CINCINNATI — Texas has launched the largest publicly funded research initiative for ibogaine, investing $50 million to study the plant-based psychoactive compound as a potential breakthrough treatment for addiction.
Bryan Hubbard, Executive Director of the American Ibogaine Initiative, successfully advocated for the Texas program after facing resistance in other states, including Kentucky.
"Making sure that folks understand what ibogaine is, what it does, and why it is very distinct from all those things that individuals would customarily associate broadly with psychedelics," Hubbard said.
See more about the drug and the research for addiction treatment in the video player below:
Hubbard emphasized that ibogaine is not recreational but a serious medication. "When a lot of people, especially in red state America, hear [psychedelics], they see a bunch of hippies rolling around in the mud in Woodstock back in 1968, that's created some significant cultural resistance to the introduction of what are truly transformative therapeutics in American society," Hubbard said.
"What folks have to understand about ibogaine is number one, it's a very serious medication. It has no recreational purpose or application whatsoever, which is why most people have never heard of it," Hubbard said.
Despite challenges faced in Kentucky, Hubbard remains committed to expanding research in the Tri-State.
"Interestingly enough, one of the states with leadership that's highly interested in this is the state of Indiana. There have been several legislators reaching out who want to get things rolling there in January of 2026. Ohio remains actively interested," Hubbard said.
Hubbard's dedication to this cause is rooted in personal experiences with addiction within his family across generations. Studies indicate that ibogaine's effectiveness in treating substance dependence varies, with success rates ranging from 30% to 80% within 48 hours by resetting the brain's neurochemistry.
