Former Army Ranger Ben Bush said ibogaine treatment dramatically improved his mental health and urged the Mississippi Legislature to move House Bill 314 forward so more residents can access the therapy, he wrote in an opinion piece published by Magnolia Tribune.
Bush said he was selected as an Army Ranger in 2011 and that three combat deployments in five years, plus five additional deployments to Iraq as a private contractor, took a heavy toll. He told Magnolia Tribune he struggled with survivor’s guilt, insomnia, severe depression and anxiety, and persistent physical pain. He said antidepressants offered little relief and that heavy drinking and long-distance running became his coping mechanisms.
Bush said he first heard about ibogaine in 2020 and began researching it. He told Magnolia Tribune that the drug was discovered in the 1960s to treat heroin addiction and later banned in the 1970s, and that a Ranger friend who had received ibogaine treatment in Mexico connected him with a nonprofit in 2021 that helps veterans access the therapy. He said the nonprofit helped him prepare and that doctors, nurses, a therapist and volunteers with combat experience were part of the treatment team in Mexico, where he said ibogaine is legal.
Bush described taking ibogaine in capsule form in a medically monitored, spa-like setting. He told Magnolia Tribune the experience lasted about 24 hours, felt like dreaming while awake, and forced him to confront and process difficult memories. He said the treatment eased his physical pain, curbed his tobacco and alcohol use, improved his marriage and helped him return to healthier daily life. Bush said he hopes his story will help lead the way for expanded access to psychedelic medicine in Mississippi.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
