Tabernanthe iboga, or just plain "Iboga" is a wonder and miracle plant that is native to Africa and is a powerful therapeutic and hallucinogenic that is the most effective and potent plant on the planet that we know of right now for purposes of naturally curing drug or opiate addiction, well, at least for people in the Western world or industrial nations where drug addiction originated and is highest in the world and clearly for spiritual reasons, meaning a lack of spirituality or spiritualness due to the disease of materiality or materialism.
The Iboga plant is a perennial rainforest plant (shrub) that grows in African rainforests, especially in Central Africa. The plant has small green leaves, white and pink-colored flowers, produces an orange-colored fruit that is elongated oval-shaped or round spherical shaped, and has yellow-colored roots which contain an alkaloid known as or called 'indole alkaloids.'
African forest people, especially those of the Bwiti religion in Cameroon, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo, have been using the plant in ceremonial rituals (mostly spiritual ones) for ages. Amongst these particular people, Iboga is consumed in large doses by initiates of the Bwiti system (that we in the Western world call a religion) and on a more frequent basis Iboga is consumed in much smaller amounts in connection with ceremonial rituals and tribal dances (those usually performed at night).
In smaller doses, the plant serves as a stimulant. Iboga is used by some tribal hunters to maintain their alertness.
Iboga contains a powerful alkaloid, 'ibogaine' that contributes to the plant's efficacy, especially when it comes down to curing drug addiction in general, heroin addiction in particular. Iboga stimulates the central nervous system when taken in very small amounts or doses but induces visions in larger amounts or doses.
African natives where the plant grows chew the bark of the root for therapeutic and ritualistic purposes. When chewed, the root is bitter in taste, and causes an anesthetic-like sensation in the mouth in addition to systemic numbness of the skin.
Iboga is effective for all opiate addiction, from heroin addiction, methadone addiction, alcohol addiction, crystal-meth addiction, nicotine addiction, and even PCP and crack cocaine addiction.
The powerful, noble, and benevolent plant is effective against all man-made drug related addictions. There has been much research and investigation into the plant's properties and its efficacy pertaining to healing opiate addiction.
The present legal status of the plant is that it is banned - outlawed. Tabernanthe iboga is banned in the United States and is classified by the Controlled Substances Act (list of Schedule 1 drugs).
According to native African ethno-botanist Dr. Kweku Andoh, now located in Atlanta, Georgia:
"Tabernanthe iboga has to be the gift of the African ancestors to the descendants in the Diaspora. This is the "plant that heals the human spirit." Drug addiction is closely linked to despair, unhappiness and lack of self-esteem, the basis of mental illness within the African American community. The herbal decoction works directly on the medulla oblongata, where habits are formed in the brain."
I agree with Andoh's words about Iboga being a gift to the descendants in the Diaspora, though I would give the credit to Nature rather than the ancestors since Nature produced the plant and not the ancestors.
Andoh also makes the following statement that I agree with and in full:
"Our indigenous foods and herbs will do more to bring us into harmony with the Universe than any allopathic remedy developed by Western pharmaceutical laboratories."
When you consider the plight of Africans in the Diaspora, especially the United States, Tabernanthe iboga is for an African people who have lost their spiritual way and spirituality in exchange for a synthetic and generic man-made religion (or religions) that doesn't satisfy the soul which is why their fervent faith in these various man-made religions leaves a void in their hearts which is responsible for many African-Americans seeking synthetic highs via the use of illegal or illicit drugs, alcohol, and other substances which leads to addiction in most cases.
Many Blacks (African-Americans, Kemetians, Nuwaubians, Nubians, Asiatics, Bilalians, et al) know all too well true life experiences of folks being addicted to or strung out due to drugged out family members that constitute our real life Pookie from "New Jack City", Gator from "Jungle Fever", Halle Berry's character in the movie "Losing Isaiah" and Chris Tucker's character in "Dead Presidents." Most of us have that notorious drug head or fiend in the family that is an embarrassment to the family.
And this is not a race thing either as many Whites know all too well the situation of Michael Douglas' daughter in the movie "Traffic"; and Hispanics or Latinos with Frog's little brother in the movie "Colors" (who was strung out on PCP) and what was seen in the movie "American Me" with Hispanics overdosing on drugs brought into their community.
Drug addiction in the United States crosses all boundaries including race and ethnicity. Drug addiction is an American thing!
