#2477 - Rick Perry & W. Bryan Hubbard

Joe Rogan (0:03)

The Joe Rogan Experience.

W. Bryan Hubbard (0:06)

Trained by day, Joe Rogan Podcast by night, all day.

Joe Rogan (0:12)

Gentlemen, great to see you. Yeah, put them on, slap them on. What's happening? Good to see you, gentlemen, again.

Rick Perry (0:19)

Taken off.

W. Bryan Hubbard (0:19)

Taken to see you as well.

Rick Perry (0:21)

One more time.

Joe Rogan (0:22)

Yeah, one more time.

W. Bryan Hubbard (0:23)

Yeah.

Joe Rogan (0:24)

So, what is the latest? Give me the latest. Where are we at?

Rick Perry (0:29)

Why don't you take it, Brian? You just kind of, you're the most current on where we are, what's going on. Man, there has been a lot of stuff happen in the 15 months since we were here. I mean, like, stunning amount of stuff. So, let's not waste any time. Tell them where we're at.

W. Bryan Hubbard (0:46)

All right. Well, the last time we came to visit with you, I believe, was on December the 27th of 2024 We were just on the front end of having organized 30 committed Texans whose own families had had experiences related to trauma, addiction, alcoholism, and the wounds of war. Who, after hearing a plan that was developed for the state of Kentucky to bring Ibogaine to the American people as an FDA-approved medication and breakthrough treatment for addiction and trauma, committed themselves to using their time, their talent, and their network to achieve what had never been done before. And that was to convince an individual state to undertake drug development to create a therapeutic medical breakthrough for public health crises within its borders that are representative of the national reality. After you released the interview with us on January 2nd, 2025, we pursued a five-and-a-half-month blistering campaign to convince 188 blank slate Texas legislators to fund the single largest psychedelic research and medical development project in history, that being the $50 million Texas Ibogaine Initiative. We had the assistance of some in-state allies, one of which was Texans for Greater Mental Health, led by a dear friend and brother of mine, Logan Davidson, who was my right hand, going to meet with legislators continuously when I set up shop at a hotel here in Halston and lived here just about part time, wearing the shoe leather off, sweating and making sure that everybody who needed to be introduced, educated and motivated to get behind this would do so. At the end of this five and a half months, we secured the votes of yes, 181 out of 188 legislators between the Texas House of Representatives and State Senate. There was one individual who we had to persuade at the eleventh hour to get behind this project. On May the 14th, 2025, just 36 hours before the Texas budget was finalized, this bill that would create the first unified FDA drug development trial with Ibogaine in US history was not funded. I woke up that morning and I believe very much in keeping your prayers in the closet, as Jesus taught, and not getting out there parading about it. But on that morning, I got a call and it was, hey, we're getting to the eleventh hour, we don't have money to secure this, it may not make it. We've done everything that we can. And I just literally got down on my hands and knees and said, God, please let this happen. And if it cannot happen, help me understand why. Three hours later, I got a telephone call asking if I could go and meet with the Texas House Speaker and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. I went at 4.3 in the afternoon on May the 14th and spent an hour with these two gentlemen going back and forth about what this project was, why it was so existentially necessary for Texas and the country.

And on Friday morning, May the 16th at 10 a.m., we got a text message from Lieutenant Governor Patrick confirming that he would approve and fully fund the Texas Ibogaine Initiative. As we walk in here today, literally just 10 minutes before we walked into your studio, I can confirm that the great state of Texas is going to fully fund the Texas Ibogaine Initiative originally intended to be a public-private partnership, but now has decided on its own to commit a full $100 million to launch the development of Ibogaine all the way through the FDA's drug development process for the benefit of the American people. To do so on its own without any drug development partner and to do it for the good of humanity.

Joe Rogan (4:57)

That's phenomenal. So what did you have to say to Dan Patrick to convince him of this? And kudos to him for doing this.