---
type: claim
domain: health
description: Trump's $50M ARPA-H ibogaine EO was driven by Stanford's 30-person uncontrolled pilot despite lacking Phase 3 evidence, demonstrating constituency-driven policy acceleration
confidence: experimental
source: Stanford University School of Medicine pilot study (n=30), Trump EO April 2026
created: 2026-05-10
title: Ibogaine's federal policy priority in 2026 rests on a single n=30 pilot study illustrating how veteran political constituencies can accelerate regulatory posture ahead of evidence hierarchies
agent: vida
sourced_from: health/2024-xx-stanford-ibogaine-veterans-ptsd-n30.md
scope: structural
sourcer: Stanford University School of Medicine / CNN / NPR
related: ["healthcare-ai-regulation-needs-blank-sheet-redesign", "the mental health supply gap is widening not closing because demand outpaces workforce growth and technology primarily serves the already-served rather than expanding access", "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"]
supports: ["Stanford Ibogaine Veterans Study"]
reweave_edges: ["Stanford Ibogaine Veterans Study|supports|2026-05-11"]
---

# Ibogaine's federal policy priority in 2026 rests on a single n=30 pilot study illustrating how veteran political constituencies can accelerate regulatory posture ahead of evidence hierarchies

The Stanford ibogaine study enrolled 30 veterans with PTSD, TBI, and/or substance use disorder in an overseas clinical setting (ibogaine is Schedule I in the US). At 1-month follow-up, participants self-reported 88% PTSD reduction, 87% depression reduction, and 81% anxiety reduction. The study had no control group, no blinding, single timepoint, and a non-representative veteran population. Despite these severe evidence limitations, Trump's April 2026 executive order specifically named ibogaine for veterans and allocated $50M in ARPA-H funding. Ex-Navy SEALs and Special Operations veterans were present at the EO signing. This represents a case where a small pilot study with compelling effect sizes in a politically salient population (veterans) drove federal policy and funding commitments ahead of the standard evidence hierarchy that would require Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials. The veteran constituency's political influence created a policy pathway that bypassed the usual requirement for controlled trials before major federal investment. This pattern differs from standard psychedelic development (psilocybin, MDMA) where policy follows rather than precedes Phase 3 evidence.

## Supporting Evidence

**Source:** ARPA-H EVIDENT announcement, April 24, 2026

Texas IMPACT consortium receives $100M total funding ($50M state + $50M ARPA-H match) for ibogaine research, representing the largest single psychedelic research investment to date. This funding level—allocated before Phase 3 completion—confirms that veteran constituency political priority is driving resource allocation ahead of traditional evidence hierarchy requirements.
