In this week’s Psychedelic Policy briefing, investigative reporter Jack Gorsline breaks down the latest major psychedelic policy breakthrough in Massachusetts, where last week an amendment to an economics bill that would create a multiyear psychedelic pilot program complete with major grassroots advocacy concessions related to industry ownership equity and diversity as well as financial affordability for MA residents on every level of the socioeconomic totem pole.
At the same time the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) recently added multiple psychedelic compounds to the league’s banned substances list. The contrarian move by the fastest-growing professional sports league in the United States comes amidst a growing number of pro athletes publicly discussing their psychedelic use as well as advocating for expanded access to and research into psychedelics’ potential in enhancing performance, aiding recovery, and even healing Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
Across the pond in France, a groundbreaking Phase III clinical trial exploring psilocybin to treat Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), while a once-pioneering British Chemist was arrested again last month in the U.K. and is facing extradition to United States, where he’s been charged with and is facing life in prison for allegedly widespread international distribution of LSD analog compounds and other novel synthetic psychedelics.
Massachusetts House Advances Psychedelic Therapy Pilot Program
Massachusetts lawmakers have advanced a measure to establish a state-sanctioned psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program. The psychedelics measure was inserted as an amendment into an economic development omnibus bill, which passed the House 148 to 2 on July 8. The move creates a narrow medical framework for legal access following the 2024 defeat of Question 4, a broader psychedelic legalization and decriminalization ballot measure.
If enacted, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health will develop a five-year pilot program authorizing up to three licensed mental health clinics to provide monitored care using naturally occurring psychedelics, such as psilocybin. The program strictly excludes commercial interests. Participating providers cannot be subsidiaries, affiliates, or members of cannabis industry organizations, psychedelic molecule development companies, or pharmaceutical corporations.
Notably, the proposed program would also establish a “Medical Psychedelics Fund” similar to New Mexico’s Medical Psilocybin Treatment Equity Fund, which MA grassroots advocates previously called on lawmakers to include in the now-amended framework. This provision carries immediate weight given the recent economic struggles for regulated psilocybin service centers and practitioners in Oregon, who are facing hefty licensing fee increases that industry stakeholders and state regulators have acknowledged could threaten the world’s first state-regulated psychedelic treatment program.
As for what’s next in The Bay State, the Massachusetts Senate is expected to draft and pass its own version of the economic development package in the coming weeks. The Department of Public Health will dictate clinical protocols, patient assessment regulations, and data tracking for treating conditions like PTSD and depression. That rulemaking process will determine whether the pilot program prioritizes accessible care or is shaped by private capital.
Flurry of Federal Action Signals WH is Serious about Psychedelic Regulatory Reforms
On Monday, July 13, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued final guidance on clinical investigations for psychedelic drugs. The move follows President Trump’s April executive order aimed at accelerating treatments for serious mental illness. The updated framework clarifies the agency’s stance on trial populations, pre-approval and post-approval safety assessments, and long-term follow-up.
To gather further feedback, the FDA also announced on Monday that the agency will hold a historic public hearing on September 14 at the agency’s Maryland office to discuss the therapeutic use of psychedelics in supervised settings. The agency opened registration Monday for virtual and in-person oral comments.
Just up the street in D.C., the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services announced and signed a memorandum of understanding Monday to collaborate on the research and potential rollout of FDA-approved psychedelic treatments for veterans.
In the private sector, Resilient Pharmaceuticals (the company formerly known as Lykos Therapeutics) is moving forward with a trademark claim for “Rysanso.” The filing, which covers pharmaceutical and psychedelic preparations, suggests the company is preparing for an FDA re-review of its MDMA compound after being initially rejected by the FDA in August 2024.
WNBA Adds Multiple Psychedelics to Banned Substance List
As first reported by Marijuana Moment, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and its players union have added the psychedelics dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ibogaine, psilocybin, and psilocin to the prohibited substances list for the first time. The decision contrasts with the league loosening restrictions on cannabis, CBD, and hemp use and investments by players.
While the ban explicitly adds a number of psychedelic compounds to the banned substances list, drug testing for these compounds can be complicated. Many of the listed compounds do not remain in the human bloodstream for more than 24 hours, making recent use difficult to verify.
Other professional sports leagues, including the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour, NHL, and UFC, have maintained a more hands-off approach to psychedelic use. NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers has widely discussed his use of ayahuasca, as has Miami Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer. Former Number 2 overall NFL draft pick Robert Gallery has also become an outspoken advocate for ibogaine research and expanded access – serving as an ambassador for Americans for Ibogaine and founding his own advocacy organization Athletes for Care.
On the hardcourt, two-time NBA champion Lamar Odom has spoken publicly about using ibogaine-assisted therapy to address longtime substance abuse struggles. Former NHL player Daniel Carcillo opened Experience Onward, a state-licensed psilocybin service center in Portland, Oregon most famous for playing host to Tech Investor and longevity science firebrand Bryan Johnson for his now-infamously live-streamed high dose psilocybin mushroom trip last year.
