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Ibogaine, an alkaloid extracted from the iboga root native to Central Africa, is illegal in the U.S., but not in Mexico and the Caribbean.

Researchers at Ohio State University are collecting survey data from any of the estimated 10- to 20,000 people who are thought to have already taken ibogaine, but due to regulatory restrictions and a lack of funding, research at this point in the U.S. is mostly limited to leveraging data from existing international clinics.

“We are collecting data on people who have sought ibogaine treatment all around the world so we can start to collect a very robust database of any risks, any benefits and what's going on in that space,” said Dr. Stacey Armstrong, associate director of the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education at OSU.

Ibogaine seems to work like a rapid-acting antidepressant that improves cognition and promotes neuroplasticity.

This regulates the neurotransmitter dopamine, which could explain why it has been reported to reduce cravings and help people with substance use disorders, said Dr. Deborah Mash, a lead ibogaine researcher who has been studying it since the 1990s.