Trump signs order to speed review of psychedelics, including the controversial drug ibogaine

ADDICTION NOW, ON MATTER OF FACT, IT A NOVEL, BUT CONTROVERSIAL WAY TO COMBAT THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IS BEING DEBATED IN ONE OF THE NATION’S HARDEST HIT STATES. IN KENTUCKY, MORE THAN 2000 PEOPLE DIED OF A DRUG OVERDOSE IN 2021 ALONE. AND IT’S SADLY NOT AN OUTLIER WITH THAT STATISTIC. IN TOTAL, THE CDC SAYS MORE THAN 106,000 PEOPLE DIED OF OVERDOSE CASES THAT YEAR. AND THE CRISIS HAS ONLY CONTINUED. MANUFACTURERS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS ARE BLAMED FOR FUELING THE ADDICTION EPIDEMIC. THOSE COMPANIES HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO PAY MORE THAN $50 BILLION TO THOUSANDS OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. NOW. NOW THERE’S A PROPOSAL IN KENTUCKY TO USE SOME OF THAT MONEY TO STUDY A LITTLE KNOWN PSYCHEDELIC DRUG CALLED IBOGAINE. IN THE THIRD PART OF OUR SERIES EXPLORING PSYCHEDELIC THERAPIES, OUR CORRESPONDENT JESSICA GOMEZ CRISS CROSSES THE STATE TO EXAMINE THE RISKS AND THE BENEFITS OF TREATING ADDICTION WITH A DRUG THAT’S STILL ILLEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES. SURROUNDED BY THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS, FLOYD COUNTY, KENTUCKY, WHERE THE RAVAGES OF ADDICTION ARE MET WITH PROMISES OF RECOVERY. COME ON HERE. IN THIS AREA, IT HAS RIPPED FAMILY APART. JESSICA BLACKBURN, SHE WAS 17 WHEN SHE GOT HOOKED ON PAIN PILLS. THE PURSUIT AND USE OF THAT DRUG CAN CONTROLLED MY LIFE COMPLETELY. MY PARENTS FOUGHT FOR ME WHEN I WOULDN’T FIGHT FOR MYSELF. AFTER YEARS IN AND OUT OF TREATMENT CENTERS, IT WAS HER FATHER WHO HEARD ABOUT SOMETHING NEW IBOGAINE, A HALLUCINOGENIC DRUG FOUND IN THE ROOTS OF A WEST AFRICAN SHRUB. THEY HAVE SOME TINGLING OR WARMTH IN YOUR FINGERS OR TOES ILLEGAL IN THE US, DOZENS OF TREATMENT CENTERS IN OTHER COUNTRIES LIKE THIS ONE IN MEXICO. CREDIT IBOGAINE WITH ALLEVIATING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES LIKE DEPRESSION AND PTSD AND CURBING OPIOID ADDICTION. I WAS LIKE, WELL, MAYBE I’LL GET LUCKY. AND THIS WILL KILL ME. BUT WHAT HAPPENED IN MEXICO? JESSICA SAYS, WAS TRANSFORMATIVE. LIKE A RESET. YOU KNOW, IT ENDS. DID A LOT OF MY ADDICTIVE, OBSESSIVE THOUGHT PATTERNS. I JUST CAME OUT OF IT FEELING GOOD AND NOT WANTING TO USE USE. HAVE A GOOD DAY. WHERE WAS MY OWN PERSONAL SENSE OF DESPERATION THAT GOT ME LOOKING FOR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE OUT THERE, CHAIR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF KENTUCKY’S OPIOID ABATEMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION, BRIAN HUBBARD. AS THE POTENCY OF SUBSTANCES FLED IN THE STREET, INCREASES SO MUST THE POTENCY OF THE TREATMENTS THAT ARE MADE AVAILABLE. THE COMMISSION TASKED WITH DISTRIBUTING HALF OF THE STATE’S NEARLY $900 MILLION OPIOID SETTLEMENT, THE OTHER HALF GOING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. YOU’VE REFERRED TO THESE SETTLEMENT FUNDS AS BLOOD MONEY. THE VALUE OF THE MONEY HAS BEEN DERIVED FROM THE AMOUNT OF CARNAGE PRODUCED BY THE EPIDEMIC. HUBBARD INTENDS USING A CONTROVERSIAL PROPOSAL TO SPEND A PORTION OF THE MONEY ON CLINICAL TRIALS