Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich continues to throw his support behind ibogaine, pointing to new research from Stanford University that suggests the psychedelic could play a transformative role in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety among veterans with traumatic brain injuries.
On a recent episode of his Newt World podcast, Gingrich described the findings as potentially “one of the great breakthroughs of the next 10 or 15 years.” He cited results showing participants experienced an 88% reduction in PTSD symptoms, an 87% reduction in depression, and an 81% reduction in anxiety one month after treatment.
Gingrich’s guest, Dr. Nolan Williams—a Stanford professor of psychiatry and co-author of the study—explained that the trial followed 30 U.S. Special Forces veterans who received ibogaine therapy alongside magnesium supplements to help reduce cardiac risks. Williams said more than 80% of participants reported a complete loss of suicidal thinking, with no suicide attempts or deaths recorded during follow-up.
Both Gingrich and Williams emphasized that ibogaine could be a powerful tool not only for veterans but also for tackling the opioid crisis, since the compound appears to ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings.
Gingrich criticized the FDA’s traditional approach to drug evaluation, arguing that regulators focus too narrowly on potential risks without weighing the costs of inaction. “You have to figure out what are the total lives saved annually versus what’s the risk,” he said, adding that agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs should treat ibogaine access as a national priority.
He suggested that studies like Williams’ could help persuade policymakers, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to push for ibogaine’s availability in the United States. If so, Gingrich said, its impact “is going to be staggering.”
More articles from The Marijuana Herald can be found below.
