Over a decade ago, my friend introduced me to Ibogaine, an amazing alkaloid drawn from Tabernanthe Iboga, a plant found in the African rainforest. When Ibogaine is taken in a medicinal form in small doses, it can arrest the craving for a broad spectrum of drugs including heroin, cocaine, nicotine, alcohol and a number of other frequently abused substances that many find impossible to break away from. It’s anti-addictive properties were accidentally discovered by Howard Lotsof back in the early 60′s, when he was experimenting with drugs and developed a heroin habit that he couldn’t kick. While searching for a new high, a chemist friend who also frequently “turned on” with psychedelics offered him a mysterious white powder, that he proclaimed would induce a thirty-six hour trip. He was curious and tried it, not knowing that the bitter tasting powder was once used by the US government’s MK-ULTRA (Project Bluebird) mind control program on groups of black ex-opiate addicts. The experiment was conducted by Dr. Harris Isbell at the Federal Narcotics Hospital Of Lexington, Kentucky (of course the CIA doesn’t confirm or deny that they did this).
Almost immediately after taking Ibogaine, Lotsof lost his craving for heroin. He even felt emotionally transformed and invigorated. He began to search for more and for subjects to test it on, informally creating the first Ibogaine trials. Over the years, Lotsof conducted extensive scientific research into Ibogaine and, was awarded a patent for narcotic addiction in 1985 and poly-drug dependency in 1992. On December 12, 1980, interested groups teamed up with Lotsof to help inform the world about the curative and healing aspects of Ibogaine and to develop a program to help treat addicts around the world. Howard Lotsof died of liver cancer in 2010, but others have been relentless in continuing his quest to make Ibogaine treatments available to all who need them. A few years ago, I began to consider the possibilities of Ibogaine being used as an emergency treatment for hardcore opiate/cocaine/crack addicts and alcoholics before and after large scale disasters, when methadone’s availability is sparse or non-existent and other addiction treatments aren’t readily available. The stress produced by large disasters of any type can also provoke former substance abusers to relapse. It’s a major problem that is almost never discussed in the context of disaster preparedness, response and recovery. I knew that it needed to be, so, I set up (removed) to explore many different options that would enable people in these vulnerable situations have access to Ibogaine, when supply disruptions would occur that prevented methadone from being obtained as a result of these disasters.
In the fall of 2014, I had a telephone conversation with another friend, a drug policy activist who shared some of his ideas about the subject with me. He had extensive experience with Ibogaine as he was once a substance abuser with a habit that it helped him kick. His experience with Ibogaine was so profound that not only did it break his cycle of abuse, he was inspired by, or perhaps compelled to learn more about it and travelled to Gabon, an African nation where Ibogaine is used in a religion called Bwiti and where he eventually became a Bwiti healer, called an N’ganga (Spiritual Healer). My friend was extremely concerned that this ignored segment of America's population (and other nation’s), will be shattered when a large-scale disaster strikes, leaving an already compromised community completely devastated. My friend was right. It would be an absolute catastrophe and we both knew that something must be done immediately to deal with this looming crisis. We agreed to work together to develop some practical concepts that could help to significantly diminish this threat. Right after we ended our conversation, I knew that Ibogaine would be at the top of our list of ideas.
The problem is, we knew that its use in the USA was prohibited due to the current legal status of Ibogaine being a Scheduled 1 controlled substance, this means that it is illegal to manufacture, buy, possess, or distribute (sell, trade or give) without a DEA license. However, it is legal in Canada, Mexico, Norway, UK and several other countries, but that doesn’t help Americans and other nations with serious drug dependency habits. Legalization is the only way it can be used as a widespread therapy in the U.S. That process begins with an FDA trial. Once it receives their approval, Ibogaine could be made available for all who need it. Given the rapidly escalating heroin crisis in the USA, and the looming prospect of a large scale disaster, we can’t afford to wait for another addiction treatment method when the best one is already available. I believe that it is time to rally support for an FDA trial, and a major push towards legalizing Ibogaine’s use in the USA. Ibogaine isn’t a magic bullet and it must be used properly by professionals. When it is, this amazing gift from Mother Nature, combined with human ingenuity can not only cure addicts of their life shattering habits but also emotionally transform them in a highly positive way.
It even shows promise for treating patients with Parkinson’s disease and other ailments. It is definitely a cause worth fighting for, as the benefits to all who are treated with it will be evident not only in their lives but for their families, communities and ultimately entire nations who require this medicine. To help support this cause, I formed (removed), along with other Ibogaine organisations and proponents from around the globe, to inform and educate world governments in order to influence their legislative agencies and authorities in favour of Ibogaine being adopted as a viable therapeutic addiction treatment. This will be strengthened once tangible evidence is obtained through their recognised practices, which will be possible once we have successfully enlisted their aid in conducting a safety trial at a designated area hospital. We’re still working to gain the support of the various agencies that continue to impede the awareness and access to those most in need of this vital sacred medicinal botanical. The positive development in this campaign, is the recently assembled team of dedicated health professionals that are helping us to secure a location where the trials can be conducted. In November 2014, we staged a major event, featuring various prominent leading figures and advocates of Ibogaine access and treatment centers, including yours truly to raise funds for the effort, which I am very proud to announce (removed) generously donated and contributed towards.
In addition to raising awareness and eventual acceptance in the States, this campaign was also created to help fund an Ibogaine project in Afghanistan, which (removed)played a significant role towards creating, in order to help combat the growing opiate problem that has produced nearly 2 million addicts in a nation of 30 million people. Comparatively speaking, could you imagine America with nearly 20 million heroin addicts? This is what Afghanistan is facing and with (removed) determined perseverance in working with former Afghani policy maker Murtaza Majeed, and others to combat this scourge by opening Ibogaine clinics at the center of the storm in Kabul, the nation’s capital. Working together, we are committed to help turn the tide of this wave of misery that is rapidly spreading across the country and other afflicted nations, where all involved in this campaign believe that Ibogaine is the best and most effective way to accomplish this. We believe that Afghanistan will serve as proof of Ibogaine’s potential for the USA. We are already aware of what Ibogaine can do and hope that in 2015, we can assemble the support that (removed) has helped develop, and everyone else who has been involved in this struggle to make this amazing gift from nature available to everyone. We plan to continue our work to make this happen and we hope that you will support and join our efforts! (removed)