This webinar was recorded on Wednesday 13 Sep 2023 and hosted by Anya Oleksiuk, as part of the Psychedelic Science and Harm Reduction team at the Psychedelic Society. In March 2024, a portion of that team became PsyAware. Please note that in the introduction, we refer to ourselves as the Psychedelic Society.

Is iboga, the traditional African substance, the key to transforming the way we treat addiction and mental health??

How does its growing popularity as a therapeutic tool for addiction reconcile with its cultural and spiritual significance within equatorial Africa?

Watch the discussion with expert Hattie Wells as she shares her insights on the latest research and the impact of ibogaine on addiction and mental health disorders. Hosted by Anya Oleksiuk, delve into the exciting world of ibogaine treatment and explore its potential to revolutionize the way we approach drug dependence.

Iboga, is a natural substance with a rich history of use among indigenous African tribes such as the Mitsogo and Fang in Gabon and the Efé in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One of the biggest ethical considerations in the field of ibogaine therapy is the issue of reciprocity. The use of ibogaine for therapeutic purposes outside of its traditional indigenous communities raises important questions about cultural appropriation and the commercialization of indigenous knowledge and practices. The sacred nature of ibogaine, combined with its growing popularity as a treatment for addiction and mental health issues, has led to concerns about the appropriate use and regulation of this substance.

You'll learn about the groundbreaking research being conducted on ibogaine, the concerns in the field, and how it can be used to help those struggling with addiction and mental health issues. You'll leave with a deeper understanding of this exciting field and the promise it holds for the future, as well as a critical perspective on the important ethical considerations surrounding ibogaine therapy.

Hattie Wells is an ethnobotanist, activist and former ibogaine treatment provider who has dedicated her career to exploring the cultural and therapeutic use of psychedelics around the world. She spent over a decade researching and working with ibogaine and other psychedelics, before taking a break from the field and carrying out ethnobotanical research with the San Bushmen in Namibia, where she gained valuable insights into their healing practices and relationship with the natural world.  She returned to the drugs field soon after becoming a mother, putting her energy into drug policy reform and working with organisations such as the Beckley Foundation, Transform Drug Policy Foundation and ICEERS, in an effort to support challenge the needless criminalisation of people who use certain drugs, and create a path forward that minimises the risks and maximises the benefits of psychedelic drug use.

More recently, Hattie has returned to practitioner work, and is working on two psychedelic clinical trials as a therapy guide (ibogaine and 5 MeO DMT). She is also a director of Breaking Convention, Europe’s largest conference on psychedelics, and a board member of the Global Iboga Therapeutic Alliance (GITA). Hattie is passionately interested in charting a more ethical and equitable path forward for psychedelics and dismantling the war on drugs.

If you're feeling generous, any donation you can offer would greatly support our harm reduction efforts.

Ibogaine Treatment for Addiction: From the Underground to the Overground with Hattie Wells