The U.S. constitutes only five percent (5%) of the world's population, however, more than fifty percent (50%) of all drugs are consumed by U.S. citizens. To me, this makes a huge statement, one of spiritual void and sensationalism.
If you have a desire to "get" high, then it makes a statement that you are "low" or "feeling low" in spirit and that's why you want to get high.
Black people who live in the midst of high poverty rates, high unemployment rates, high crime and violence rates, disillusionment, apathy, etc. are more likely to be low in spirits and thus seek a way out. It's no wonder why so many cheap opiates such as alcohol and drugs are so readily available in Black communities across the country. There's a liquor store on nearly every street corner in inner cities ("The Hood") and cheap costing beer, wine, and spirits are readily available, including brews (i.e. 40 ounce, 8-Ball) not available in other communities in the United States. Personally, I don't believe this is by accident but strategically planned for profit motive.
And let's not forget nicotine-laced cigarettes too! We could also add the Church to the list too as folks go to church to get high on religion and preaching (The Gospel). Many of us have heard that "The drug dealer sells dope and the reverend sells hope!" Religious preaching too casts spells on us. The word 'gospel' derives from a word meaning, "God spell" or "Good spell." The word "God" also derives from our word "Good." In Germanic, God was pronounced 'Gud' (which sounds like our English word 'Good').
In the Hood, the main opiates are dope (crack cocaine, PCP, heroin, marijuana, etc.), liquor, cigarettes, religion (the Church), lottery tickets, and sex. And yes I know marijuana is a plant but tell that to the U.S. government who has banned the plant for its own purposes and motives.
Drug addiction is common in Black communities all across the U.S. and we have a potent herb ("Iboga") that cures drug addiction and the government bans it? What's up with that? It would be cheaper to use Iboga for drug addicts than sending then to rehab or prison. Wouldn't you think so?
Drug rehabilitation in the U.S. makes no sense in that drug rehab centers are using drugs to cure drugs. You cannot cure a thing by giving the same thing. You cannot cure a drug with a drug and it doesn't matter if the drug is legal or illegal. Or said another way, you can't cure an illegal drug addiction by using legal drugs. The legal status of a drug cannot change the drug's effect. 
Personally, it makes good business sense, though sinister in nature (of course), for the government to ban Iboga. Drugs are big business in this country. It benefits law enforcement, the judicial system, the prison industrial complex, hospitals, mortuaries, drug rehab centers, and a host of other industries.
Black people cannot handle opiates (drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol). They act a fool under the influence of these substances and damn near always get in trouble with the law while under their influence, which doesn't help their collective condition and situation in this country.
Black people get in so much trouble here in the U.S. and usually with White people, usually those in authority, because they refuse to get in line with their individual and collective spiritual purpose. Black people are supposed to offer a spiritual light out of the spiritual darkness that engulfs the Western world but instead Blacks run from this spiritual duty and seek to be apart of the world (Matrix) and follow a people they are not supposed to be following. When Blacks attempt to do the very same things White folks do, they get in trouble and it's because they are not supposed to be doing these things. This is why Blacks and Whites can do the same prohibited things (prohibited on paper, in law books) and when Blacks and Whites get caught for commission of the same things (crimes, offenses), Blacks' receive harsher punishments than do Whites despite commission of the same exact thing (activity, crime, offense). There is a reason for this. There's a reason Blacks' punishments for the same offenses that other people and races commit are much harsher and severe.
In closing, the least the U.S. government could do (as a partial reparation plan) is allow Africans and African-Americans to use Iboga for drug addiction purposes. The plant comes from the continent Blacks were kidnapped and stolen from and thus would serve them well as the plant comes from their gene pool.
I find it interesting that the U.S. government (C.I.A.) allowed drugs (crack cocaine) to come into Black communities in the early 1980's to wreck havoc but won't allow Tabernanthe iboga to come in and clean up the mess they started or had a hand in.
The Black masses in the U.S. should move Congress to pass legislation to remove the ban on Iboga. Just how they (African-Americans) got behind Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential Election, they could and should do the same thing for Iboga.
No one is going to cure the Black drug problem in the U.S. but Black people.
However, since Tabernanthe iboga is banned at the present time, Dherbs.com has created the 20-Day Substance Abuse Cleanse to help people naturally kick their drug addiction problems. Our salvation from drug addiction does not lie in a single plant regardless of the plant's efficacy. The greatest remedy for any human problem is always found in the human mind and spirit and is enhanced by the human will. Never forget this!
Thank you for reading!
This article is compliments of Dherbs.com.
|
