WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House is drafting an executive order to facilitate federal research into ibogaine, a naturally occurring compound derived from an African shrub that has been used to treat depression, anxiety, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, and brain trauma. President Trump intends to sign the order in the coming days.

The action is intended to open the door to federal funding for further research on ibogaine's effectiveness in treating post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, particularly among veterans. The administration does not plan to reclassify ibogaine for medical use at this time, and it will remain a Schedule I drug. As a Schedule I substance, ibogaine is grouped by the Drug Enforcement Administration alongside heroin, ecstasy, and other drugs classified as having no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

Strategies for facilitating further federal research into ibogaine were still being discussed internally. Medical research into the compound is in an early phase, according to an official. The scientific evidence on ibogaine consists mostly of small observational studies and open-label trials, with one double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial completed to date. More advanced clinical trials are now getting underway.

Because ibogaine is illegal in the United States, Americans have been traveling to unregulated clinics in Mexico or the Caribbean to take the drug. Those international clinics operate without U.S. regulatory oversight and have no standardized heart screening, no required monitoring protocol, and no obligation to report adverse events. Last year, the television program 60 Minutes 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.

Ibogaine can cause dangerous heart rhythm disturbances that can be fatal. A 2023 review of 24 studies involving 705 people found that the compound reduced withdrawal symptoms and craving but had toxic effects on the heart and carried a risk of death. At least 27 people have died after taking ibogaine, according to the same report.

A small study of 30 veterans who received ibogaine paired with intravenous magnesium to protect the heart, published last July by Stanford Medicine, reported no serious cardiac events and found that the combination reduced post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. The study involved only 30 participants and did not include a placebo group, leaving insufficient evidence to determine whether magnesium reliably reduces cardiac risk. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill last year approving $50 million for ibogaine research in the state.