Effects Of Ibogaine On Drug Dependence
By Lenore Bolton Ibogaine refers to a natural psychoactive substance found in the Iboga plant. This hallucinogen has both dissociative and psychedelic properties and is banned in a couple of countries. It is used to treat addiction to cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, methadone, alcohol and other drugs. Derivatives of this substance that do not have hallucinogenic properties are now being developed. Within African spiritual traditions this substance is used in ritual and medical purposes by the Bwiti people. In the year 1962 Howard Lotsof became the first to advertise the anti additive properties of the substance but its use by the westerners predates this year by a century. It has been used as a dieting drug which was marketed in France going by the name Lambarene and in the 50s the CIA also did some studies on its effects. It is either semi-synthesized from a precursor compound known as voacangine another plant alkanoid or as an iboga plant extract an indole alkaloid. Altho...