May 13, 2026.
Denver, CO—On May 13, the Colorado legislature passed House Bill 26-1325 which establishes a first-of-its-kind ibogaine research pilot program within the state's Behavioral Health Administration (BHA). The bipartisan legislation authorizes up to 5 ibogaine research sites, creates a dedicated funding mechanism and integrates ibogaine into Colorado's broader natural medicine regulatory structure, building on the groundwork laid with the passage of the Natural Medicine Health Act in 2023.
The legislation directs the BHA to select and supervise designated pilot locations, facilitate their compliance with the FDA's Investigational New Drug (IND) process and collaborate with federal regulatory authorities. Additionally, a newly created Ibogaine Research Pilot Program Cash Fund will offer financial support to approved sites through gifts, grants and donations.
“Ibogaine is one of the most promising medicines we have to treat our worsening mental health crisis. This bill is a substantial step forward in creating safe access to Ibogaine care in Colorado and the United States more broadly,” said Joshua Kappel, founding partner of Vicente LLP and interim Executive Director at Colorado for Ibogaine. "It leads with research but then lays the groundwork for safe, effective, and culturally responsible ibogaine treatment.”
Kappel and others from the leading psychedelics law firm Vicente LLP played a key role in the development of Natural Medicine House Bill 26-1325.
A Bipartisan Push for Innovative Treatment
The bill was sponsored by House Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell, R-Colorado Springs, Rep. Lisa Feret, D-Arvada, and Sen. Matt Ball, D-Denver. Ibogaine is derived from the root bark of the Tabernanthe iboga shrub native to Central Africa. Although ibogaine remains a Schedule I substance under federal law, Colorado voters approved Proposition 122 – the Natural Medicine Health Act – which both decriminalized the substance for personal use and provided for a regulatory review of the substance’s inclusion for therapeutic use under the law’s supervised use framework. Observational research, including a widely cited 2024 Stanford study, has documented significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, suicidality and disability among special operations veterans who received ibogaine treatment. The new pilot program will operate contingent on federal authorization through existing waiver and IND pathways.
Arizona and Texas were the first states to appropriate funds for clinical ibogaine trials. Colorado becomes the third, joining a growing bipartisan movement at the state level that has gained further momentum from the Federal Administration's recent executive order directing $50 million in federal funds toward psychedelic research.
A Responsible Regulatory Framework.
The bill calls for ibogaine research to be conducted with:
- Medical oversight and safety protocols including cardiac screening and monitoring to address known risks associated with ibogaine administration
- Federal coordination with the BHA assisting pilot sites through the FDA's IND process and working in concert with the DEA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Rigorous site selection with a BHA committee reviewing applications and selecting up to 5 qualified pilot sites.
- Indigenous benefit-sharing requirements mandating that applicants establish benefit-sharing plans with communities in Central Africa traditionally connected to iboga and ibogaine practices.
Key provisions of the bill are contingent on grant or philanthropic funding due to Colorado’s budget shortfall. The bill uniquely positions Colorado to receive federal grant money outlined in the recent Executive Order around psychedelic treatments.
"We’ve seen the profound potential of ibogaine to help people struggling with addiction, trauma, and other difficult conditions, and outdated laws should not stand in the way of access to promising therapies,” said Barine Majewska, Vicente LLP counsel. “HB 26-1325 reflects a careful approach that prioritizes patient care while moving this important work forward and providing responsible access to this life-changing medicine."
Colorado's Natural Medicine Leadership.
HB 26-1325 arrives as Colorado continues to lead the nation in natural medicine policy. The state's Natural Medicine Division began accepting psilocybin license applications in late 2024, and the first healing centers opened in 2025. The ibogaine pilot program represents a natural extension of that framework, with the state's Natural Medicine Advisory Board having voted in 2025 to recommend adding ibogaine to Colorado's natural medicine program.
The law is expected to take effect August 12, 2026.
