Texas is preparing to invest $50 million in a somewhat unconventional approach to treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and opioid addiction, a psychedelic substance called ibogaine. Governor Greg Abbott recently signed Senate Bill 2308, a move that sets the stage for clinical trials investigating the potential benefits and risks of this natural compound. According to a 2024 study by Stanford Medicine, ibogaine, derived from the root of a shrub called Iboga, has been used for centuries in traditional ceremonies and healing practices, although it is not currently approved by regulators in the United States.
The legislation has received strong support from organizations that aid military veterans and first responders, many of whom suffer from trauma-related disorders. During a signing ceremony, Abbott stressed that Texas is home to more veterans than any other state, adding that many suffer from invisible injuries, depression, and struggles with substance use disorders. The new legislation aims to enable both academic and private-sector research to determine whether ibogaine might be a viable path forward alongside or in place of conventional treatments, as reported by the Austin American-Statesman.
One of the most passionate advocates for this approach is Marcus Luttrell, a former Navy SEAL and veteran from Magnolia, northwest of Houston. His testimony before the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee this spring captured the struggles he faced following his military service, and how a single experience with ibogaine, which is legally available in Mexico and Canada, had a dramatic impact on his health. The Stanford study that supported these reports followed 30 U.S. Special Forces veterans, many battling severe psychiatric symptoms and even suicidal thoughts, and for them, the treatment appeared to ease their struggles in a way that other drugs hadn’t.
“In all my workups and all my deployments, the injuries that I sustained through all of those, the Seals were taught to compartmentalize all that. We just throw it on the back and we just keep going,” said Luttrell.
While the state prepares for this new path forward, there are significant questions about its safety, oversight, and eventual delivery to patients. A 2021 study by the National Institutes of Health raised concerns about cases of heart-related deaths following ibogaine use. Nevertheless, State Senator Tan Parker, the author of the legislation, said he expects additional private investment to aid in conducting the trials. According to Parker, within 60 days, the Department of Health and Human Services will start accepting proposals from hospitals, medical schools, and drug developers who wish to collaborate on this endeavor.
