Researchers Develop Synthetic Ibogaine to Treat Depression, Addiction
Ibogaine is a psychoactive substance that triggers hallucinations; the substance is found in the Apocynaceae family of plants. Ibogaine has been used in spiritual ceremonies by the Bwiti tribe of Gabon for centuries. However, it wasn’t until the ’50s that ibogaine became popular in the West as a treatment for depression and addiction. Despite this rising popularity, however, ibogaine isn’t a medicine per se as it may lead to heart attacks and it’s illegal in most countries. Still, it was used by researchers recently to develop a non-hallucinogenic, non-toxic chemical cousin that helps tackle addictive and depressive behaviors in rodents.…
