Former Texas governor and U.S. energy secretary Rick Perry says he’s dedicating the rest of his life to advocating for ibogaine, a psychedelic derived from a West African shrub that he believes could revolutionize the treatment of addiction, trauma, and brain injury.
In a Washington Post op-ed, Perry called the recent decision by Texas lawmakers to allocate $50 million in public funding for clinical trials of ibogaine “a bold, bipartisan move rooted in science and urgency.” The funding marks the largest-ever government investment in psychedelic research, with the goal of testing ibogaine’s ability to treat substance use disorders and neurological damage.
Perry’s transformation from skeptic to advocate began after conversations with Congressman Morgan Luttrell, a former Navy SEAL who had witnessed the impact of ibogaine on fellow veterans. Luttrell and his twin brother, Marcus Luttrell — also a Navy SEAL and subject of the book and film Lone Survivor — both traveled to Mexico for treatment and returned transformed, free from opioid dependence and other long-term struggles.
“For years, nothing worked,” Perry wrote about Marcus Luttrell’s struggles after returning from combat. “But after undergoing ibogaine treatment at a clinic in Mexico, Marcus came back changed. He no longer needed opioids. He hasn’t touched alcohol in years.”
Perry has since founded Americans for Ibogaine, a nonprofit aimed at pushing for responsible, regulated access and public education about the substance. Although ibogaine remains illegal in the United States, Perry believes that further research and advocacy could open the door to legal, medically supervised treatment options.
While Perry acknowledged that ibogaine is not without risks — including potential cardiac complications — he emphasized that with proper protocols and medical oversight, those risks can be mitigated. He also pointed out that ibogaine lacks recreational appeal due to its intense and lengthy effects.
“I don’t care if you’re a Republican or a Democrat,” Perry said. “Every one of us knows someone who’s struggling.” He says this mission is no longer political for him — it’s personal. And he’s making it his life’s work.
