Mississippi Joins Multistate Ibogaine Research Effort as Senate Passes Psychedelic Treatment Bill

The Mississippi Senate passed legislation Thursday creating a pathway for the state to study ibogaine—a psychedelic compound derived from an African plant—as a potential treatment for opioid addiction and PTSD, making Mississippi the third state to commit public funds to clinical trials of the Schedule I substance.

House Bill 314, sponsored by Rep. Samuel Creekmore IV, passed the Senate after clearing the House in January. The measure would establish a consortium linking Mississippi's Department of Health with a drug developer, university, and hospital to conduct FDA-regulated trials. Mississippi plans to invest $5 million from its opioid settlement funds, requiring pharmaceutical partners to match that amount.

The move places Mississippi alongside Texas, which allocated $50 million in June 2025, and Arizona, which committed $5 million in March 2025. All three states are working toward a coordinated multistate effort to advance ibogaine through FDA approval.

"We Have a Moral Obligation"

Creekmore, who represents Union County, said the legislation responds to Mississippi's escalating opioid crisis. State health data shows opioid-related deaths more than doubled between 2019 and 2021, with 555 fatalities recorded in 2021 alone.

"We have a moral obligation, in my opinion, to at least study this," Creekmore told The Daily Mississippian. "It's a shame that people who fought to protect this very country and this country's not looking at options close enough that can heal these people."

Veterans are diagnosed with opioid use disorders at three times the rate of the general population, according to a 2024 study. Ibogaine has shown particular promise for treating co-occurring conditions common among veterans: traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and substance use disorder.

Sen. Jeff Tate described ibogaine as a "miracle drug" for veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress, though clinical evidence remains preliminary.

Cost Efficiency and Treatment Outcomes

Dr. Tom Recore, Medical Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, told the Senate Public Health Committee that ibogaine treatment costs approximately $50,000—significantly less than the $250,000 typically spent on standard residential substance abuse treatment.

"Of the treatments that are novel treatments for opiate use disorder, this is among the most promising," Recore testified.

Treatment duration is measured in hours rather than months. The full protocol, including medical screening, typically lasts 48 hours. In a Stanford University study cited during committee hearings, 29 of 30 patients treated for traumatic brain injury showed no residual symptoms after ibogaine therapy.

Withdrawal symptom relief appears to be immediate. A 2018 study published in the Journal of Psychedelic Studies found that 80% of participants reported ibogaine "eliminated or drastically reduced withdrawal symptoms."

Cardiovascular Risks and FDA Oversight

Sen. Josh Harkins, presenting the bill to committee, acknowledged that ibogaine carries cardiovascular risks. The compound interacts with multiple brain systems and can cause fatal disruptions to heart rhythm in susceptible patients. Mandatory cardiac screening is required before treatment.

"There are dangers and side effects with the treatment, such as risks to the heart," Harkins said. "Medical screenings are required prior to treatment due to the potential side effects."

The legislation confines ibogaine use to FDA-regulated research and future FDA-approved medical settings. It does not legalize general access.

"It does not legalize general Ibogaine use. It confines activity to FDA regulated research and future FDA approved medical use," Harkins explained.

Ibogaine remains classified as Schedule I under federal law, meaning it is deemed to have high abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Harkins challenged that designation.

"To be a Schedule I in America, a substance must be highly addictive and have no medicinal value," he said. "We can argue that ibogaine has neither of those characteristics."

University of Mississippi Medical Center in Talks

Creekmore said the University of Mississippi Medical Center is in discussions to serve as the hospital partner for clinical trials. The state would coordinate its research with Texas and Arizona to create a unified application to the FDA.

The funding structure draws from Mississippi's 15% legislative share of opioid settlement funds. The state expects to receive approximately $400 million over the next 15 years from pharmaceutical litigation settlements.

"Most of that money should go to conventional treatments, but let's also look at this, where we've got nothing on the market of our conventional ways of treating people right now that are anywhere close to those success rates," Creekmore said.

Research Gaps and Evidence Quality

Andrew Yockey, assistant professor of public health at the University of Mississippi, has studied ibogaine's potential but remains cautious about moving the substance from Schedule I to Schedule II.

"Would I support moving ibogaine from Schedule I to Schedule II? No, not yet. I think as we invest more research, I'd like to see a little more evidence," Yockey said.

Existing studies on ibogaine for opioid use disorder have significant methodological limitations. A 2025 systematic review published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence noted that many trials lack randomization and proper blinding, creating high risk of bias.

Yockey's December 2025 article in the Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health argued that ibogaine warrants investigation not just for addiction but for treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and psychosis.

"Even though ibogaine does have toxic properties—there have been deaths, poisonings—my whole premise is that ibogaine not only needs more funding and more research, but it's a potential avenue for treatment-resistant psychosis and mental illness," Yockey said.

Relapse Risk Remains

Dr. Recore cautioned that ibogaine does not eliminate relapse risk, particularly when patients return to environments that originally triggered substance use.

"If folks return to the conditions that led to them being addicted to opiates in the first place, so they're hanging out with folks that are using opiates regularly, and then they could possibly become convinced that since they don't have an opiate problem anymore they could take some opiates, the probability of a relapse would be high," Recore explained.

The bill now awaits final procedural steps before reaching Gov. Tate Reeves' desk. If signed, Mississippi would become the third state to fund ibogaine research through public dollars, joining a growing multistate effort to bring psychedelic medicine into mainstream addiction treatment.

The Senate vote represents a significant shift for a state historically cautious about drug policy reform. On the same day the ibogaine bill advanced, the Senate Public Health Committee rejected legislation allowing terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis gummies in hospitals.

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry, who underwent ibogaine therapy in Mexico in 2023, has become one of the treatment's most visible advocates. His support helped secure Texas' $50 million commitment and drew national attention to the compound.

Mississippi's participation positions the state as a leader in psychedelic medicine research—an unusual role for a state that ranks near the bottom nationally in health outcomes and treatment infrastructure.

"I'm hoping we could be number three, which is unusual for Mississippi to be leading the way in something," Creekmore said.