OF IBOGAINE. THEY WOULD BE THE FIRST IN THE US. WE WOULD LOOK TO OFFER A $42 MILLION MATCH TO WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS A CLINICAL RESEARCH ENTITY THAT WOULD COME FORWARD WITH A PLAN TO CONDUCT FDA APPROVED CLINICAL TRIALS IN KENTUCKY WITH IBOGAINE FOR TREATMENT OF OPIOID USE DISORDER. THIS IS A DRUG FOR WHICH THERE ARE FDA APPROVED ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS THAT ARE SAFER. BUT CRITICS AMONG THOSE TESTIFYING BEFORE THE COMMISSION SAY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION MAY NOT APPROVE THE TRIALS. IBOGAINE HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH HEART RISKS, EVEN DEATH. AN AND EVEN IF IT DOES, DRUG DEVELOPMENT TAKES YEARS AND COSTS MILLIONS MORE. A LARGE SCALE IBOGAINE STUDY APPROVED IN THE 90S WAS MOVED TO SAINT KITTS AFTER FUNDING FELL APART. RESEARCH CENTERS SAY IT SHOWED PROMISE IN CURBING OPIOID CRAVINGS AND ELIMINATING WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS. IBOGAINE IS HAVING SOME SORT OF ACTION THAT IS ALLEVIATING PHYSICAL DEPENDANCE ON OPIOIDS AND THAT MECHANISM OF ACTION IS APPARENTLY NOVEL. NEUROSCI PSYCHIATRIST DR. KENNETH ALPER HAS BEEN STUDYING IBOGAINE FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES. CARDIAC RISK ASSOCIATED WITH IBOGAINE IS SUBSTANTIAL, BUT WE’RE NOT GOING TO KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT THAT RISK CAN BE CONTAINED OR MANAGED UNLESS IT’S STUDIED OBJECTIVELY IN AN FDA SUPERVISED PROCESS. BACK IN KENTUCKY, AT SHEPHERD’S HOUSE, AN ADDICTION RECOVERY FACILITY, THOSE SETTLEMENT DOLLARS WOULD GO A LONG WAY. CEO JARED THOMAS HAS MIXED FEELINGS. YOU NEED PEER SUPPORT. YOU NEED CASE MANAGERS, YOU NEED PSYCHIATRISTS. I MEAN, YOU’VE GOT A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE NEED A LOT OF HELP. AND YOU’VE GOT TO PAY FOR THAT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE GOT TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT. WE’VE BEEN DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. LORD, THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND AT A WEEKLY MEETING FOR PARENTS OF ADDICTED LOVED ONES, FOUNDER KAREN BUTCHER, SHE LOST HER SON MATTHEW TO A FENTANYL OVERDOSE. THERE’S NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY THAT I DON’T THINK ABOUT HIM. SHE’S ALSO A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION SET TO VOTE ON THE IBOGAINE PROPOSAL. PEOPLE WHO USE OPIATES, THEY’RE AT RISK OF DEATH EVERY SINGLE DAY. THIS WOULD GIVE THEM A TREATMENT OPTION. WHY WOULDN’T WE WANT TO DO THAT? TO HELP PEOPLE LIVE, COME BACK AND LIVE CLEAN? FOR JESSICA BLACKBURN, IT’S BEEN EIGHT YEARS. IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERRUPT ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS. AND YOU KNOW, THE REST IS UP TO YOU. THE REAL WORK BEGINS AFTER THAT TREATMENT. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO BACK TO YOUR HOME, GYPSY HOME IN A COMMUNITY THAT SHE SAYS IN DIRE NEED OF HEALING IN KENTUCKY, FOR MATTER OF FACT, I’M JESSICA GOMEZ THE COMMISSION WILL VOTE ON THE IBOGAINE PROPOSAL LATER THIS YEAR. MEANTIME, OTHER COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THE UK, SPAIN AND BRAZIL, AR

