--- title: "US government funds research into psychedelic drug ibogaine" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/health/us-government-funds-research-into-psychedelic-drug-ibogaine" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-government-funds-research-into-psychedelic-drug-ibogaine" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/health/us-government-funds-research-into-psychedelic-drug-ibogaine.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-government-funds-research-into-psychedelic-drug-ibogaine" category: "Health" published: "2026-11-12T17:45:55.121Z" source_reported: "2026-11-12T17:21:07.000Z" updated: "2026-11-12T17:45:55.121Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-11-12T17:45:22.878400+00:00" --- # US government funds research into psychedelic drug ibogaine *Up to $4.9 million allocated to prepare for first US studies on ibogaine for PTSD.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports and five digests corroborate the funding announcement and the drug's potential uses. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. The reports clearly separate facts from speculation and provide context for the funding announcement. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headlines use the word 'controversial' but the articles themselves are balanced. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Federal officials announced new funding to explore the medical potential of ibogaine. - The funding, up to $4.9 million, is intended to prepare for the first U.S. studies of ibogaine for post-traumatic stress disorder. - Ibogaine, derived from a West African shrub, can cause severe side effects including hallucinations and irregular heart rhythms. - Veterans groups and psychedelic advocates believe ibogaine shows promise for conditions like PTSD and opioid addiction. Federal officials have announced new funding to investigate the medical applications of ibogaine, a psychedelic substance. The initiative includes up to $4.9 million to lay the groundwork for the initial U.S. studies of ibogaine specifically for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated the funds will support the necessary preparations for manufacturing, dosage, and study design, rather than direct patient research. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins indicated that safety and rigorous research would be the primary focus. Ibogaine is derived from a shrub native to West Africa. Its use can lead to intense hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, tremors, and potentially fatal irregular heart rhythms. The drug is currently classified as illegal in the U.S., similar to LSD and MDMA. Despite these risks, veterans organizations and advocates for psychedelic treatments assert that ibogaine holds significant potential for treating intractable conditions such as PTSD, severe depression, and opioid addiction. Research in the U.S. has been largely stalled for decades due to the drug's restricted status. The government will collaborate with Beond Inc., a Texas-based company that has experience treating patients with ibogaine in Mexico, where it is not illegal. Beond Inc. will provide data and treatment guidance. This announcement follows an April executive order from the Trump administration directing federal agencies to expedite the review and research of psychedelics for mental health conditions. The Food and Drug Administration currently has three other psychedelic applications under review, including those for psilocybin and MDMA. ## Disagreement on funding source The psychedelicalpha.com report states the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided an update on psychedelics-related initiatives, committing to fund a $20 million real-world evidence network. The other reports specify the funding amount as up to $4.9 million for preparing U.S. studies of ibogaine for PTSD. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mention the specific figure of $20 million for a real-world evidence network that was reported by psychedelicalpha.com. Additionally, none of the reports detail the specific reason for Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins's absence from the press conference, as stated in the psychedelicalpha.com digest. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 71% (5) - Centre: 29% (2) - Right: 0% (0) 1 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-11-12T17:45:22.878400+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-11-12T18:00:17.766Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Reports from the Durango Herald, The Independent, Beckley Register-Herald, and The Hamilton Spectator led with the announcement of federal funding for ibogaine research. These outlets highlighted that the funding is up to $4.9 million and is intended to prepare for the first U.S. studies of ibogaine for PTSD. They also noted that ibogaine is made from an African plant and can cause severe side effects. The Durango Herald and The Hamilton Spectator included details about the drug's potential for treating conditions like PTSD, severe depression, and opioid addiction, as championed by veterans organizations and psychedelic advocates. These reports also mentioned the Trump administration's April executive order to speed up research on psychedelics and the drug's controversial nature. ### Centre - KSAT 12 and WBAL reports focused on the federal officials' announcement of new funding to explore the medical potential of ibogaine. Both outlets specified the funding amount as up to $4.9 million, aimed at preparing for the first U.S. studies of ibogaine for PTSD. They detailed that ibogaine is derived from a West African shrub and can cause intense hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, tremors, and sometimes deadly irregular heart rhythms, noting its current illegal status in the U.S. The reports also mentioned that veterans organizations and psychedelic advocates believe ibogaine shows promise for intractable conditions. Both KSAT 12 and WBAL included information about the government receiving data from Beond Inc. and referenced the Trump administration's executive order on psychedelics. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 5 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/health/2026/11/12/ibogaine-psychedelics-kennedy-trump-veterans/56330bae-debd-11f1-912c-4fbb80d73f7f_story.html) — Trump administration will fund new research on ... - [WBAL](https://wbal.com/trump-administration-will-fund-new-research-on-controversial-psychedelic-drug-ibogaine) — Trump administration will fund new research on controversial psychedel - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/donald-trump-mexico-washington-joe-rogan-ptsd-b3084088.html) — Trump administration will fund new research on controversial psychedelic drug ibogaine - [Beckley Register-Herald](https://register-herald.com/region/trump-administration-will-fund-new-research-on-controversial-psychedelic-drug-ibogaine/article_e6c05240-6566-57c7-b186-a83632ce8c01.html) — Trump administration will fund new research on controversial psychedelic drug ibogaine - [KSAT 12](https://ksat.com/health/2026/11/12/trump-administration-will-fund-new-research-on-controversial-psychedelic-drug-ibogaine) — Trump administration will fund new research on controversial psychedelic drug ibogaine - [psychedelicalpha.com](https://psychedelicalpha.com/news/breaking-u-s-government-taps-mark-cubans-company-to-develop-ibogaine-for-ptsd-commits-to-fund-20m-real-world-evidence-network) — Breaking: U.S. Government Taps Mark Cuban’s Company to Develop Ibogaine for PTSD; Commits to Fund $20M Real-World Evidence Network - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/life/trump-administration-will-fund-new-research-on-controversial-psychedelic-drug-ibogaine/article_abbf8dd0-883e-58d2-8b49-836de23c6a1e.html) — Trump administration will fund new research on controversial psychedelic drug ibogaine - [Durango Herald](https://durangoherald.com/articles/associated-press/trump-administration-will-fund-new-research-on-controversial-psychedelic-drug-ibogaine) — Trump administration will fund new research on controversial psychedelic drug ibogaine ## Questions **What is ibogaine and what are its potential uses?** Ibogaine is a psychedelic substance derived from a shrub native to West Africa. While it can cause severe side effects including hallucinations and dangerous heart rhythms, veterans organizations and psychedelic advocates believe it shows promise for treating difficult conditions such as PTSD, severe depression, and opioid addiction. **How much funding is the US government providing for ibogaine research?** Federal officials announced new funding of up to $4.9 million to prepare for the first U.S. studies of ibogaine for post-traumatic stress disorder. This funding is intended to support the necessary preparations for manufacturing, dosage, and study design. **What are the risks associated with ibogaine?** Ibogaine can cause intense hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, tremors, and sometimes deadly irregular heart rhythms. It is currently classified as an illegal drug in the U.S., similar to LSD and ecstasy, due to its safety risks. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. 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