How we grade the evidence

The evidence grades

We grade each use of ibogaine by the strength of the human evidence behind it:

• Strong (early): published human trials or prospective cohorts. In ibogaine's case this still means small, mostly uncontrolled studies, so "strong" is relative to the field, not to medicine generally.
• Weak: case reports, retrospective series, or a subset of a larger study rather than a dedicated one.
• Anecdote only: testimonials or a mechanism argument, with no human outcome data.
• No evidence: no research supports the use.
• Contraindicated: not merely unproven, but dangerous. We use this where combining ibogaine with a condition or drug creates real harm.

What sources we accept

We cite primary and authoritative sources: peer-reviewed journals (for example Nature Medicine and PMC-indexed studies), government and policy bodies (the White House, UTMB, the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association), and the clinical guidelines the field itself references. We link them directly and date them. Where evidence is a preprint or self-reported by clinics, we say so and treat it as directional, not settled.

What we refuse to cite

We will not repeat statistics we cannot verify. That specifically includes two figures circulating on clinic websites: a claimed "Stanford Phase II, 120 patients, 71 percent" result, and a claimed "JAMA, 200 veterans, 67 percent" study. Neither is verifiable in the published literature, and we treat both as fabricated. The only rigorously published human ibogaine study to date is the 30-person Stanford open-label study, and we represent it as exactly that. We also do not repeat clinic success rates as if they were science.

How we handle risk (YMYL)

Ibogaine is a "your money or your life" topic, so we err toward caution. Every relevant page carries the cardiac-risk, Schedule I and "not medical advice" caveats, because they are both true and protective. We lead safety pages with the risk, not the benefit. When honesty and marketing conflict, we choose honesty, which is why our "no evidence" and "what ibogaine does not treat" pages exist and are treated as assets, not filler.

Corrections

The evidence here is evolving quickly, and we would rather be corrected than wrong. If you find an error or have a primary source we should reflect, email TwelveTreesCapital@gmail.com and we will review and update, noting the change date on the page.