Signal // Psychedelic Frontiers: Ibogaine, Veterans, and Texas Healing
There’s a quiet revolution unfolding in Texas—a landscape not of land and light, but of the mind and memory.
• A Surprising Turn in the Psychedelic Journey •
In a move few saw coming, Texas is investing $50 million—the largest state-funded psychedelic research initiative in U.S. history—to explore ibogaine, a powerful psychoactive plant extract, as a potential treatment for opioid addiction, PTSD, and brain trauma. What’s striking is who’s leading it forward: Rick Perry, once a hardline conservative and ex-governor, now advocating for psychedelic therapy after participating in ibogaine treatment himself—calling it transformative. His ally in this effort is Bryan Hubbard, who first pitched the idea in Kentucky. When that fell through, Texas took it up—with Perry’s support, it passed rapidly.
That bipartisan momentum—veterans, researchers, and government—culminated in Senate Bill 2308 and House Bill 3717, enabling clinical trials and public-private partnerships. The goal? Make Texas the national leader in ibogaine research and treatment.
• Why West Texas Should Listen
At Desert Signal, the land teaches us about scale and silence. Ibogaine therapy claims to offer something similar—a moment of breaking open amidst vast complexity. It’s not straightforward, and it’s not without risk (cardiac risks are real)—but for many, it’s a portal.
• Signals, Not Conclusions
This isn’t politics. It’s not branding. It’s a signal—one that says: we recognize suffering in a big way. And we’re trying something different.
Texas taught us horizons can shift under pressure. Maybe healing can too.
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