Rick Perry & W. Bryan Hubbard: Rick Perry is the former Republican governor of Texas and U.S. Energy Secretary; W. Bryan Hubbard formerly chaired Kentucky's opioid abatement commission. Together they co-founded Americans for Ibogaine to bring the psychedelic to market as a medical treatment.
What this episode covers
Perry and Hubbard update Joe Rogan on the ibogaine movement 15 months after their first appearance. They reveal that Texas has just committed a full $100 million to develop ibogaine through the FDA process as a breakthrough treatment for opioid addiction, PTSD, and traumatic brain injury. They walk through the science (neuroplasticity windows, Stanford brain-scan studies, 85-98% addiction-interruption rates), Perry's own personal ibogaine treatment that reportedly reversed his brain atrophy, and a state-by-state legislative roll call of bills joining Texas. The conversation widens into themes of curiosity over dogma, spiritual famine in America, federal right-to-try law, and a pointed political attack on Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
Recommended on this episode
A Christian's Guide to Psychedelics
Wendi Reese
“this is a book that I would suggest that every believing Christian go pick it up and read it because it talks about chapter and verse”— W. Bryan Hubbard
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross
John Marco Allegro
“there's also the sacred mushroom in the cross, the John Marco Allegro book... he wrote this book that details what he believes is the use of psychedelic drugs in ancient Christianity”— Joe Rogan
Ambien
Sanofi
“I was taking Ambien to go to sleep at night and then I was taking some stuff called Provigil to get back up in the morning”— Rick Perry
Provigil
Cephalon
“taking some stuff called Provigil to get back up in the morning and be focused”— Rick Perry
Big reveals from this episode
- Hubbard confirms Texas will fully fund the Texas Ibogaine Initiative on its own, committing a full $100 million.
- Rick Perry admits he secretly battled anxiety and insomnia (3.5-4 hours of sleep) throughout his political career, hidden from senior staff.
- Perry's neurosurgeon told him his brain atrophy was gone six months after ibogaine treatment and that his brain 'looks like a 40-year-old.'
- Joe Rogan says he would 'definitely' get treated with ibogaine for cumulative concussion damage.
- West Virginia's legislature passed its ibogaine bill unanimously (96-0 House, unanimous Senate); Mississippi passed 111-1 and 51-1.
- Hubbard reveals the government of Gabon named Americans for Ibogaine its official global partner for iboga medicine.
- Hubbard alleges a Kentucky unemployment director, Muncy Macnamara, took his own life after being scapegoated by Gov. Beshear.
- Hubbard claims Andy Beshear and his father drew paychecks from a law firm that represented Purdue Pharma against Kentucky.
Worth remembering
- Ibogaine's neuroplasticity 'critical period' lasts 90-120 days, versus 48-72 hours for ketamine and 14-28 days for psilocybin.
- One oral dose of ibogaine can eliminate opioid addiction in 48-72 hours; abstinence programs typically take 18 months.
- Two ibogaine doses reportedly raise the addiction-interruption success rate to about 98%.
- Some Israeli scholars argue Moses's burning bush was an acacia tree, which is rich in DMT.
- The 'lazy Southerner' stereotype originated from widespread hookworm infection that sapped people's energy and cognition.
- Federal right-to-try law lets patients with life-threatening conditions access any medication that clears FDA phase-one safety testing.
- In the wild, the iboga shrub grows next to an identical 'poison impostor' bush; only at year 10 does the real one bear fruit.
- Over the last 10 years, 1.5 million Americans died from overdose, alcohol disease, and suicide, more than all U.S. war casualties since 1776.
- The speakers cite 102 U.S. counties with life expectancies lower than North Korea's.
- Standard opioid-dependency treatment is cited at $700,000 per patient and fails roughly 75% of the time.