House approves $5 million to study ibogaine for PTSD and TBI despite safety and oversight concerns

The Arizona House approved House Bill 28-71 on March 3, 2025, a one-time $5 million appropriation to the Department of Health Services to award a grant for research on ibogaine as a treatment for neurological conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The recorded vote was 36 ayes, 22 nays and 2 not voting.

Representative Wilmeth described the proposal as seed funding to spur private donations and allow a clinical trial to proceed in Arizona. He cited a 2022 Stanford study of 30 U.S. Special Forces veterans treated with ibogaine and said the seed money would trigger matching private funds. "It's a $5,000,000 one-time appropriation with big savings down the road," Wilmeth said on the floor.

Opponents raised two principal concerns: safety and regulation because ibogaine is listed as a Schedule I substance by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and has been linked in some reports to fatalities or cardiac events; and the prospect of public funds subsidizing commercial pharmaceutical development. Representative Collin, among others, said the bill effectively subsidizes pharmaceutical research and that financial gains would not necessarily benefit Arizona taxpayers.

Supporters included veterans and advocates arguing the current federal and VA system limits independent trials for drugs not backed by major pharmaceutical firms. Representative Blackman, who described his own TBI experience, urged passage on grounds of veteran need.

The final roll-call recorded 36 ayes and 22 nays; the bill passed the House and will be transmitted to the Senate.