A psychedelic used in some countries to treat post-traumatic stress disorder is expected to get a closer examination from the federal government on its safety and effectiveness, sources told CBS News.
The White House is drafting an executive order that would signal the Trump administration’s willingness to further U.S. research into a drug called ibogaine.
Ibogaine, a naturally occurring compound from a shrub native to Africa, is used to treat depression, anxiety, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and brain trauma.
Because it’s illegal in the United States, Americans have been traveling to unregulated clinics, often in Mexico or the Caribbean, to take the drug.
The Trump administration doesn’t plan to reclassify the drug for medical use at this time — it will remain a Schedule I drug.
President Trump intends to sign the executive order as soon as this week, two of the sources said.
White House spokespeople didn’t immediately comment.
The action on ibogaine is meant to open the door to federal funding for further research on its effectiveness with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, especially among veterans, several sources said.
“60 Minutes” last year covered a group of nine U.S. veterans who traveled to a remote village near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for a week-long psychedelic retreat to deal with intrusive memories.
Texas has made a big push to study ibogaine. Gov. Greg Abbott last year signed a bill approving $50 million for research.
Trump officials said the medical research into ibogaine is in an early phase, but the administration wants to help determine whether it’s “snake oil” or a legitimate treatment, one official said.
As a Schedule I substance, ibogaine is currently grouped by the Drug Enforcement Administration alongside heroin, ecstasy and other drugs that have “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”
It was unclear how the federal government would help facilitate further research — strategies were still being hammered out in internal discussions this week.
Researchers say ibogaine could eventually fill a gap in addiction treatment, particularly for opioid dependence, but more large-scale clinical trials are needed before it can be considered safe or effective for any condition.
The scientific evidence behind the drug so far consists mostly of small observational studies and open-label trials. Only one double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial has been completed. More advanced trials are just now getting underway.
The most serious risk is to the heart. Ibogaine can cause dangerous heart rhythm disturbances, which can be fatal. A review in 2023 of 24 studies involving 705 people found that while ibogaine appeared to reduce withdrawal symptoms and craving, toxicity to the heart and risk of death were “worrying.” At least 27 people have died after taking ibogaine, the 2023 report showed.
In a small study of 30 veterans who received ibogaine paired with intravenous magnesium to protect the heart, no serious cardiac events were reported. The study, which was published last July by Stanford Medicine, found that the drug safely reduces post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression in veterans when combined with magnesium to protect the heart. But with only 30 people and no placebo group, there is far too little evidence to know whether magnesium reliably reduces the risk.
The international clinics where Americans currently receive ibogaine operate without U.S. regulatory oversight. There is no standardized heart screening, no required monitoring protocol and no obligation to report adverse events.