Updated: 3:31 PM EDT Apr 18, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Updated: 3:31 PM EDT Apr 18, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

President Donald Trump on Saturday directed his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine, which recently has been embraced by combat veterans and conservative lawmakers despite having serious safety risks.Ibogaine and other psychedelics remain banned under the federal government's most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs. But the administration is taking steps to ease restrictions and spur research on using the drugs for medical purposes, including conditions like severe depression.Related video above: Region hit by opioid epidemic considers whether an illegal psychedelic drug could help"Today's order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life," Trump said as he signed an executive order on the drugs. The Republican president said his directive will help "dramatically accelerate" access to potential treatments. "If these turn out to be as good as people are saying, it's going to have a tremendous impact," he said.Veteran organizations and psychedelic advocates have long contended that ibogaine, which is made from a shrub native to West Africa, has great promise for hard-to-treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction.Trump's announcement follows pledges by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other administration officials to ease access to psychedelics for medical use, an issue that has won rare bipartisan support.Joining Trump in the Oval Office were his top health officials, conservative podcaster Joe Rogan and Marcus Luttrell, the former Navy SEAL whose memoir about a deadly mission in Afghanistan was the basis of the film "Lone Survivor." Rogan said he texted Trump information on ibogaine and the president responded: "Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let's do it.""You're going to save a lot of lives through it," Luttrell told Trump during the ceremony. "It absolutely changed my life for the better."Next week, the Food and Drug Administration will issue national priority vouchers for three psychedelics, which the agency's commissioner, Marty Makary, said will allow certain drugs to be approved quickly "if they are in line with our national priorities." The vouchers can cut review times from several months to a period of weeks. It is the first time the FDA has offered fast-tracking to any psychedelics.The FDA is also taking steps to clear the way for the first-ever human trials of ibogaine in the U.S.Trump's action surprised many longtime advocates and researchers in the psychedelic field, given that ibogaine is known to sometimes trigger potentially fatal heart problems. The National Institutes of Health briefly funded research on the drug in the 1990s, but discontinued the work due to ibogaine's "cardiovascular toxicity.""It's been incredibly difficult to study ibogaine in the U.S. because of its known cardiotoxicity," said Frederick Barrett, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. "If the executive order can pave the way for doing objective, scientific research with this compound, it would help us understand whether it is truly a better psychedelic therapy than others."No psychedelic has been approved in the United States, but a number of them are being studied in large trials for various mental health conditions, including psilocybin, MDMA and LSD. All those drugs remain illegal, classified as Schedule I substances alongside drugs such as heroin. Two states — Oregon and Colorado — have legalized psychedelic therapy with psilocybin.Ibogaine was first used by members of the Bwiti religion in African nations like Gabon during their religious ceremonies.In recent years, U.S. veterans have reported benefiting from the drug after traveling to clinics in Mexico that administer it.Backing from veterans groups and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry led to a law last year providing $50 million for ibogaine research in that state. Perry, who co-founded a group called Americans for Ibogaine, recently appeared on Rogan's podcast, making the case for reducing federal limits on the drug. It was his second time talking about ibogaine on the popular podcast in the past two years.Trump's order calls on the Department of Health and Human Services to direct at least $50 million to states that have enacted or are developing programs to advance psychedelic drugs for serious mental illness. It's described as a federal-state partnership to provide funding, technical assistance and data sharing.Ibogaine is known to cause irregular heart rhythms and has been linked to more than 30 deaths in the medical literature, according to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, a nonprofit that conducted some early studies in patients outside the U.S.The group's co-executive director, Ismail Lourido Ali, said Trump's order might encourage other states to follow the Texas model."The stigma around Schedule I drugs is significant," Ali said. "It feels like this would give pretty substantial cover for Republican governors and legislatures to step into the ring in terms of funding research programs at their universities."Owners of ibogaine clinics said the impact of the order will not be immediate."There will be no insurance coverage; it will still be considered unapproved and non-covered care," said Tom Feegel, of Beond Ibogaine, which operates a clinic in Cancun, Mexico. "But what it does mean is that ibogaine shifts from being fringe and underground to being federally acknowledged."Feegel says his clinic treated 2,000 people with ibogaine last year for between $15,000 and $20,000 per person. The company also gave free treatment to about 100 veterans.Clinics that use the drug typically monitor patients' heart readings and have emergency medical equipment on hand.One of the only recent studies conducted by U.S. researchers found that veterans treated with ibogaine showed improvements in symptoms of traumatic brain injury, including PTSD, depression and anxiety. The Stanford University study was small, enrolling 30 veterans who received the drug in Mexico. It did not include a placebo group for comparison, an essential feature of rigorous medical research. Patients in the study received a combination of ibogaine mixed with magnesium intended to reduce heart risks.The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

WASHINGTON (AP) —

Ibogaine and other psychedelics remain banned under the federal government's most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs. But the administration is taking steps to ease restrictions and spur research on using the drugs for medical purposes, including conditions like severe depression.

Related video above: Region hit by opioid epidemic considers whether an illegal psychedelic drug could help

"Today's order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life," Trump said as he signed an executive order on the drugs. The Republican president said his directive will help "dramatically accelerate" access to potential treatments. "If these turn out to be as good as people are saying, it's going to have a tremendous impact," he said.

