In 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2308, authorizing a $50 million state appropriation for ibogaine clinical trial research. The law’s stated objective is to support FDA drug-development clinical trials for ibogaine in opioid use disorder, co-occurring substance use disorder, and other neurological or mental-health conditions where ibogaine demonstrates efficacy.

25% earmarked for veterans

25% of any state revenue generated by the program is earmarked for veteran-assistance programs, reflecting the central role veterans played in advocating for the bill. Veterans testified at committee hearings; veteran nonprofits including VETS Inc. lobbied directly. The funding mandate ties the research investment to the population it’s most likely to benefit first.

From matching funds to self-funded trial

The bill was originally structured to provide state matching funds for a pharmaceutical-industry partnership. When state officials were unable to secure a drug-company partner — reflecting the structural challenge of running FDA-trajectory trials for a non-patentable, naturally-occurring compound — Texas pivoted to a self-funded model.

In March 2026, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows announced that UTHealth Houston, in partnership with The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, would lead a statewide research consortium to conduct a two-year clinical trial of ibogaine for addiction, traumatic brain injury, and behavioral health conditions.

Why this matters

This is the first US state-level psychedelic research investment at this scale. It signals a shift in how states are approaching mental-health and addiction treatment innovation when federal pathways stall. The veteran-centered framing — and the bipartisan coalition that produced it — set a template that other state legislatures are now studying.

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