Addiction Treatment
Ibogaine for Opioid Addiction — Vancouver, BC
Ibogaine interrupts opioid dependency at the neurological level. This is not a claim made by practitioners alone — it is what the research shows, and it is consistent with what happens in ceremony.
88%
Avg. reduction in PTSD symptoms
Stanford / Nature Medicine, 2023
87%
Avg. reduction in depression
Stanford / Nature Medicine, 2023
$50M
Committed to clinical ibogaine trials
State of Texas
How It Works
The Mechanism
Ibogaine works differently from every other intervention for opioid addiction. Methadone and suboxone manage dependency by substituting one opioid for another. Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors. Ibogaine does neither.
What ibogaine appears to do is reset the opioid receptor system — reducing the physical craving that drives continued use and interrupting the neurological patterns that sustain dependency. The noribogaine metabolite remains active in the body for weeks to months after ceremony, continuing this process after the active experience ends.
This is not a cure. It is a window — a period of reduced craving and heightened neuroplasticity during which the behavioural, environmental, and psychological work of lasting recovery becomes more possible. What happens in that window determines the outcome.
The people who come to this work with the strongest results are almost never doing it as a first resort. They have been through suboxone, methadone, 12-step programmes, residential treatment. Many have had periods of abstinence that held for months and then didn't. They arrive at iboga not because they are desperate — they arrive because they have evidence that the other approaches are not enough.
The Evidence
What the Research Shows
The 2023 Stanford study, published in Nature Medicine, examined ibogaine in 30 special operations veterans dealing with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and treatment-resistant depression — with high rates of co-occurring addiction. One month after treatment: 88% average reduction in PTSD symptoms, 87% in depression, 81% in anxiety.
Earlier observational research specifically focused on opioid addiction found consistent reductions in craving and withdrawal severity following ibogaine treatment. The mechanism is distinct from anything currently approved for addiction treatment.
Texas has committed $50 million USD to clinical ibogaine trials at UTMB, UTHealth Houston, Texas A&M, and Baylor University. The addiction outcomes are part of what drove that investment.
Sources: Nature Medicine · PubMed / NCBI · Health Canada
Appropriate Candidates
Who This Is For
Opioid dependency — heroin, fentanyl, prescription opioids
Alcohol dependency
Stimulant dependency — cocaine, methamphetamine
Multiple failed attempts at conventional treatment
People ready to engage with integration work after ceremony
Not Appropriate
Who This Is Not For
Active methadone use — a specific transition protocol is required; this takes time
Tramadol use — a strict contraindication with ibogaine
Current SSRI or SNRI use — supervised taper required before ceremony
Certain cardiac conditions — QT prolongation, arrhythmia, recent heart attack
Severe liver disease — ibogaine is metabolised hepatically
Anyone not prepared to treat integration as a serious commitment
Medical screening is required before any ceremony. If you are not an appropriate candidate, we will tell you directly. Read the full contraindications FAQ.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked
Does ibogaine cure opioid addiction?
No. Ibogaine is not a cure — it is a neurological reset. It reduces opioid craving and interrupts dependency patterns during a window of heightened neuroplasticity. What happens in that window — whether you do the integration work, address the environmental and psychological factors that drove the addiction — determines whether lasting change follows. Ibogaine ceremony followed by a return to the same environment and unaddressed trauma produces relapse.
Can I do iboga if I'm on methadone or suboxone?
Not without a specific transition protocol. Methadone in particular has a long half-life and a cardiac interaction with ibogaine that requires careful management. The transition timeline varies by medication and dosage — we cannot give a general answer without knowing your specific situation. We discuss this in full during screening.
How long do the effects on opioid craving last?
The noribogaine metabolite remains active for weeks to months after ceremony. During this period, many people experience significantly reduced craving. Whether those changes hold depends largely on integration — what environmental and behavioural changes are made while the neuroplasticity window is open.
Is ibogaine addiction treatment covered by insurance in Canada?
No. Ibogaine is not approved as a prescription treatment in Canada and is not covered by provincial health plans or most private insurance. Costs at ExploreBwiti range from $2,000–$5,000 CAD depending on the protocol.
How many iboga ceremonies are needed for addiction treatment?
For most people, a single ceremony is the starting point. Some return for a second ceremony after a period of integration. This cannot be determined in advance — it is something we discuss individually after the first ceremony has been completed and integrated.
More questions? Read the full FAQ or see what the experience involves.
Take the First Step
Begin With an Application
We review every application personally. If your situation is appropriate for ceremony, we will be in contact within 2–3 business days.
Jacob has facilitated iboga and 5-MeO-DMT ceremony since 2016.