Gov. Abbott signs bill directing Texas to invest $50M in psychedelics research

Gov. Abbott signs ibogaine research bill

Gov. Greg Abbott signs Senate Bill 2308 authorizing the state to spend $50 million to research the effects of ibogaine.

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas is preparing to spend $50 million researching an African plant with psychedelic effects for its potential to treat addiction and depression.

What we know:

Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday will sign Senate Bill 2308, which allocates funding to create a research group to study the effects and medical benefits of ibogaine. The hope is to develop an ibogaine drug that receives approval for clinical trials from the United States Food and Drug Administration.

The bill, authored by Sen. Tan Parker, establishes a consortium of universities, drug developers and hospitals to oversee the development and testing of any drugs they create.

In doing so, Texas will become the first state to initiate a study on Ibogaine and retain a 20 percent stake in drugs developed during the trials with 25 percent of those funds going to programs that assist veterans.

What they're saying:

"This is about the opportunity to restore the lives of so many veterans that have put their lives on the line for all of us, that literally have put their lives on the line for all those years, and they've suffered as a result, tremendously," Parker said. "And so the promise that ibogaine provides, we think is very significant."

During Wednesday's bill signing, Abbott said ibogaine showed "great promise" for treating people struggling with addiction, depression and PTSD.

"Texas is now leading the way in the United States for the evaluation of ibogaine as a potential medication that can help improve the lives of so many Americans," Abbott said.

The state will be looking for grants and private funding to match its $50 million investment.

"The money that Texas is investing will already be put in based on a match, based on private funds being contributed by people that have great expertise," Parker said.

What is ibogaine?

Dig deeper:

Ibogaine is a psychoactive compound that comes from the root of a shrub that's native to Central and West Africa.

Research from the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics states ibogaine has been used in the past to treat addiction to drugs like opioids, heroin, and cocaine; and as an antidepressant. Ibogaine treatment is currently used in areas of Mexico and New Zealand where it is given with close medical supervision.

In the United States, ibogaine is considered a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule 1 drugs are classified as having a high potential for abuse and have no currently accepted medical use.

Previous studies

The backstory:

In 2024, Stanford Medical worked with 30 U.S. special forces veterans who were going to Mexico to receive ibogaine treatment for traumatic brain injuries.

At the clinic, the veterans were given oral ibogaine and magnesium to help prevent heart complications, which is a side effect of ibogaine.

The study showed that the treatment led to a nearly 90% reduction in PTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms compared to before the treatment. Formal tests showed improvement in the veterans' concentration, memory and information processing.