Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2308 into law on June 12, 2025, authorizing state funding for research into the psychoactive substance ibogaine.
The bill, authored by State Senator Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), will allocate $50 million from the state’s general revenue fund.
The funds will be used to create a research consortium involving higher education institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and nonprofit organizations.
Ibogaine is a plant-based compound extracted from the iboga shrub, native to Central West Africa. It has been used in traditional rituals and has gained attention in recent years for its possible effects on neurological conditions and substance use disorders.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the drug, and it remains a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States.
A recent Stanford University study involving 30 veterans reported reductions in disability related to traumatic brain injuries and improvements in mental health symptoms.
Under the new law, the state will retain a 20% commercial interest in any drug developed through the program. A quarter of those proceeds will be directed to veteran services programs.
The ibogaine initiative has received support from former Texas Governor Rick Perry and other advocates of psychedelic therapies for veterans.
Texas is the first state to invest public funding at this scale in ibogaine research. Previous federal efforts allocated $10 million for similar studies.
The state’s ibogaine program will be operated as a public-private partnership, and research outcomes will be submitted for federal approval.
