Former Texas Governor And Trump Cabinet Member Played Key Role In Making The State A Psychedelic Research Leader

*“It’s the question I hear the most. What is a right-wing anti-drug
governor doing associated with psychedelics?”*

*By Stephen Simpson, The Texas Tribune*

As Texas sets to crack down on the recreational use of cannabis, state
leaders are opting to invest $50 million in another plant with purported
medicinal benefits—a psychedelic called ibogaine.

For several years, people have silently traveled to clinics in Mexico to
take ibogaine. The extract of an ancient African shrub has been used across
the Texas border to alleviate addiction and brain trauma.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed Senate Bill 2308 on Wednesday, creating a
consortium of universities, hospitals, and drug developers to conduct
clinical trials on an ibogaine drug, with the hopes of receiving U.S. Food
and Drug Administration approval. Lawmakers approved $50 million in
taxpayer dollars to support this effort, making Texas the global leader in
psychedelic research investment.

Since Texas is trying to be the first to develop the drug, the legislation
ensures Texas retains control of the research and development process. The
goal of this investment is to ensure Texans reap the economic benefits from
an ibogaine treatment program, not a pharmaceutical company. The investment
entitles Texas to at least 20% of any successful ibogaine drug resulting
from the trials, with a quarter of that revenue allocated to a fund for
state veterans.

After a failed attempt in Kentucky to start a state-funded ibogaine drug,
Texas has picked up the effort under the leadership of a familiar statewide
figure-turned psychedelics cheerleader—former Gov. Rick Perry (R).

“None of this is possible without Perry,” said Bryan Hubbard, the former
chair of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission and current
executive director of the American Ibogaine Initiative. “He made it happen
in Texas. That is a big deal and catches the attention of the nation.”

Ibogaine is an illegal drug that has found itself in a unique position
where Republicans champion it. This comes as some of them, led by Lt. Gov.
Dan Patrick, have made it a mission this session to ban recreational use of
THC, which awaits Abbott’s approval.

Katharine Neill Harris, a drug policy fellow at Rice University’s Baker
Institute for Public Policy, said it’s easy for Republicans to sign on to
ibogaine because the intent of it is to medicinally treat addiction.

“Also, this bill doesn’t grant public access to ibogaine, and there’s
nothing in the bill that could really be construed as soft on drugs,” she
said.

For that reason seemingly, Patrick has publicly thrown his support toward
ibogaine as he fends off critics from the left and right for his hardline
views on THC. Patrick did not respond to a request for a comment for this
story.

Harris said Texas’ investment in ibogaine could kickstart a trend across
states to invest in drug research to address addiction, as private funds
have become inconsistent.

“In 2024, the FDA rejected a proposal to approve MDMA-assisted therapy for
PTSD. MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD is one of the more studied alternative
psychedelic treatment protocols, and the FDA rejection was a huge blow to
private industry, likely leading some to rethink investment in this area,”
she said.
Miracle drug?

It was early 2022, and the only thing former Army Ranger Chase Rowan could
think about was killing himself.

Sixteen years prior, his parachute failed to fully deploy during a
nighttime training exercise as his body careened toward the ground at 60
miles per hour. To cope through the pain from the severe brain injury that
resulted, the Keller resident turned to opioids which morphed into a
fentanyl addiction that eventually dissolved his family.

“I was stuck alone. I had no money and no vehicle, just white knuckling
sobriety,” Rowan said.

When Rowan got to Mexico to test out a novel drug called ibogaine in August
of 2022, he wasn’t scared, but determined to heal.

Upon taking the ibogaine pill, Rowan started seeing images — one of a devil
with wings and another of roads leading to childhood memories. The
psychedelic journey on his first night opened his eyes to past trauma and
the pain he caused to those around him, like a movie.

He woke up the next day feeling the happiest he had been in 20 years.

“It felt like a weight was lifted off of me,” he said. “I got that stuff
out of me.”

What Rowan was dealing with is a particular high that comes from ibogaine
that is often referred to as a “spiritual awakening” or a greater sense of
self.

Stanford Medicine conducted a study in 2024 that found “ibogaine, when
combined with magnesium to protect the heart, safely and effectively
reduces PTSD, anxiety and depression and improves functioning in veterans
with” traumatic brain injury.

Hubbard sees no threat of ibogaine becoming recreationally used or abused
since it does not provide an enjoyable high and leaves the user in a state
of temporary paralysis. Because of this, most never go back for another
dose.

“There is no street economy for this drug,” Hubbard said.

Ibogaine also comes with potential dangers. Harris calls it one of the
“more complicated psychedelics to administer” because it brings risks of cardiac
issues and sudden death. The risks make it more expensive to study and to
provide as a treatment, drawing out the years that ibogaine becomes more
widely available, Harris said.

“If the FDA were to approve ibogaine for opioid use disorders or other
disorders…the treatment could be quite costly,” Harris said.
The Rick Perry effect

Since leaving his two-year stint as U.S. Energy Secretary during the first
Trump administration, Perry has thrown the weight of his reputation behind
psychedelics, becoming one of the most high-profile advocates of its
research nationally.

But the journey to this point started when he still occupied the Governor’s
Mansion in Austin.

“It’s the question I hear the most,” Perry said with a laugh. “What is a
right-wing anti-drug governor doing associated with psychedelics?”

In 2006, Perry became close with Navy SEAL veteran Marcus Luttrell who
struggled from a brain injury, PTSD and addiction, without access to
effective treatments. He recalls Luttrell sleeping with the TV and lights
on, trying to comfort his battered mind.

When Luttrell told him he was planning to go to Mexico with several other
veterans to try ibogaine, Perry was skeptical.

“I remember the first time he told me, and I looked at him the same way a
dog does when they hear a funny noise. I remember telling him to be careful
with that because I still had my beliefs on drugs at the time, but at the
same time, people that I trusted were going to Mexico for this, I had to
listen,” Perry said.

The data was indisputable to Perry. He unequivocally believes ibogaine
takes away addiction and he is ready to tell anyone who will ask him about
it. He has since gone on to the Joe Rogan podcast to wax poetic about the drug
and other psychedelic treatments. He is a scheduled speaker for a
psychedelic conference in Denver. He is also planning to reach out to
officials in Israel and Ukraine to initiate ibogaine treatment programs
there.

“I have always been open to new knowledge. The same thing with criminal
justice reform and in-state tuition, as a Republican, I have my beliefs,
but I am willing to change them once looking at the data and science,”
Perry said.

Hubbard cautioned that ibogaine is not a drug to be taken without medical
supervision and Texas is probably at least six years away from seeing any
movement on FDA approval for clinical trials.

However, he is hopeful that the drug qualifies for a Breakthrough Therapy
designation, a pathway that accelerates the regulatory review of drugs
showing early promise in treating severe conditions. As of June 30, 2024,
the FDA has only granted 587 designations out of the 1,516 requested since
2012.

Hubbard believes the current presidential administration will see the
momentum in Texas and help expedite the process with the FDA.

“If Texas can create a treatment plan for ibogaine, it might be the most
significant achievement in modern medicine for nearly a century,” said
Hubbard.

*Disclosure: Rice University and Rice University’s Baker Institute for
Public Policy have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a
nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by
donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial
supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list
of them here.*

*This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at
https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/11/texas-psychedelics-ibogaine-treatment-addiction-rick-perry-funding/.*

*The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing
and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at
texastribune.org.*

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*Photo courtesy of Flickr/Scamperdale.*

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