AUDIO – NOT JUST AUSTIN –
July 14, 2025 – Texas has authorized what supporters call the nation’s largest state-funded research initiative on psychedelics, joining a handful of states that are embracing the substances as a possible treatment for drug addiction and other health issues, especially among military veterans. In June, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation that will provide up to $50 million dollars to research ibogaine, a psychoactive compound derived from the iboga shrub native to Central West Africa.
“Texas is home to more veterans than any other state in the U.S. Many struggle with things like depression, PTSD, and opioid use disorder. A therapy that has shown great promise in treating those conditions is ibogaine,” Abbott said at the bill signing ceremony, surrounded by lawmakers, advocates, and researchers.
Like most psychedelics, ibogaine is classified as a Schedule I drug and is illegal to use or possess in the U.S. In legislative hearings, many veterans who underwent ibogaine therapy in countries where the treatment is legal or unregulated spoke in support of the legislation.
