VETS Provides Critical Testimony Supporting Nation’s Fourth State Program for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
On January 20, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed NJ A3852 into law, establishing the Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access and Therapy Pilot Program to conduct psilocybin-assisted therapy trials at three hospitals across the state. The legislation was strongly supported by Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, or VETS, a national leader in psychedelic therapy advocacy and research funding. VETS grant recipients Jeff and Stacey Swanson provided crucial testimony during legislative hearings, sharing their personal experiences with psychedelic-assisted therapy and emphasizing its potential to improve mental health care for veterans.
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Jeff Swanson, a Navy SEAL veteran with 23 years of service, described his experience during the hearings and expressed gratitude to lawmakers for recognizing the potential of psilocybin therapy. “It was an honor to speak about my experience with psychedelic-assisted therapy on behalf of VETS. I am thankful to everyone who listened and to the leaders who acted to advance legislation that promotes healing in New Jersey,” he said. Stacey Swanson, also a military veteran and Jeff’s spouse, shared the transformation she witnessed in her husband after his treatment. She said, “A3852 is for families who have lived in survival mode for years, carrying invisible wounds long after the uniform comes off. No family should have to send a loved one abroad out of desperation for care. I am deeply grateful to the representatives who heard families like mine and to the Governor for making supervised, safe treatment accessible here.”
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With this law, New Jersey joins Texas, Georgia, and Arizona in authorizing psilocybin therapy research programs. The legislation allocates six million dollars to support trials at one hospital in each region of the state and establishes an 11-member Psychedelic Therapy and Research Advisory Board to oversee the pilot program. Logan Davidson, Legislative Director at VETS, emphasized the importance of the program, saying, “This is a significant step in expanding access to evidence-based mental health treatments. New Jersey demonstrates how states can advance psychedelic therapy research with strong safety standards while providing patients who have exhausted conventional options a chance at potentially life-saving therapies.”
During the two-year pilot, the New Jersey Department of Health will issue requests for proposals to hospitals wishing to participate in psilocybin trials. Once the pilot concludes, the state will provide recommendations regarding the continuation, expansion, and regulation of psilocybin access in New Jersey.
The legislation highlights VETS’ evolution from a grant-making nonprofit into a national leader in veteran mental health policy. Since 2019, VETS has secured more than $124 million to support psychedelic-assisted therapy research and achieved several policy milestones. These include helping pass Texas House Bill 1802 in 2021 to fund psilocybin research for veterans, sponsoring federal legislation for active-duty service members in 2023, advancing regulated psychedelic access in California in 2024, and forming the national VALOR coalition in 2025 alongside prominent veteran organizations. That same year, VETS influenced psychedelic therapy funding and policy in Georgia and Texas, accelerating clinical trials for PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and substance use disorders with over $100 million in public investment. These achievements underline VETS’ ongoing commitment to evidence-based mental health solutions for veterans and all Americans facing mental health challenges.
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