As Texas sets to crack down on the recreational use of cannabis, state leaders are opting to invest $50 million in another plant with purported medicinal benefits – a psychedelic called ibogaine.
For several years, people have silently traveled to clinics in Mexico to take ibogaine. The extract of an ancient African shrub has been used across the Texas border to alleviate addiction and brain trauma.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is set to sign Senate Bill 2308 on Wednesday, creating a consortium of universities, hospitals, and drug developers to conduct clinical trials on an ibogaine drug, with the hopes of receiving U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. Lawmakers approved $50 million in taxpayer dollars to support this effort, making Texas the global leader in psychedelic research investment.
