The head of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reiterating that he’s “very open” to expanding access to psychedelics therapy for veterans—emphasizing that he’s intent on finding ways to “cure” people with serious mental health conditions and not just treat their surface-level  symptoms.

In an interview with Newsmax TV that VA Secretary Doug Collins posted a video of to X on Sunday, he discussed anecdotal stories about the curative potential of psychedelics such as ibogaine and DMT, stressing that the department is “very serious” about tapping into that potential.

Collins noted that VA either internally or through private partnerships is actively conducting about a dozen clinical trials into “various different substances that we’re seeing actually really good results on,” including one based at VA Bronx Health Care that’s investigating MDMA-assisted therapy with “actually really, really good results.”

“I think that’s the part that is very good for me,” he said, adding that VA is also working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to identify ways to expand the clinical trials and “get it into the testing phase for more veterans to be able to use this.”

During the interview, Collins was also shown a recent clip of Navy SEAL veteran Rob O’Neill, who killed Osama Bin Laden, talking about his theory that the federal government has intentionally avoided providing access to psychedelic medicine because cures are less profitable than long-term treatments. Collins responded by saying, “I’m going to tell you right now: This secretary of veterans affairs, myself, I want to heal people.”

“I want to see people healed. I want to see them back to normal. I want to see them in productive lives with their families,” he said. “As a veteran who’s seen this many, many times before, I’m not one to stick us in treatments. I want to see cures, and that’s what we’re about now.”

“I want to make it very clear: I’m very open to this. I want to see it moved out, because I see it actually helping our veterans,” the secretary said. “But also, you know, one of the things we have to be very careful of—and I think, you know, as much respect as I have for those talking about it, they may not be the solution for everybody. But if it’s a solution for some, I want to make sure that it happen.”

“So as we deal with it in the VA—and we are starting more and more trials and working through it—we have our doctors, our psychiatrists and others who are there who can do the administration of the drug then actually watch, listen and talk to the individuals,” he said. “What we’re finding a lot of times is a mix of not only an application of treatment, but also an intensive counseling with that is showing numbers to be really, really good—lowering the levels, lowering those anxieties, lowering those fears. And so look, I’m not ever going to put something on the side that can work for our veterans.”

Collins did acknowledge, however, that “a lot of it is still tied up with regulation in the federal government.”

“But we’re working with HHS to say, ‘How can we move forward on these things so people aren’t having to go elsewhere, out of country to other places, to get these treatments?’ We want to make sure that we’re trying to do the best we can for our veterans here,” he said.

Meanwhile, last week a GOP-controlled House committee approved an amendment attached to a must-pass defense bill that would require a “progress report” on an ongoing psychedelic therapy pilot program for active duty military service members and veterans.

The amendment, led by Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), passed as part of an en bloc package of proposed changes to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the House Armed Services Committee.

The 2024 NDAA specifically required DOD to establish a process by which service members with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury could participate in clinical trials involving psilocybin, MDMA, ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT.

While Congress has been notably amenable to psychedelics research proposals in recent sessions, the House Rules Committee last week separately blocked a bipartisan amendment to a spending bill led by Luttrell that would have given DOD another $10 million to support clinical trials into the therapeutic potential of substances such as ibogaine and psilocybin.

Meanwhile, bipartisan congressional lawmakers recently met with the VA secretary to discuss pathways to provide access to psychedelic medicine as an alternative treatment option for conditions such as PTSD.

After requesting the meeting with VA Secretary Doug Collins in May, Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI)—founding co-chairs of the Congressional Psychedelic Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus—said the three had a productive conversations about advancing psychedelics therapy for the veteran community.

Collins has stood out as a VA secretary who’s especially passionate about exploring the potential of substances such as ibogaine and MDMA to provide relief from serious mental health conditions, coordinating with other officials including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said recently that his aim is to free up plant-based medicine options within 12 months.

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) separately said the psychedelic ibogaine represents an “astonishing breakthrough” in the nation’s current “sick care system” that’s left people with serious mental health conditions without access to promising alternative treatment options—and he intends to use his influence to advance the issue.

Separately, the U.S. House of Representatives recently included an amendment to a spending bill from Correa and Bergman that would encourage VA to support research into the benefits of psychedelics in treating medical conditions commonly affecting military veterans.

