Oklahoma's Senate passed the Oklahoma Breakthrough Therapy Act (House Bill 3834) on April 29, sending the measure to Governor Kevin Stitt (R) after the House approved it in March. The bill authorizes the State Department of Health to contract with drug developers for state-monitored ibogaine clinical trials and to join a multistate consortium pursuing FDA approval.
Ibogaine—derived from the root bark of the iboga shrub—has shown observational promise against severe opioid use disorders, PTSD, and traumatic brain injuries. As a Schedule I controlled substance, it is currently inaccessible outside tightly restricted research settings, pushing desperate patients toward unregulated and costly treatment abroad. Known risks include severe cardiac complications and resumed opioid use at lowered tolerance following ibogaine-assisted withdrawal.
The legislation requires drug developers to match state funding dollar-for-dollar, submit a detailed FDA approval plan, and provide protocols for participant recruitment, patient screening, safety monitoring, and post-acute care. Once FDA approval is secured, developers must prioritize Oklahoma residents for access and protect the state's interest in any intellectual property generated. Proceeds flow into a dedicated revolving fund, restricted by law to programs or research benefiting at-risk Oklahomans with ibogaine-treatable conditions. Medical professionals who recommend trial participation are shielded from adverse state licensing actions.
Nate Morgans, CEO of the Casey Skudin 343 Fund and a lead advocate, said the coalition has worked since December without lobbyists, relying on personal accounts of addiction and recovery to educate lawmakers.
"This bill is more than a policy change—it offers real hope to so many people who desperately need it," said Chase Rowan, a US Army Ranger veteran serving as veteran coordinator for Texans for Greater Mental Health and director of Community Engagement & Advocacy for Americans for Ibogaine.
Oklahoma joins Mississippi, where Gov. Tate Reeves (R) signed comparable legislation in March authorizing a multistate consortium alongside Texas, which has already committed substantial psychedelic research funding. Mississippi's law does not appropriate general funds; lawmakers plan to direct opioid settlement money to the effort, a use that has divided advocates concerned about redirecting harm reduction resources.
In April, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) vetoed a similar ibogaine grant bill that had passed the legislature, citing fiscal concerns: "we should do so without requiring the state to award grants of undefined and unfunded amounts."