A study recently published by Stanford University shows that ibogaine, when paired with magnesium, can improve symptoms associated with traumatic brain injuries, such as depression, anxiety, memory loss, and post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”).[1]

Ibogaine is a naturally occurring compound found in the roots of the African shrub iboga, and it has been used for centuries in spiritual and healing ceremonies.[2] The study took thirty veterans who had suffered a traumatic brain injury, provided them with magnesium and ibogaine, and compared their symptoms, including their cognition, from before and after the treatment.

The results were extremely promising, where treatment with ibogaine immediately led to significant improvements in functioning, PTSD, depression, and anxiety.[3] The benefits were also long lasting as, “one month after treatment participants experienced average reductions of 88% in PTSD symptoms, 87% in depression symptoms and 81% in anxiety symptoms relative to how they were before ibogaine treatment.”[4] Additionally, “cognitive testing revealed improvements in participants’ concentration, information processing, memory and impulsivity.”[5] Furthermore, the participants reported no serious side effects from the treatment.

The study was a huge step forward for ibogaine and natural medicines. However, like marijuana, ibogaine is currently listed as a Schedule I substance, which means it has been deemed to have no acceptable medical uses and a high potential for abuse. This classification limits funding for studies as legal hurdles limit researchers’ ability to take on projects involving Schedule I substances. The Department of Human and Health Services recently recommended to the Drug Enforcement Agency (the “DEA”) that marijuana be rescheduled to Schedule III based on its recognized medicinal uses. Hopefully, more research into ibogaine’s medical utility will lead to a similar recommendation. This study and others are a great step towards validation of the value natural medicines provide to those in need.

[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02705-w#Sec2

[2] https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/01/ibogaine-ptsd.html

[3] https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/01/ibogaine-ptsd.html

[4] Id.

[5] Id.