By Jacob Bogage
WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is set to order the federal government to reevaluate restrictions on a psychedelic drug sometimes used internationally to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Ibogaine, derived from a shrub native to Africa, is a Schedule I substance in the United States, meaning it is deemed to have "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential
for abuse," according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Other Schedule I drugs include heroin and ecstasy.
Globally, ibogaine is sometimes used to treat mental health conditions in nations where it is legal or faces fewer restrictions. Mexico has a slew of ibogaine treatment centers that often attract U.S. veterans.
An order from Trump easing restrictions on ibogaine could come as soon as Saturday, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The people cautioned that parts of the order could still change as the administration finalizes its proposal and that the reclassification likely will not substantially alter the substance's legal status.
Representatives from the White House declined to comment. CBS first reported the potential for the executive order.
Some veterans' and other advocacy groups, including one led by Trump's first-term Energy Secretary Rick Perry, have pushed for ibogaine access in the United States.
Perry and W. Bryan Hubbard, the chairman and CEO, respectively, of Americans for Ibogaine, appeared on April 1 on the popular “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast to promote the drug and said they hoped to meet with Trump to discuss it.
“I certainly hope that this message reaches the president, and I will try to make sure that it does,” Rogan told the pair.
A 2022 scientific review of studies published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment found that ibogaine reduced cravings and withdrawal symptoms in patients with substance abuse disorders and may help treat depression and PTSD.
In high doses, ibogaine can cause hallucinations. It has also been linked to cardiac-related fatalities, so magnesium supplements are sometimes administered with ibogaine to mitigate heart risk.
A 2025 study published in Nature Mental Health by a team of Stanford University researchers found that ibogaine with magnesium improved brain function associated with "cognitive flexibility" and lowered PTSD symptoms among those presenting with the condition.
"From a psychological and physiological level, there's very promising signals that make us want to learn more," said Kirsten Cherian, a clinical assistant professor and neuropsychologist at Stanford University who was one of the lead researchers in the 2025 study. "There are people out there with neurological diseases that there's no treatment for, or there's no cure for. It's like a one-way street."
EASING RESTRICTIONS
Advocates hope the order will remove significant barriers to medical research and compassionate use cases.
There are many possibilities for future treatments, Cherian said, but U.S. clinicians need the ability to study the substance domestically to collect better medical research, especially to evaluate ibogaine's safety.
Trump in December signed an order loosening restrictions on marijuana and CBD products, lauding their potential practical medical applications.
Under the order -- parts of which have not yet been fully implemented -- the substances would still be controlled, but the federal government would recognize their "moderate-to-low potential for physical and psychological dependence," according to the DEA. It would make them more accessible to both patients and researchers.
The administration created a pilot program that reimburses some seniors through Medicare for CBD treatments for various ailments.
The state of Texas passed legislation in 2025 to encourage the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve ibogaine use for PTSD treatment. The state pledged $50 million this year to fund its own clinical trials on the substance to satisfy FDA requirements.
"This is just a huge sigh of relief in that our voices have finally been heard, and the veteran community could really stand to experience some significant shifts," said Amber Capone, the CEO and founder of Veterans Experiencing Treatment Solutions, a group that advocates for ibogaine access.
Her husband, a Navy SEAL veteran, used ibogaine while experiencing PTSD, and the pair later launched an organization to support the treatment.
"There's no doubt whatsoever in our minds that it works," she said. "But we just can't say, 'Believe us.' The research has to corroborate what we know to be true, and it feels like we could finally, finally be making some impact."
(Reporting by Jacob Bogage; Additional reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Bill Berkrot)
