Puerto Rico Governor Orders Psychedelics Research

SAN JUAN – Puerto Rico’s governor has directed the territory’s health department to examine the practical steps needed to advance clinical research into emerging therapies, including certain psychedelic compounds. The move positions a commonwealth to explore regulated trials aimed at serious mental health and substance-use challenges.

Governor Jenniffer González-Colón signed Executive Order 2026-037, instructing the Secretary of the Department of Health to assess the feasibility of a Pilot Clinical Research Program for Emerging Therapies. The order defines emerging therapies to include psychedelic approaches and ibogaine, along with compounds like psilocybin and MDMA that remain under investigational status.

The directive prioritizes work that could benefit veterans and other groups facing complex mental health conditions, neurodegenerative diseases and substance use disorders. An advisory committee drawn from clinical research experts, the Administration of Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services, academia and the private sector is to evaluate scientific, regulatory and operational requirements. A preliminary report is expected within the early phase of the process, followed by a full written assessment within 120 days of the committee’s formation.

Officials linked the order to a broader federal effort. In April, a presidential executive order accelerated review pathways for certain psychedelic substances and made federal funding available for state and territorial research programs focused on serious mental illness. Puerto Rico’s initiative seeks to strengthen local capacity for controlled, multicenter clinical trials that meet both territorial and federal standards, potentially allowing the territory to pursue those resources.

The order makes clear that it does not authorize routine clinical use of these substances. Its stated purpose is to build the institutional readiness for rigorous, regulated research rather than to expand treatment access outside investigational frameworks. Health Secretary Víctor Ramos Otero has indicated the committee will examine how Puerto Rico can submit research proposals that align with existing federal rules governing Schedule I compounds.

Local statements from the governor’s office and the Department of Health framed the step as an effort to place Puerto Rico among jurisdictions actively preparing scientific infrastructure for novel therapies. The territory is home to more than 70,000 registered veterans, a population cited in discussions of mental health needs.

The executive order marks a formal start to evaluating whether Puerto Rico can develop the specialized capacity required for psychedelic and related clinical trials. The 120-day reporting timeline will determine the concrete recommendations that follow, including any pathway toward federal research support.