Ibogaine vs. psilocybin for addiction — what the evidence actually says

Psilocybin for alcohol: the Johns Hopkins/NYU data shows 83% of participants showing significant reduction or abstinence at 32-week follow-up. The mechanism appears to be the mystical experience producing a shift in identity and relationship to alcohol — people stop identifying as a drinker. It's relatively safe physiologically, legal in Oregon and Colorado, and accessible. For alcohol specifically, psilocybin has the strongest clinical evidence base.

Ibogaine for addiction: the evidence is strongest for opioid dependence specifically, particularly withdrawal interruption. Single sessions produce dramatic, immediate reduction in withdrawal symptoms and extended abstinence periods in a majority of patients — results that no other single-session intervention comes close to for opioid withdrawal. The mechanism is different: ibogaine works on opioid and NMDA receptors directly, not primarily through the serotonin system. But: ibogaine carries real cardiac risk (QT prolongation, fatal arrhythmia). This is not a physiologically safe substance in the way psilocybin is. It requires medical screening and monitoring.

For your specific situation (alcohol use disorder): psilocybin is the evidence-based choice. The data is better, the safety profile is dramatically better, and it's legally accessible. Ibogaine for alcohol is less well-studied and more dangerous than necessary for an indication where psilocybin has excellent data. Save ibogaine consideration for opioid dependence where the evidence is uniquely strong.