Ibogaine (Iboga)

What is ibogaine?

A naturally occurring psychoactive compound, ibogaine comes from the iboga tree, a rainforest shrub native to Central Africa. The drug comes from the bark of the root, which is crushed and consumed as a powder or given in an extracted form.

Iboga has long been used for medicinal and ritual purposes in Gabon, Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. After its discovery by French and Belgian explorers in the 19th century, it was sold as a stimulant in France. In recent decades, ibogaine has shown promise for treating opioid addiction, with several small studies suggesting that a third to two-thirds of patients who undergo treatment achieve sobriety after a single session. Some researchers have been studying ibogaine’s potential to treat traumatic brain injuries and PTSD.