Veteran organizations and psychedelic advocates have long contended that ibogaine, which is made from a shrub native to West Africa, has great promise for hard-to-treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction.

Trump's announcement follows pledges by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other administration officials to ease access to psychedelics for medical use, an issue that has won rare bipartisan support.

Julia Demaree Nikhinson

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Washington.

Joining Trump in the Oval Office were his top health officials, conservative podcaster Joe Rogan and Marcus Luttrell, the former Navy SEAL whose memoir about a deadly mission in Afghanistan was the basis of the film "Lone Survivor." Rogan said he texted Trump information on ibogaine and the president responded: "Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let's do it."

"You're going to save a lot of lives through it," Luttrell told Trump during the ceremony. "It absolutely changed my life for the better."

Next week, the Food and Drug Administration will issue national priority vouchers for three psychedelics, which the agency's commissioner, Marty Makary, said will allow certain drugs to be approved quickly "if they are in line with our national priorities." The vouchers can cut review times from several months to a period of weeks. It is the first time the FDA has offered fast-tracking to any psychedelics.

The FDA is also taking steps to clear the way for the first-ever human trials of ibogaine in the U.S.

Trump's action surprised many longtime advocates and researchers in the psychedelic field, given that ibogaine is known to sometimes trigger potentially fatal heart problems. The National Institutes of Health briefly funded research on the drug in the 1990s, but discontinued the work due to ibogaine's "cardiovascular toxicity."

Julia Demaree Nikhinson

President Donald Trump shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr. in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Washington.

"It's been incredibly difficult to study ibogaine in the U.S. because of its known cardiotoxicity," said Frederick Barrett, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. "If the executive order can pave the way for doing objective, scientific research with this compound, it would help us understand whether it is truly a better psychedelic therapy than others."

No psychedelic has been approved in the United States, but a number of them are being studied in large trials for various mental health conditions, including psilocybin, MDMA and LSD. All those drugs remain illegal, classified as Schedule I substances alongside drugs such as heroin. Two states — Oregon and Colorado — have legalized psychedelic therapy with psilocybin.

Ibogaine was first used by members of the Bwiti religion in African nations like Gabon during their religious ceremonies.

In recent years, U.S. veterans have reported benefiting from the drug after traveling to clinics in Mexico that administer it.

Backing from veterans groups and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry led to a law last year providing $50 million for ibogaine research in that state. Perry, who co-founded a group called Americans for Ibogaine, recently appeared on Rogan's podcast, making the case for reducing federal limits on the drug. It was his second time talking about ibogaine on the popular podcast in the past two years.

Trump's order calls on the Department of Health and Human Services to direct at least $50 million to states that have enacted or are developing programs to advance psychedelic drugs for serious mental illness. It's described as a federal-state partnership to provide funding, technical assistance and data sharing.

Julia Demaree Nikhinson

Joe Rogan laughs as President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Washington.

Ibogaine is known to cause irregular heart rhythms and has been linked to more than 30 deaths in the medical literature, according to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, a nonprofit that conducted some early studies in patients outside the U.S.

The group's co-executive director, Ismail Lourido Ali, said Trump's order might encourage other states to follow the Texas model.

"The stigma around Schedule I drugs is significant," Ali said. "It feels like this would give pretty substantial cover for Republican governors and legislatures to step into the ring in terms of funding research programs at their universities."

Owners of ibogaine clinics said the impact of the order will not be immediate.

"There will be no insurance coverage; it will still be considered unapproved and non-covered care," said Tom Feegel, of Beond Ibogaine, which operates a clinic in Cancun, Mexico. "But what it does mean is that ibogaine shifts from being fringe and underground to being federally acknowledged."

Feegel says his clinic treated 2,000 people with ibogaine last year for between $15,000 and $20,000 per person. The company also gave free treatment to about 100 veterans.

Clinics that use the drug typically monitor patients' heart readings and have emergency medical equipment on hand.

One of the only recent studies conducted by U.S. researchers found that veterans treated with ibogaine showed improvements in symptoms of traumatic brain injury, including PTSD, depression and anxiety. The Stanford University study was small, enrolling 30 veterans who received the drug in Mexico. It did not include a placebo group for comparison, an essential feature of rigorous medical research. Patients in the study received a combination of ibogaine mixed with magnesium intended to reduce heart risks.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Trump signs order to speed review of psychedelics, including the controversial drug ibogaine

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