In a surprising turn of events for one of the most conservative state legislatures in the country, Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2308 on June 3, authorizing $50 million for research into using ibogaine for addiction treatment. The bill was signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 11, “making Texas the global leader in psychedelic research investment,” according to the Texas Tribune.

Specifically, the bill authorizes a consortium of institutions, including universities, drug companies, and hospitals, to conduct:

[…] clinical trials with ibogaine to secure the administration’s approval of the medication’s use for treatment of opioid use disorder, co-occurring substance use disorder, and any other neurological or mental health conditions for which ibogaine demonstrates efficacy and to the administration of that treatment.

How is it that a state looking to ban THC products is authorizing the largest single investment into psychedelics research in the country’s history? Two words: Rick Perry.

Former Texas Governor and Secretary of the Department of Energy, Rick Perry was behind a similar effort in Kentucky, which did not make it out of the state legislature. Perry was on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on January 2, along with W. Bryan Hubbard, executive director of the American Ibogaine Initiative, the main lobbying group behind the Texas bill.

The project is a tangential effort for Perry, who is “living his dream,” according to Axios, which published an exclusive interview with the elusive Perry. The longest-serving governor in the Lone Star State’s history, Perry ran the Texas government from 2000 to 2015. He was Secretary of Energy from 2017 to 2019, and still enjoys strong support from the state’s fossil fuel industry. He told Axios he has “a very close working relationship with the Saudis.”

Perry’s involvement with ibogaine is the result of his long friendship with former U.S. Navy SEAL, Marcus Luttrell, who goes to Mexico to receive ibogaine treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After leaving government service, Perry became a convert, as described by the Texas Tribune:

He unequivocally believes ibogaine takes away addiction and he is ready to tell anyone who will ask him about it. He has since gone on to the Joe Rogan podcast to wax poetic about the drug and other psychedelic treatments. He is a scheduled speaker for a psychedelic conference in Denver. He is also planning to reach out to officials in Israel and Ukraine to initiate ibogaine treatment programs there.

Specifics about how this $50 million is to be spent are thin. The money is earmarked to support clinical trials leading to approval of ibogaine for the treatment of opioid use disorder, PTSD, other substance use disorders, and behavioral disorders. Interestingly enough, the same Rick Perry has involvement in another disorder: gambling addiction.

Axios reports that “Perry has also joined the Sports Betting Alliance, the group lobbying to legalize mobile sports gambling in Texas — though he opposed any expansion of legal gambling while in office.” Perry told Axios the bill “is not an expansion of gambling,” but rather an effort by Texas to get its share of the $6 billion wagered annually on sporting events by Texans.

With gambling addiction turning into the next pandemic sweeping across the U.S., one has to wonder whose side Rick Perry is on. Maybe he’ll find a way to cash in on the wave of gambling addiction treatment programs following the sports betting tsunami that he is helping to unleash?

Written by Steve O’Keefe. First published June 18, 2025.

Sources:

“With Rick Perry’s backing and $50 million from the state, Texas set to become a leader in psychedelics research,” Texas Tribune, June 11, 2025.

“Texas invests $50 million in ibogaine research for addiction treatment,” WCPO, June 10, 2025.

“The Case for Ibogaine: Kentucky’s Opportunity to Lead in the Fight Against Opioid Addiction,” Newsweek, November 8, 2023.

“Rick Perry is living his dream,” Axios, May 3, 2023.

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