Iboga root bark refers to the shavings from the root of the iboga tree. In Gabon, after remaining a secret known only to insiders for a long time, iboga was declared a ‘national asset and strategic reserve’ in 2000.
For thousands of years, the Pygmies and the Bwiti people have worshipped and consumed Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub endemic to the Apocynaceae family. Their pharmacological and spiritual knowledge of iboga has permeated Gabonese culture from generation to generation. Even today, this ‘sacred wood’, or more precisely this root, is at the heart of initiation ceremonies such as the Bwiti, an animist rite.
The bark of the tabernanthe tree roots can be ingested to minimise withdrawal symptoms in drug addicts. It is also believed to cure all forms of addiction. It is usually ground into powder and put into capsules to make it easier to ingest and avoid the unpleasant bitter taste. Alternatively, iboga root bark can also be chewed.