Collins, for his part, also disclosed in April that he had an “eye-opening” talk with Kennedy about the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine. And he said he’s open to the idea of having the government provide vouchers to cover the costs of psychedelic therapy for veterans who receive services outside of VA as Congress considers pathways for access.

The secretary’s visit to the psychedelics research center came about a month after the VA secretary met with a military veteran who’s become an advocate for psilocybin access to discuss the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine for the veteran community.

Collins also briefly raised the issue in a Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump in April.

Correa and Bergman separately introduced a bill in April to provide $30 million in funding annually to establish psychedelics-focused “centers for excellence” at VA facilities, where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine.

—
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Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—

Bergman has also expressed optimism about the prospects of advancing psychedelics reform under Trump, arguing that the administration’s efforts to cut spending and the federal workforce will give agencies “spines” to tackle such complex issues.

Kennedy, for his part, also said in April that he had a “wonderful experience” with LSD at 15 years old, which he took because he thought he’d be able to see dinosaurs, as portrayed in a comic book he was a fan of.

Last October, Kennedy specifically criticized FDA under the prior administration over the agency’s “suppression of psychedelics” and a laundry list of other issues that he said amounted to a “war on public health” that would end under the Trump administration.

In December, VA separately announced 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).

Last year, VA’s Yehuda also touted an initial study the agency funded that produced “stunning and robust results” from its first-ever clinical trial into MDMA therapy.

In January, former VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal said that it was “very encouraging” that Trump’s pick to have Kennedy lead HHS has supported psychedelics reform. And he hoped to work with him on the issue if he stayed on for the next administration, but that didn’t pan out.

DC marijuana sales ban advances in Congress; Fed event speaker: Legalization doesn’t boost youth use; TX hemp bills; MA sales

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

The U.S. Senate confirmed Terrance Cole as administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the National Cannabis Industry Association sent a letter urging him to complete the federal rescheduling process in a “timely and transparent manner.”

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government approved a bill containing a rider to keep blocking Washington, D.C. from legalizing recreational marijuana sales, and leaving out cannabis banking language that was included in past sessions.

Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) filed a bill to let small marijuana growers and manufacturers ship products directly to consumers across state lines via the U.S. Postal Service once federal cannabis prohibition ends.

A top marijuana researcher at a federal event hosted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration said legalization doesn’t increase youth cannabis use and there’s even been a “decrease in rates of consumption” in recent years.

• He also discussed issues like terpenes, impairment testing, CBD products and the need for more nuanced regulation around cannabinoids themselves.

The Texas Senate State Affairs Committee approved a bill to ban consumable hemp products with any amount of THC as Gov. Greg Abbott (R) appeared to shift his position on the issue after previously vetoing similar legislation.

Pennsylvania senators filed a bill to clarify that a person’s status as a medical cannabis patient cannot be used against them in parental custody rulings in family court.

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission announced that retailers in the state have now sold more than $8 billion worth of recreational marijuana products since legalization—in addition to nearly $1.5 billion in medical cannabis sales.

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that cities and counties cannot stack local marijuana taxes.

A Missouri Cannabis Regulation Division official said its new process of conducting unannounced visits to marijuana facilities to collect product samples for testing shouldn’t disrupt business operations.

South Dakota farmers see hemp as a way to bring jobs to small towns and to pull heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

/ FEDERAL

President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Sara Carter, tweeted that a bill he signed to classify fentanyl-related substances in Schedule I is a “formidable weapon against the cartels and their dealers.”

The Library of Congress published an article about a new Italian hemp restriction law.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) tweeted that he’s “glad to see the EPA launching a formal investigation into the toxic pesticides being used at illegal grow sites in Siskiyou County. This isn’t just about illegal marijuana—it’s about banned chemicals contaminating soil and water and organized crime networks operating unchecked in rural California.”

/ STATES

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said psychedelic therapy “isn’t a red or a blue issue. This is an American issue. This is a human being issue.”

The chair of the Pennsylvania House Health Committee said his panel will not take up a version of bipartisan marijuana legalization legislation and that the Senate should approve it first to “show us that there is a real serious interest” in the issue.

Alabama regulators are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging their medical cannabis business licensing process.

Minnesota regulators held a lottery to award cannabis retailer business licenses.

Kentucky regulators conducted their first inspection of a medical cannabis dispensary.

