House approves funding for a study on using psychedelic therapy for veterans

The House approved an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations bill Wednesday that would provide $15 million to the Defense Department to conduct medical clinical trials for veterans using psychedelics to treat traumatic brain injuries.

The amendment, introduced by Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), would fund and allow DOD service branches to create research-based studies on using psychedelics to treat veterans with cognitive deficiencies, such as traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

UAW STRIKE: FOUR-DAY WORKWEEK FAVORED BY UNION GAINING IN POPULARITY

“Our primary go-to is opioids or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and we are steadily digging an endless hole for veterans that they’ll fall down in, and it’s very difficult to climb out that. The addiction rates are astronomical,” Luttrell told the Washington Examiner. “So if we can replace opioids, SSRIs, and other pharmaceuticals that are in place to treat these issues with something that’s a shorter term address that creates sustainable long term positive effects, that’s a win across the board.”

Luttrell, a former Navy SEAL, has his own personal story with psychedelic therapy.

During his service, he had suffered multiple traumatic brain injuries, he said, and when he returned, he had trouble turning off his special operations mindset and letting his guard down.

“I was always ready to go,” he said. “I was a hyper-aggressive spec war guy that just couldn’t turn the page and start the new the new chapter.”

So, after discussions with other veterans and his wife, he decided to go to Rosarito, Mexico, and start the treatment. The psychedelics he used were ibogaine and five-MEO DMT.

He described the therapy as one of the “more miserable experiences” he’s ever been through in terms of both physically and mentally draining and exhausting.

But, the effects afterward were “profound.”

“It was life-changing for me. I mean, it was a clean slate start completely over, and life is balanced,” he said.

This is why he is such a strong advocate for the clinical use of psychedelics because of not only how it’s changed his life but also his brother’s life, former Navy SEAL and Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell.

So now, his main goal is not only to ensure that this funding is included in the final version of the defense appropriations bill but also to get the message out there about how important psychedelic therapy for veterans can be and how helpful it is.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“So when I have conversations, I tell them, I talk about the research. I give the numbers. I do the pre and post my journey mine alone, and if I can’t sell them, I’ll introduce them to some veterans that have also gone through it. It’s the messaging piece that’s been lost,” he said. “If we can do that and remove all the negative pharma that’s out there that’s doing these horrible things to not only the American public but the globe, it’s just the way it’s supposed to be.”

Luttrell and fellow Navy SEAL Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) had tried to get a similar amendment attached to the National Defense Authorization Act, but it was ruled out of order by the Rules Committee. In turn, Crenshaw said that Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) made a commitment to him to include the amendment in the defense appropriations bill.