Plant Medicine & Modalities
An honest, evidence-graded encyclopedia of the medicines veterans ask about — what each one is being studied for, its real legal status, and the single risk that matters most. No hype, no promises.
Nothing here is medical advice or an endorsement of any substance. Every benefit shown on this page is evidence-graded, and several are still Hypothesis — being studied, not proven. No modality on this page is shown to be safe or effective for any condition.
Legality varies by where you live. Several medicines below are federally illegal in the United States (Schedule I). Operation Whole Health does not promote, facilitate, or instruct illegal use of anything — you are responsible for verifying what is legal in your own jurisdiction.
This content is DRAFT and unsigned. Patient-facing clinical material must be reviewed and signed by a named licensed physician before real-world use, and every go/no-go decision belongs to your treating clinician.
In crisis, call or text 988, then press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.
Every modality, graded, by drug class
These medicines are being explored or studied — none is approved here to treat a condition, with the one narrow regulatory exception noted for esketamine. Legal status is stated as the source documents state it; verify your local law before anything.
| Modality | Class | Studied for | US legal status | Signature risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic psychedelics — serotonergic (5-HT2A) | ||||
| Psilocybin | Classic psychedelic | Depression, alcohol use, PTSD, end-of-life distress Plausible | Schedule I (trials; some state programs) | Psychological (psychosis / bipolar); transient BP/HR |
| LSD | Classic psychedelic | Anxiety, depression Hypothesis | Schedule I | Very long duration; psychological; HPPD |
| DMT / Ayahuasca | Classic psychedelic | Depression, trauma Hypothesis | Schedule I (some religious exemptions) | Rapid intensity; cardiovascular; ayahuasca is an MAOI (major interactions) |
| 5-MeO-DMT | Classic psychedelic | Depression, addiction Hypothesis | Schedule I | Extreme intensity; physical / airway safety |
| Mescaline (peyote / San Pedro) | Classic psychedelic | Trauma, addiction Hypothesis | Schedule I (peyote exemptions) | Long duration; cardiovascular |
| Entactogens / empathogens | ||||
| MDMA | Entactogen | PTSD Plausible | Schedule I (late-stage trials) | Serotonin syndrome; hyperthermia; hyponatremia |
| Dissociatives — NMDA antagonists | ||||
| Ketamine / Esketamine | Dissociative | Depression, suicidality, PTSD Plausible | Schedule III (ketamine off-label; esketamine FDA-approved) | Bladder toxicity; dependence; dissociation; BP |
| Iboga alkaloids | ||||
| Ibogaine | Iboga alkaloid | Opioid / other addiction Plausible; TBI, PTSD Hypothesis | Schedule I | Cardiac — QT prolongation, fatal arrhythmia |
| Cannabinoids | ||||
| Cannabis (THC / CBD) | Cannabinoid | PTSD, pain, sleep Hypothesis | Schedule I federally; many states legal | Dose-dependent psychosis; cardiovascular; dependence |
| Atypical — plant / opioid-adjacent | ||||
| Kratom (mitragynine) | Atypical / opioid-adjacent | Opioid withdrawal, pain, mood Hypothesis | Unscheduled federally; varies by state | Dependence / withdrawal; hepatotoxicity; toxicity |
Briefs for DMT/ayahuasca, 5-MeO-DMT, mescaline, and esketamine follow the same template and are next in the build queue; the library is extensible, and new medicines are added by class.
The ones veterans ask about most
One honest sentence, the single risk that matters most, and a link to the full graded brief. These seven are built out first; the rest live in the library.
Ibogaine
A plant-derived compound that acts on many brain systems at once and, in preclinical studies, raises neurotrophic factors such as BDNF, studied mainly for addiction and, increasingly in veterans, for TBI and PTSD — a Stanford study of 30 Special Operations veterans reported large but early, open-label improvements, not proof.
Signature risk: The heart. It prolongs the QT interval and can cause a fatal arrhythmia at normal doses even without prior heart disease, with risk lasting days; CYP2D6 poor metabolizers get roughly double the exposure.
US legal status: Schedule I (federal).
Full brief →MDMA
A compound that raises serotonin and can produce feelings of emotional closeness and openness, studied primarily to help people process trauma in PTSD therapy.
Signature risk: Because it floods serotonin, combining it with SSRIs, SNRIs, or MAOIs can trigger serotonin syndrome, a medical emergency; also hyperthermia and hyponatremia from over-drinking water.
US legal status: Schedule I (federal); late-stage trials.
Full brief →Ketamine / Esketamine
An anesthetic that at lower doses produces a dissociative state and is thought to rapidly boost neuroplasticity — the most medically accessible option — explored for depression, suicidality, and PTSD.
Signature risk: Acute dissociation and a transient BP/HR rise; with repeated or frequent use, bladder damage ("ketamine cystitis") and dependence.
US legal status: Schedule III; esketamine is FDA-approved (Spravato) for treatment-resistant depression.
Full brief →Psilocybin
The active compound in "magic mushrooms," acting on serotonin 5-HT2A receptors and thought to promote neuroplasticity, studied for depression, alcohol use, PTSD, and end-of-life distress.
Signature risk: Psychological — it can destabilize people with a history of psychosis or bipolar disorder; also a transient BP/HR rise and, rarely, lingering visual changes (HPPD).
US legal status: Schedule I (federal); trials and some state programs.
Full brief →LSD
A potent, long-acting serotonergic psychedelic — an experience up to roughly 12 hours — with a mechanism similar to psilocybin, studied for anxiety and depression.
Signature risk: The very long duration magnifies the psychological demand; risks include destabilization in vulnerable people, HPPD, and transient high blood pressure.
US legal status: Schedule I (federal).
Full brief →Cannabis (THC / CBD)
Acts on the body's cannabinoid system (THC intoxicating, CBD not) and is used by many veterans for PTSD symptoms, pain, and sleep — though the evidence for PTSD specifically is still limited.
Signature risk: Psychosis — reviews show a dose-dependent increase in risk, earlier onset, and worse course, especially with personal or family predisposition; also cardiovascular strain and dependence.
US legal status: Schedule I federally; legal in many states.
Full brief →Kratom (mitragynine)
A Southeast Asian plant whose alkaloids act partly on opioid receptors, often self-used for opioid withdrawal, pain, and mood — not a psychedelic, but common in this population, so honest education matters.
Signature risk: Real risk of dependence and withdrawal, liver injury, seizures, and life-threatening toxicity, especially combined with other drugs; it is unregulated, so strength varies wildly — "natural" does not mean safe.
US legal status: Unscheduled federally; restricted in some states.
Full brief →How preparation works — and where to read the full detail
- Read the full, graded Modality Education Library — the complete patient-facing brief for every medicine.
- See the per-medicine safety annexes in the Readiness Standard — Protocol v1 (Universal).
Operation Whole Health — Patriot-founded 501(c)(3). Plant Medicine & Modalities — prototype page, DRAFT v0.1.
Educational/organizational only; not medical advice, and not an endorsement of any substance. Substances referenced carry serious risks and vary in legality by jurisdiction; all clinical decisions belong to treating clinicians. In crisis? Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.