Sunday Bonus Podcast - Brian Hubbard Joins Michael To Discuss Ibogaine & Its Possibility To Heal The Mind Of Trauma & Addiction

In this Sunday Bonus episode of The Michael Berry Show, host Michael Berry welcomes Brian Hubbard, executive director of the American Ibogaine Initiative through the REID Foundation, to discuss the potential of ibogaine as a transformative treatment for trauma and addiction—particularly among veterans. Hubbard shares his personal journey from a working-class background in Virginia’s coalfields to leading Kentucky’s opioid commission, where he spearheaded efforts to find a 'Manhattan Project'-level breakthrough in addiction treatment. He details how, after eight months of research, he discovered ibogaine—a psychoactive alkaloid derived from West African plants—that can rapidly resolve physiological dependence on opioids, alcohol, cocaine, and methamphetamine within 36–48 hours for 80% of users. More remarkably, Stanford University’s 2024 study in Nature Medicine revealed ibogaine’s ability to regenerate brain tissue, reverse brain age by up to five years, and repair traumatic brain injuries—conditions previously untreatable. Hubbard emphasizes that ibogaine is not a recreational drug but a serious medical intervention requiring clinical oversight due to cardiac risks, which can be mitigated with magnesium. He advocates for Texas to lead a public-private partnership to fund FDA-approved trials, citing House Bill 3717 and Senate Bill 2308 as critical legislative steps. The episode also confronts the stigma around psychedelics, challenging the 1967 Schedule I classification as politically motivated and factually flawed, especially given ibogaine’s lack of street economy and anti-addictive nature. Michael Berry reflects on the moral imperative to support healing for veterans—our warriors—after they return from war, questioning why we spend billions on warfare but hesitate to invest in healing. The episode closes with a call to action: visit rallytexas.org to support the legislation and learn more at abigain-texas.com.