Trump administration will fund new research on controversial psychedelic
drug ibogaine
[November 13, 2026]
By MATTHEW PERRONE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials on Thursday announced new funding to
explore the medical potential of ibogaine, a controversial psychedelic
drug championed by veterans, conservative lawmakers and podcasters
aligned with President Donald Trump.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his department is awarding
up to $4.9 million to prepare for the first U.S. studies of ibogaine for
post-traumatic stress disorder, a hard-to-treat condition linked to
higher suicide and substance abuse rates among veterans.
The money will not go directly to patient research, Kennedy said, but to
lay the groundwork needed to manufacture, dose and design studies of the
drug.
Ibogaine is made from a shrub native to West Africa. It can cause
intense hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, tremors and sometimes deadly
irregular heart rhythms. Ibogaine is currently illegal, in the same
ultra-restrictive class as LSD, ecstasy and most other psychedelic
drugs.
Veterans organizations and psychedelic advocates contend that ibogaine
has great promise for intractable conditions such as PTSD, severe
depression and opioid addiction. U.S. research on the drug has
essentially been frozen for decades due to ibogaine's restricted status.
Kennedy said the government will receive data and treatment guidance
from Beond Inc., a Texas-based company that has treated more than 3,000
patients with ibogaine in Mexico, where the drug is not illegal.
“That is going to allow us to dramatically accelerate the clinical trial
process,” Kennedy said. “We’re going to have, I think, a record drug
approval process.”
Additional funding awards may explore ibogaine's use for addiction, he
said.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, who joined Kennedy for the
announcement, said the collaborative effort would focus first on safety
and “best-in-class research.”
“For veterans living with PTSD, we owe them both urgency and the best
science we can produce,” Collins said.
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President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office
of the White House, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP
Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
 Kennedy and Collins have previously
voiced support for the potential of psychedelics, citing the
experiences of veterans who have traveled abroad for therapy with
ibogaine and other mind-altering substances.
Thursday's announcement was previewed in April, when Trump signed an
executive order directing federal agencies to speed up review and
research of psychedelics that could help with mental health
conditions.
Three applications for psychedelics are pending review at the Food
and Drug Administration. They include the first potential medicines
made from psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, and
MDMA, also called ecstasy. Decisions on those drugs could come
within weeks or months.
Because of its safety risks, ibogaine research has moved more
slowly.
The little data currently available mostly comes from patients who
have traveled to Mexico or other countries where ibogaine is not
heavily regulated. Ibogaine clinics typically charge $10,000 to
$20,000 for one course of treatment, which often involves monitoring
of a patient's heart readings while emergency medical workers are on
standby.
Trump's order on psychedelics came after podcaster Joe Rogan said he
texted Trump about ibogaine, which he repeatedly has discussed on
his show. According to Rogan, the president quickly responded:
“Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let’s do it.”
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