one of the most powerful psychedelics, for treating opioid addiction and treatment-resistant PTSD.

Arizona passed a similar law in May, funding research on ibogaine’s effectiveness for treating veterans and those with traumatic brain injuries.

These laws come on the heels of states such as Oregon, Colorado, Kentucky and Georgia legalizing ketamine – a psychedelic that has been used in emergency rooms as anesthesia – for therapeutic purposes in the past two years.

Psychedelics, broadly defined, are a class of psychoactive substances that alter perception, cognition and mood through their interaction with neurotransmitters such as serotonin.

As a medical anthropologist I have spent the past 25 years studying the rise of alternative approaches to mental health treatments and have specifically focused in the past four years on the impact of psychedelics on consciousness and spirituality.

The push to legalize psychedelics in America is not new. What distinguishes the latest round of advocacy, however, is its backing by a holy trinity of supporters: some scientists, politicians and clergy.

Several religious groups have historically used psychedelics for sacred healing. Some clergy who have been exposed to these medicines in the past few years are advocating their use for gaining mystical insights.

There are several kinds of psychedelics. Classic psychedelics include compounds such as lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD; psilocybin – the active component in “magic mushrooms”; and mescaline, which is derived from peyote and San Pedro cacti. Another psychedelic is

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