The Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) activist group wants to influence comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on psychedelic drugs.
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The FDA is accepting public comments through October 5th after holding a recent hearing on the issue.
So SSDP is encouraging researchers, clinicians, patients, advocates, people with experience, and members of the public to use a federal comment tool created by SSDP’s grassroots network to submit comments directly to the FDA.
The Feds and Legal Psychedelic Drugs
The FDA hearing brought federal officials, researchers, clinicians, advocates, and other stakeholders to provide perspectives on the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs. Eighty people were selected to speak from hundreds who applied. There was a combination of in-person and virtual speakers, including two representatives from SSDP.
The testimony was overwhelmingly positive about the potential future therapeutic use of psychedelics. Rather than debating whether psychedelics have therapeutic potential,
Most speakers focused on what responsible access should look like. That included patient safeguards, provider qualifications, quality assurance, data collection, and equitable access.
“Speaker after speaker came to the FDA ready to talk seriously about how we move psychedelic therapies forward safely and responsibly,” said SSDP Executive Director Kat Murti.
“The debate in the room wasn’t really about whether psychedelics have a future in medicine. It was about what that future should look like and who gets to help shape it,” she added.
“Psychedelics regulation must protect public health without entrenching exclusion,” said SSDP Ambassador Jorge Valderrábano, Advocacy Officer at Agora Innovation Lab, who spoke at the FDA hearing. “The clearest path forward is a phased, evidence-based framework that combines certified sites, regulated supply, mandatory safety standards, accountable clinicians, and transparent reporting while progressively expanding access beyond hospital settings.”
The FDA hearing also highlighted debate about how psychedelic-assisted care could be structured. That includes questions about the role of therapy and who should be permitted to facilitate psychedelic care.
“The biggest divide I noticed was around whether therapy should be required and who should be allowed to facilitate psychedelic care,” said SSDP Ambassador Zane Qarni, who attended the hearing. “Different professionals had very different ideas of what the future of psychedelic treatment should look like.”
Feds Moving Fast on Psychedelic Drug Legalization
Federal attention to psychedelic drugs has accelerated significantly in 2026. In April, Executive Order 14401 directed federal agencies to accelerate psychedelic research and expedite drug approvals.
In July, FDA finalized its first guidance specifically addressing psychedelic drug clinical investigations. On September 14th, they convened a major public hearing on the potential future therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs.
