http://reset.me/story/gov-of-vermont-considers-ibogaine-program/ - from a facebook group, this post raised my eyebrows...the mere notion that ANY high level State official(s) regard this medicine enough to risk openly advocating it [in any fashion] astonishes me. There must really be a severe opiate problem in Vermont, not that this is news to many other states, but the reality of the incumbent Governor's endorsement for a pilot program to assess the efficacy of so 'radical' a treatment leaves me ...befuddled frankly. By and large I am of the mind that most any 'news' regarding the use of ibogaine to treat addictions is 'good' - sometimes even negative press can still have a positive impact insofar as drawing attention to this model of treatment where otherwise a particular demographic would have perhaps been totally unaware - but this is beyond the pale. How likely is it such a program will receive the green-light? I wonder...this might truly be crack in the dam...they are proposing a pilot study to last three years, the specifics of which are still in development but they've a solid idea where to take it it seems. The target population is the refractory [opioid] addicted person, who has tried unsuccessfully to eliminate their problem via any other sanctioned pharmacological/medical method.
It will be very interesting to keep close watch on this and see where it goes...even if it doesn't gain official sanction, the sheer [can I say it?] audacity, the Balls, for anyone in political office to propose this is almost crazy.