ABOUT THIS EPISODE
“Ibogaine has a very unique capacity to intelligently, uniquely, and sentiently reveal a reality to the individual which affirms the concrete reality of human divinity.”
In this episode, Dr Simon Ruffell is joined by Bryan Hubbard, CEO of Americans for Ibogaine, a policy strategist who has played a central role in advancing the medical development of Ibogaine in the United States.
Bryan shares the story behind the landmark passage of the Texas Ibogaine Initiative, signed into law by Greg Abbott in June 2025. The initiative allocates $50 million directly from the Texas state general fund, matched by a further $50 million from a consortium of universities, private hospital systems, and a drug developer, to support clinical research aimed at securing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Ibogaine as a breakthrough therapy for trauma, addiction, and other neurological conditions.
Bryan recounts the two-year journey that led to this historic milestone, which began in Kentucky when he served as chair of the state’s opioid commission and launched the original Kentucky Ibogaine Initiative at the state capitol in 2023. After the project was transplanted to Texas, it culminated in what is now the largest single public investment in psychedelic medical research and development in history.
Together, Simon and Bryan explore the broader movement now forming around Ibogaine in the United States. Especially, the importance of ensuring that Ibogaine’s direct relation to Iboga and to Bwiti communities in Gabon is respected, in step with the Global North’s recognition of its restorative potentials. With the creation of Americans for Ibogaine, a coalition of researchers, policymakers, and citizens is working to expand access to Ibogaine across multiple states as legislatures prepare to convene in 2026.
The conversation ranges from the practical realities of bringing psychedelic medicines through regulatory pathways to the deeper humanitarian motivations behind the work. Bryan describes an emerging movement that is at once empirical, political, cultural, and spiritual, seeking new responses to addiction, trauma, and the generational challenges affecting American society.
“You know, we can help ensure that people can live. It's a whole different thing than helping them actually live a life in which they can thrive. You know, we've got to start emphasizing thrive as much as we emphasize survive.”
This episode reflects on what it takes to move a vision into legislation, and how the convergence of science, policy, and public will may help reshape the future of mental health care in the United States.
Links
Instagram: @w_bryan_hubbard
