The Arizona Department of Health Services has awarded a grant to Barrow Neurological Institute to study ibogaine to treat post traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries.
Early studies have shown that ibogaine, a psychoactive compound found in a central African plant, can treat depression and other symptoms associated with traumatic brain injuries. But it is listed as a Schedule 1 controlled substance in the U.S. alongside drugs like heroin and LSD, forcing Americans seeking treatment to visit clinics in other countries like Mexico.
In 2025, Arizona lawmakers and Gov. Katie Hobbs earmarked $5 million in the state budget to study ibogaine at the behest of former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. She spoke to the Legislature alongside several veterans who said ibogaine treatments improved their lives — including a member of her security detail whose estranged wife accused Sinema of breaking up their marriage and encouraging her husband to take psychedelic drugs…