The ibogaine medical subculture.
Journal of ethnopharmacology January 4, 2008 Kenneth R Alper, Howard S Lotsof, Charles D Kaplan 184 citations
Ibogaine, a naturally occurring psychoactive alkaloid, is used within a global medical subculture to treat substance-related disorders, particularly opioid withdrawal. As of February 2006, an estimated 3,414 individuals had taken ibogaine—a fourfold increase from five years earlier—with 68% doing so for a substance-related disorder and 53% specifically for opioid withdrawal, the most common reason. The subculture lacks clinical and pharmaceutical standards, posing risks. Ethnographic analysis identified four types of ibogaine scenes: medical model, lay provider/treatment guide, activist/self-help, and religious/spiritual. The focus on opioid withdrawal distinguishes ibogaine from other psychedelics and aligns with experimental evidence of a significant pharmacologically mediated effect.