Pure Common Sense

The Boston Ibogaine Forum for 2009 was recently held on President’s Day weekend at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Speakers included Howard Lotsof, a researcher who discovered the benefits of using ibogaine back in 1962 and prominent ibogaine supporter Dana Beal.

So, what is Ibogaine exactly? It is a psychoactive compound that is found in a number of different plants. It is currently classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act right alongside LSD and heroin. In other words – it is illegal. However, research has indicated that ibogaine has substantial use as an anti-addictictive substance. In fact, it has been reported to be able to fully treat an addiction to heroin without any period of withdrawal – immediately! Now, you can argue whether or not we should legalize narcotics for regular recreational use on a separate table, but if this is something that can help treat drug addiction – that seems to be something that anyone from any position on the drug war should be able to support.

Schedule I drugs are classified as such because it is deemed that:

(A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.

(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.

(C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

According to research on the substance, requirement B for Schedule I classification is in fact, null and void as far as ibogaine goes. Dealing with opiod withdrawal is actually the most common reason that individuals take ibogaine. Over 3,000 individuals have been reported to have ingested ibogaine and over half of those were for the primary purpose of opiod withdrawal. The compound hails from Africa and should offer strong hope for the future.