The January 2, 2025 Joe Rogan Experience interview with former Texas Governor Rick Perry and W. Bryan Hubbard who was the first chairman of the Kentucky Opioid Commission covered the topic of ibogaine. Many people are not aware of its healing properties as a psychedelic. It was classified in 1970 as a Class I drug later tied to the US Controlled Substances Act (CSA) so its distribution, sale and use is prohibited even for clinical research trials. The federal CSA was part of President Richard Nixon's declared war on drugs (WOD).
Current treatment methods for people with opiate drug addiction(s) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have not been encouraging over time. Why this excitement about a psychedelic called ibogaine? The limited published research shows promise in its use to heal people from opiate drug addiction, PTSD and other substance addictions.
Governor Perry's disciplined excitement in the Joe Rogan interview (referencing the January 2024 Stanford University study) of very positive outcomes for people receiving it in a prescribed manner and medical oversight shows he is convinced of its effectiveness with the need for repeat treatments very low. No information from the interview was provided about ibogaine dosage, cost per dose and cost for clinical treatment.
"Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive compound found in the root bark of the Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub native to Central and West Africa. How ibogaine works in the brain is not well understood. It interacts with numerous neurotransmitters in the central nervous system, including components of the acetylcholine, serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, and opioid systems. Its effects are prolonged, beginning half an hour to three hours after ingestion and peaking after eighteen to thirty-six hours." This information is from the Univertiy of Califronia Berkeley's Center for the Science of Psychedelics. Here is the ibogaine molecule.
"Ibogaine can be dangerous. There are numerous reports in the scientific literature of people having fatal cardiac events after taking ibogaine. Because ibogaine can affect the heartbeat, it can be particularly risky for people with preexisting cardiac problems or when mixed with other drugs."
"For centuries, members of the Bwiti religion have used iboga as a sacrament in rituals . . . " Ibogaine's use is new to nations since 1900 outside of the central Africa home of the Bwiti culture.
"Purified ibogaine hydrochloride was first introduced to European consumers in 1939 under the name Lambarène. It was sold in France until around 1970 as an antidepressant that could improve mood and physical strength, and was used by athletes and those recovering from illness. Ibogaine's potential to interrupt drug addiction was first recognized in 1962 by Howard Lotsof, a heroin addict who experimented with ibogaine. The experience was so transformative Lotsof spent the rest of his life advocating for it as a cure for substance abuse."
"Schedule I drugs are those that have the following characteristic according to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA):
According to federal law, no prescriptions may be written for Schedule I substances, and they are not readily available for clinical use." The US DEA web site describes five drug classification schedules.
The online Ibogaine Journal lists some countries where it can be accessed. Canada allows doctors to prescribe it with supervised medical use. Mexico has no specific laws on ibogaine making it a top spot for people looking for ibogaine treatments. "Its lack of strict rules pulls in those seeking different ways to treat addiction."
European countries apply different ibogaine laws. "Belgium prohibits the possession, distribution, or production of ibogaine without explicit permission." France and Sweden have criminalized it. Portugal decriminalized its possession in 2001. Doctors in Brazil can prescribe ibogaine since 2016. Costa Rica and Gabon allows its purchase and use. Ibogaine's public access depends on country of residence.
The recent Joe Rogan interview about ibogaine's efficacy should place political and public pressure on the US DEA to move it from Shedule I to a lower schedule so it can be available for US based clinical research trials leading to possible public benefits. The federal WOD's unintended consequences continue today which no one imagined in the early 1970's. It is time the federal government declare defeat in this part of the WOD and surrender to the reality of life.