Exploring Ibogaine Treatment for Substance Dependence in BC.
Download the report here (pdf)
Background
We conducted this study to shed light on ibogaine treatment for opioid dependencies. With the opioid crisis in British Columbia taking more lives by the day, exploring new treatment routes for afflicted individuals is a necessity. Evidence supporting the efficacy of ibogaine in treating substance dependency is apparent in the academic literature; however, not many have looked very deeply in the inner workings of the treatment facilities that are providing this medicine to those in need. This report seeks to close that gap in the literature by interviewing ibogaine treatment providers and individuals that have undergone ibogaine treatments themselves to gain a deeper understanding of the treatment process.
Recommendations
Based on the results from the literature and interviews, the following recommendations are provided:
The Canadian government should fund further clinical trials looking into the shortterm and long-term efficacy of ibogaine on the treatment of substance dependency.
Research on ibogaine’s cardiotoxic effect and on mitigating possible risk associated with treatments need to be conducted.
Until ibogaine is implemented and accepted by the Canadian medical system, at-risk individuals who have already tried conventional treatment routes should be granted legal access to ibogaine treatments through Canada’s Special Access Program (SAP).
Substance dependent individuals who cannot afford ibogaine treatment should be allowed access to treatments with the help of government funding.
With further media coverage on ibogaine, public awareness can be raised significantly while helping reduce stigma that has been historically associated with using psychedelic drugs to treat substance dependency disorders.
Having ibogaine-specific post-treatment aftercare groups and programs may greatly influence the long-lasting effectivity of the treatment.
Ibogaine treatment facilities should receive funding from the government to help pay for medical equipment and a full medical team to both minimize risk associated with treatment and reduce treatment costs, making the treatment safer and more accessible to those who need it.