The WNBA’s ban sits in direct contrast to athletes in other leagues who are actively utilizing and building infrastructure for regulated access, mapping a clear divide in how sports governing bodies treat these compounds.
France’s First-Ever Phase III Clinical Trial for Psilocybin Launches
Researchers dosed the first participant in a groundbreaking clinic trial in France, a first-of-its-kind Phase III study evaluating psilocybin for relapse prevention in people living with alcohol use disorder and depressive symptoms.
While Germany and the Czech Republic have authorized compassionate use programs for medical psilocybin, Europe currently lacks large psychedelic therapy trials of European design and delivery to build the evidence base for regulatory approvals. ERPPAD is a Phase III trial conducted entirely in Europe and the first Phase III study globally to evaluate a classical psychedelic for addiction. A separate Phase III trial exclusively in Europe is currently evaluating ketamine, a legal anesthetic, for severe alcohol use disorder.
Alcohol use disorder remains a significant public health challenge, often accompanied by depression and a high risk of relapse. According to the World Health Organization, the European Region has the highest alcohol consumption levels globally, with adults consuming an average of 9.2 liters of pure alcohol every year. Alcohol contributes to nearly 800,000 deaths annually in the Region, mostly from noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. In 2019, alcohol was responsible for almost one in three injury deaths, 42% of homicides, 37% of suicides, and 35% of road deaths in the WHO European Region.
Psychedelic addiction treatment has historical precedent. In the late 1950s, Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson participated in LSD research and encouraged further study into whether psychedelics could help people recover from alcohol addiction.
Founder of Pioneering Analog Psychedelic Lab Arrested, Faces Extradition to U.S.
Last month, British chemist was arrested again and is facing life in a United States federal prison after authorities accused him of importing prohibited LSD-based psychedelic compounds,
In 2012, Alexander Stratford founded Lizard Labs and Synex Synthetics in the Netherlands to manufacture novel lysergamides, tryptamines, and phenethylamines. Both companies synthesized classical psychedelic analogues – such as 1P-LSD and 1cP-LSD. The companies’ websites labeled the chemicals strictly for laboratory research and claimed to block shipments to the US and the UK. However, US authorities now accuse Stratford of intentionally importing 1cP-LSD into the United States to circumvent federal drug laws.
A US coordinated law enforcement operation raided Lizard Labs in November 2022 and seized its domains. The company launched a replacement site in early 2023 but posted a closure notice for December 2024, citing escalating legal pressures. International authorities seized the second domain shortly after the announcement. For now, Stratford remains in the UK under strict curfew and travel bans pending a full extradition hearing.
Under the Controlled Substances Analogue Enforcement Act, the US treats compounds structurally or pharmacologically similar to Schedule I substances as fully prohibited. The chemist synthesized these compounds in a jurisdiction where they remained legally ambiguous or permitted. US enforcement does not recognize foreign scheduling status once the compounds enter the country.
The indictment forces a direct clash between international drug policies and aggressive US border enforcement. While European regulators have sometimes delayed scheduling novel LSD derivatives, the Drug Enforcement Administration maintains a rigid blockade against their importation.
A potential life sentence represents a severe penalty for an overseas manufacturer of psychedelic analogues and could set a striking legal precedent that affects the future of novel scientific compound synthesization and research. Ultimately, the coming trial will decide whether US courts can imprison foreign nationals for synthesizing compounds that are legal in their own operating jurisdictions.
This article was produced in partnership with Psychedelic State(s) of America – a nonprofit-sponsored news organization dedicated to rigorous independent psychedelic journalism. Learn more about PSA’s Media Partnerships Program and donate to the PSA Media Fund here.
FAQ from the editors of Psychedelics Today
What did the FDA announce about psychedelics in July 2026?
On July 13, 2026, the FDA issued final guidance on clinical investigations of psychedelic drugs, replacing its 2023 draft. The guidance clarifies the agency’s expectations for trial populations, pre-approval and post-approval safety assessments, and long-term follow-up. The same day, the FDA announced a September 14, 2026 public hearing on the therapeutic use of psychedelics in supervised settings.
When did the WNBA ban psychedelics?
Under the collective bargaining agreement finalized in 2026, the WNBA and its players union added DMT, ibogaine, psilocybin, and psilocin to the league’s prohibited substances list for the first time, while loosening restrictions on player use of and investment in cannabis, CBD, and hemp.
What is the ERPPAD trial?
ERPPAD is a Phase III clinical trial in France evaluating psilocybin for relapse prevention in people with alcohol use disorder and depressive symptoms. It dosed its first participant in July 2026. It is the first Phase III study of a classical psychedelic for addiction and the first conducted entirely in Europe.
What happened to Lykos Therapeutics after the FDA rejection?
After the FDA declined to approve its MDMA-assisted therapy application in August 2024, Lykos Therapeutics changed its name to Resilient Pharmaceuticals. In 2026 the company filed a trademark for “Rysanso” covering pharmaceutical and psychedelic preparations, a signal it is preparing for a renewed approval effort.
