PT 606 - Ibogaine and the Future of Healing: Trevor Millar & Jonathan Dickinson of Ambio Life Sciences

n this episode of Psychedelics Today, kicking of Psychedelic Science 2025 week in Denver, we sit down with Jonathan Dicksinson, Chief Executive Officer, and Trevor Millar, Chief Operations Officer of Ambio Life Sciences – one of the world's leading ibogaine clinics – to explore the potential of ibogaine for addiction, neuroregeneration, and how ethics, honoring experience, and sustainability will be key to delivering ibogaine at scale. 

Trevor shares his early work supporting marginalized populations in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, which led to the founding of Liberty Root, one of Canada's first ibogaine clinics. Jonathan reflects on his apprenticeship in Mexican clinics, years of international advocacy with the Global Ibogaine Therapy Alliance, and drafting the first set of clinical guidelines for ibogaine detoxification. Together with paramedic and ibogaine safety protocols expert Jose Inzunza, they co-founded Ambio in Tijuana in 2021.

They discuss:

• The unique safety standards Ambio has pioneered – including industry-wide clinical protocols and magnesium therapy to mitigate cardiac risk.
  
  

• Their scale: over 3,000 patients treated, with 100+ clients per month across five dedicated houses in Baja California.
  
  

• Ambio's groundbreaking neuroregenerative program for Parkinson's, MS, and traumatic brain injury – which has already drawn patients like Brett Favre and Clay Walker.
  
  

• How ibogaine appears to drive profound physiological change – including evidence of TBI reversal as shown in Stanford's 2024 study on Special Forces veterans.
  
  

• Why ibogaine isn't just a molecule – it opens a long-lasting "critical period" of neuroplasticity that must be supported with preparation, integration, and holistic care.
  
  

• The deeper story of sourcing: through his company Terragnosis, Jonathan is the only person with a legal export license for Tabernanthe iboga from Gabon, and Ambio is setting a precedent for reciprocal and ethical global supply chains.
  
  

• Their cautionary perspective on Texas' $50M push toward ibogaine clinical trials – and why the traditional "one drug, one indication" model misses the complexity and promise of psychedelic healing.

They also make a compelling case that Ambio is already modeling what the future of psychedelic care should look like – not a single drug in a sterile clinical setting, but a comprehensive, integrated protocol combining preparation, medical oversight, and deep integration. "Start with the end in mind," Trevor urges – Ambio isn't just part of the movement; it's the blueprint for how ibogaine could be delivered worldwide.

Links:

• Ambio Website: https://ambio.life/

• Significant lesion reduction and neural structural changes following ibogaine treatments for multiple sclerosis (Frontiers in Immunology, Feb 2025)

• Magnesium–ibogaine therapy in veterans with traumatic brain injuries (Nature Medicine, Jan 2024)

• Ibogaine reduced severe neuropathic pain associated with a case of brachial plexus nerve root avulsion (Frontiers in Pain Research, Aug 2023)

• Novel treatment of opioid use disorder using ibogaine and iboga in two adults (Journal of Psychedelic Studies, Jan 2020)

• Clinical Guidelines for Ibogaine-Assisted Detoxification

• Ambio Life Sciences Launches World's First Clinical Ibogaine Program for Patients With Neurodegenerative Conditions

Bios: 

Jonathan Dickinson is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Ambio Life Sciences. One of the world's leading experts on ibogaine, Jonathan brings over 15 years of experience in clinical care, traditional practice, and psychedelic research to his leadership at Ambio. A Mexico-licensed psychologist and former Executive Director of the Global Ibogaine Therapy Alliance, he authored the field's foundational safety guidelines and has published widely on ibogaine's therapeutic, cultural, and ecological significance. He holds the only active export license for Tabernanthe iboga root, led the first Nagoya-compliant export from Gabon, and was initiated into the Dissoumba/Fang tradition of Bwiti in 2014 and the Missoko tradition in 2022. He has co-authored peer-reviewed research on ibogaine's potential for trauma, TBI, pain, MS, and Parkinson's. At Ambio, he leads strategy, research, and innovation – advancing a globally scalable model of care that bridges tradition, science, and integrity.

Trevor Millar is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Ambio Life Sciences. A social entrepreneur and pioneer in ibogaine advocacy and treatment, Trevor brings over a decade of experience supporting individuals through addiction recovery, trauma healing, and post-treatment integration. His background includes co-founding the Canadian Psychedelic Association and serving as Chair of the Board for MAPS Canada. He has co-authored peer-reviewed research on ibogaine's applications for trauma, TBI, and opioid use disorder, and has been featured in award-winning documentaries including DOSED and In Waves and War. Grounded in personal experience and guided by a philosophical approach to healing, Trevor is helping shape a new model for ethical, integrative psychedelic care on a global scale. At Ambio, Trevor leads operations, strategic partnerships, and client experience – bridging clinical care with systems design, education, and public advocacy.