Joe Biden is ‘very open-minded’ about psychedelics, his brother Frank claims

Under Biden administration, funding has been provided for studies of psychedelic treatments

Joe Biden is “very open-minded” about the prospect of psychedelic drugs being used medicinally, according to the president’s youngest brother.

Frank Biden said in an interview on Wednesday on SiriusXM’s The Michael Smerconish Program that he was curious about the potential of psychedelic treatments because of past struggles with alcoholism, and said he had spoken with the president about this and other topics relating to psychedelics.

“He is very open-minded,” Frank Biden said, adding, “The question is, is the world, is the US ready for this?”

“My opinion is that we are on the cusp of a consciousness that needs to be brought about to solve a lot of the problems in and around addiction, but as importantly, to make us aware of the fact that we’re all one people and we’ve got to come together.”

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.

Researchers are studying whether psilocybin, a compound found in mushrooms, can change the way the brain organises itself as a means to treat conditions like depression, alcoholism, and PTSD.

While researchers across the country are studying psychedelic medicines, and some states like Oregon have legalised recreational use of mushrooms, groups like the American Psychiatric Association haven’t yet endorsed psilocybin for mental health treatment, according to the Associated Press.

Under the Biden administration, the National Institutes of Health and other agencies have provided funding for studies on psychedelic medicines.

In 2022, US Department of Health and Human Services assistant secretary for mental health and substance use Miriam Delphin-Rittmon wrote in a letter to Congress that psychedelic therapies “must be explored” and that the Biden administration “anticipates” the approval of MDMA/ecstasy and psilocybin within the next two years, according to The Intercept.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has also promoted the opportunity to study the science and legal implications of psychedelic therapies, with NIDA director Nora Volkow telling Congress in May such practices have “significant potential” and are a topic of “great interest” for researchers.

Last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs began trials of offering psychedelics and psychotherapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

“This is a watershed moment,” Dr Rachel Yehuda, director of mental health at the James J Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx, which is leading one of the studies, told The New York Times in 2022. “This is a time for a lot of hope.”

In 2017 and 2018, the Food and Drug Administration certified MDMA and psilocybin as “breakthrough therapies” for treating PTSD and depression, a designation that allows for scientific studies and the potential embrace of new medicines for medical access, based of a conclusion that the new therapies show more promising initial results than standard treatments.