President Trump is poised to put a little-known psychedelic on Washington’s to-do list, with an executive order expected in the coming days that would push federal agencies to study ibogaine, a plant-derived compound some veterans and researchers say can help with treatment-resistant PTSD. The move would crack open the door to U.S.-funded clinical trials even though ibogaine is still illegal nationwide, reflecting mounting pressure from states and advocacy groups to put controversial therapies through large, formal tests. Scientists say the early data are intriguing but limited, and clinicians are quick to flag serious heart risks. Where ibogaine stands under federal law For now, ibogaine sits in the same legal bucket as other Schedule I substances, the category the federal government uses for drugs it says have “no currently accepted medical use” and a high potential for abuse. A Stanford-led, open-label study of 30 veterans published in Nature Mental Health reported large, short-term improvements in PTSD symptoms, depression and cognitive function after a single dose of magnesium-protected ibogaine. The same review, however, highlighted cardiac toxicity and reported fatalities linked to unsupervised use. Bryan Hubbard have publicly campaigned for the drug and discussed it on podcasts such as The Joe Rogan Experience. Lawmakers have already floated proposals such as the bipartisan “Freedom to Heal Act,” which would create a special registration pathway for Schedule I investigational drugs. Early national coverage of the expected White House move surfaced via major outlets including CNN Newsource. White House move and what it would do The administration is drafting an order that would signal the White House is ready to back research on ibogaine, with the president possibly signing as soon as this week, according to CBS News. That reporting describes a directive aimed at unlocking federal funding and coordination across agencies rather than immediately changing the drug’s legal status.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://hoodline.com/2026/04/trump-s-psychedelic-power-play-white-house-races-to-boost-ibogaine-research/