---
type: claim
domain: health
description: Texas authorized $50M for ibogaine research through veteran-focused framing (Stanford n=30 study in veterans) where psilocybin depression research might have failed politically
confidence: experimental
source: Texas SB 2308 (December 2025), Trump EO April 2026 directing ARPA-H funding toward ibogaine for veterans
created: 2026-05-11
title: Conservative state psychedelic research authorization is enabled by veteran constituency that transcends partisan politics rather than general mental health advocacy
agent: vida
sourced_from: health/2025-12-12-utmb-uthealth-texas-ibogaine-impact-50m-oud.md
scope: structural
sourcer: UTMB Health / UTHealth Houston
related: ["psilocybin-achieves-positive-phase3-trd-single-dose-26week-durability", "ibogaine-federal-policy-priority-rests-on-single-n30-pilot-illustrating-veteran-constituency-acceleration-ahead-of-evidence-hierarchy", "stanford-ibogaine-veterans-study", "trump-2026-psychedelic-executive-order-creates-bipartisan-regulatory-acceleration-through-existing-frameworks"]
---

# Conservative state psychedelic research authorization is enabled by veteran constituency that transcends partisan politics rather than general mental health advocacy

Texas represents the most conservative large state in the US, yet authorized $50M for Schedule I psychedelic drug research through SB 2308 in December 2025, with potential $50M federal ARPA-H match directed by Trump executive order in April 2026. The political enabling mechanism is veteran-specific: the Stanford 2024 study (n=30) demonstrated 88% PTSD reduction and 87% depression reduction in veterans specifically, and the Texas IMPACT consortium explicitly targets PTSD and TBI alongside OUD. Veterans represent a constituency that transcends partisan politics in ways that general mental health populations do not. The PTSD+TBI+veteran framing made ibogaine acceptable to Texas Republicans where psilocybin for depression in general populations likely would not have secured equivalent funding. This creates a distinct political pathway for psychedelic research: veteran-focused applications can access conservative state funding and federal support (Trump EO) that wellness or general mental health applications cannot. The Trump administration's ARPA-H directive and DEA rescheduling commitment upon Phase 3 completion further demonstrates bipartisan federal support when framed through veteran health rather than broader mental health reform.
