Risk management in a global market of alternative addiction care: a case study of the ibogaine medical subculture
Social Theory & Health June 27, 2025 Johan Söderberg, Jakob Lundgren 2 citations
Ibogaine, a controlled substance, is reported to interrupt addiction. Because it is illegal, a network of addicts and harm reduction activists has explored its use for treating substance dependency in underground and off-shore clinics. Practitioners have developed strategies to mitigate harm from the drug's potential cardiotoxicity. This case study examines how a medical subculture can create global governance without public funding or state regulations. The authors argue that the global market in alternative addiction care foreshadows a future market-based healthcare system.