Beyond the Foxhole: How Psychedelic Policy Coalitions Are Expanding From Veterans to First Responders Nationwide

Veterans remain central to psychedelic policy reform, but firefighters, police officers, and EMTs are increasingly joining state-level coalitions and advocating for research and access. Examples include Oklahoma's authorization of ibogaine clinical-trial contracts after a campaign led by the Casey Skudin 343 Fund, Texas funding for ibogaine development with support from the Austin EMS Association, and testimony from police and emergency workers in Massachusetts. Missouri legislation would extend access to veterans and first responders, while North Carolina's HEAL Act includes both groups in proposed research on MDMA, psilocybin, and ibogaine. The expansion is also geographic: Iowa's stalled psilocybin bill influenced an ALEC model policy, and Massachusetts advanced a supervised psychedelic-assisted treatment pilot. The argument is that broader coalitions make reform more durable, reflect shared trauma among public-safety workers and veterans, and strengthen rather than dilute veteran-led advocacy.