California regulators held a workshop about the cannabis appellations program.

Washington State regulators sent a newsletter with updates on various cannabis issues.

Vermont regulators will host an event about cannabis rule amendments on Thursday.

—
Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

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/ LOCAL

The Colorado Springs, Colorado City Council overrode the mayor’s veto of marijuana revenue legislation.

/ INTERNATIONAL

The UK National Health Service will publish medical cannabis patient data by the end of the year.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study “supports Bedrocan® medical cannabis as an alternative treatment for [fibromyalgia] with a potential effect on [functional dyspepsia] and [irritable bowel syndrome] symptoms.”

A study found that “cannabis industry workers are at risk for [work-related asthma], emphasizing the need for interventions to address workplace respiratory hazards.”

/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS

The Ohio Cannabis Coalition is launching a campaign to encourage safe marijuana use.

/ BUSINESS

Acreage and Verano are urging a federal judge to dismiss class action lawsuits accusing them of selling products with unlawfully high levels of THC.

Miss Grass launched a cinematic ad campaign for its hemp-derived gummies.

/ CULTURE

Former football player Ricky Williams discussed his cannabis meeting at the White House.

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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

Minnesota’s relationship with weed is getting more creative by the minute.

As the state rolls out its recreational cannabis sales in 2025, one city is already making headlines with a bold, very berry-flavored move: launching its own line of government-branded THC gummies. But that’s not all. They’re asking residents to help name them.

Welcome to Eden Prairie, a Minneapolis suburb that just became the first municipality in Minnesota to put out a city-sponsored weed edible. Crafted “specifically for sleep,” each mixed-berry gummy contains 5mg of THC and 30mg of CBN, a cannabinoid known for its calming properties. The 10-packs will be sold at local Eden Prairie Liquor stores for $19.99, starting this fall.

“This isn’t just any gummy. It’s our gummy,” the city declared in its call for submissions. “It deserves a name as bold, vibrant, and unforgettable as the Eden Prairie community itself.” What are they looking for? Basically: the best, brightest or weirdest name idea.

The rules are simple:

• You must be 21 or older and live in Eden Prairie.
• No profanity, politics, or self-referential names.
• One entry per person.
• Submissions open through July 29.
• The top 3 names will be posted on Facebook for public voting August 4–8.
• The winner gets their chosen name on the product—and a free gummy pack!

That’s right. Legal weed, straight from the city… and your idea could be all over it.

Local control + legal creativity

While Minnesota legalized adult-use cannabis in 2023, dispensaries won’t open statewide until next year. In the meantime, hemp-derived THC products like these gummies are completely legal under a 2022 law that quietly kickstarted a green rush in gas stations, liquor stores, and even state fairs.

Now, cities like Eden Prairie are taking things into their own hands.

“Beer and wine sales are down. The category of growth is THC,” said Paul Kaspszak, Executive Director of the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association. “The future is now, so you might as well find any advantage you can.”

Municipal cannabis isn’t new to Minnesota, either; at least 13 cities and counties have applied to operate their own dispensaries. Cities like Anoka and Osseo are already building facilities in anticipation of OCM (Office of Cannabis Management) approvals.

Tribes like the White Earth Nation are already running cannabis shops outside their reservations, thanks to a deal signed by Governor Tim Walz allowing up to eight tribal stores statewide. Meanwhile, OCM just issued Minnesota’s first official cultivation license last month, marking the first steps in a broader, regulated adult-use rollout.

But, why a sleep gummy?

Turns out, sleep support is one of the largest in-demand use cases for THC in the state’s emerging edible market.

“The No. 1 thing we’ve seen people coming in and wanting is a beverage or gummy that will help at night,” said Eden Prairie Liquor’s Jaime Urbina. “This is a community option.”

With that in mind, the city clearly pays attention and brings solutions to its citizens by crafting a gentle but effective edible-focused efforts. The high dose of CBN paired with low-dose THC is ideal for people looking to wind down.

Thus, this gummy is more than a mere THC product: it’s a local legacy, a vibe, and a chance to make weed history as a community.

So if you’re from Eden Prairie, it’s time to get creative.

Send this to your Minnesotan friends and tell them: NAME! THAT! GUMMY!

Cover photo: James Montgomery Flagg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (edited)