Ibogaine Hype Is Outpacing the Science

The hype surrounding the psychedelic drug ibogaine reached a fever pitch earlier this month, when President Donald Trump talked up its potential at a White House event promoting increased access to psychedelics. Ibogaine, which comes from the root of a West African shrub, has long been used for ceremonial and spiritual purposes. Now, for the first time, the Food and Drug Administration will allow a clinical trial of the drug.

Americans have been going to extreme lengths to get ibogaine in recent years. Most travel abroad, typically to Mexico, and shell out thousands of dollars to receive it in wellness clinics that promise to cure any number of ills — post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, depression, traumatic brain injuries and more.