The real Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belfort has claimed an illegal psychedelic drug cured his addictions and could be the answer to the opioid crisis.
The 61-year-old told the New York After that he recently went on an ibogaine trip that cured him of his vices.
“When I woke up from the trip, I no longer craved opiates. I no longer had a physical addiction,” he said.
Earlier this year, Belfort – who served 22 months in prison for a pump-and-dump stock fraud – was treated earlier this year at a clinic outside Cancun, Mexico.
Ibogaine is a psychoactive drug that occurs naturally in some plants and has psychedelic and dissociative properties.
It is known that Belfort was once addicted to cocaine, a habit he claimed he had some 25 years ago. But now he admits that this was not the whole truth.
“I got sober in 1997. Then I had six surgeries over a two-year period… I was on Vicodin and I was at the point where I thought, if this goes on much longer, I’m going to do that.” become addicted,” he said.
“I called my doctors (and they said, ‘Oh, you have to take Suboxone – you can stop taking opiates and they won’t get you high.’
“(They) didn’t tell me how impossible it would be to get rid of it! So I had been using Suboxone for 10 years. I didn’t abuse Suboxone, but I couldn’t stop,” he concluded.
Belfort said he had tried many times over the years to stop taking Suboxone, but the withdrawals were always too horrible to endure the effort. He called his most recent attempt at a rapid detox center this year a “total disaster.”
He admits that he initially doubted the healing properties of the psychedelics.
“I grew up in the era when they really demonized psychedelics: ‘If you take one hit of LSD, you’ll jump out the window and you’ll never be the same,’ he said.
“I stayed away from psychedelics. Ironically, some of these psychedelics are incredibly powerful as a healing mechanism, especially when administered properly.’
Belfort left for Mexico on the recommendation of Mike “Zappy” Zapolin, who describes himself as a “psychedelic janitor to the stars.”
Beond, the Mexican Clinic, is a resort-style rehabilitation center that focuses entirely on ibogaine therapy treatments.
Jordan Belfort and his current wife Cristina Invernizzi. Belfort believes the tightly controlled use of ibogaine could change the lives of many Americans affected by the opioid crisis
Like any other resort, amenities include massages, world-class dining options, and other spa treatments, in addition to on-call therapists and doctors.
A one to two week stay in Beond will cost anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000.
Guests’ vital signs, including heart and blood pressure, are constantly monitored during treatment, which carries the risk of heart attack or seizure.
‘Ibogaine can lead to changes in heart rhythm. Therefore, thorough heart screening and monitoring during experiences is essential. When ibogaine is combined with certain medications, it can lead to deadly cardiac arrhythmias,” said Dr. Martin Polanco, a specialist in addiction medicine who has been with the clinic for 23 years.
Belfort said he was under medical supervision throughout his 12-hour experience with the drug.
“Ibogaine is not something you take for fun. I couldn’t imagine doing it for fun…I felt it working…burning through my body,” he recalled.
“You know, some people have very intense visions. I’ve seen some visions, but I didn’t go so far as to have a conversation with my late father,” he said, adding that he felt he walked away with a “deeper understanding of myself.”
Crucially, Belfort says he has been Suboxone-free since his treatment.
Polanco said the drug — derived from an alkaloid found in the roots of Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub native to West Africa — is believed to function in a few different ways, including alleviating some of PTSD, depression and addiction.
Jordan Belfort inspired the hit movie Wolf of Wall Street. His character was played by Leonardo DiCaprio
While the science behind ibogaine is still largely unproven at this point, some research in rats has shown that the drug is able to reset reward pathways in the brain, reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
While psychedelic drugs have not yet gained widespread acceptance as curative treatments for a variety of mental illnesses, a growing number of government advocates are pushing for funding to explore the field.
Kentucky’s conservative Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who is currently running for governor of the state, has announced $42 million in funding for ibogaine treatment for opioid addiction. The funding is a result of the settlement the state received in connection with the many, massive lawsuits against companies that caused the opioid epidemic.
Several Republican members of Congress have also joined progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in co-sponsoring a bill expanding psychedelic research and medical use.
Belfort says he is baffled that the drug, currently classified as a Schedule I substance by the Drug Enforcement Agency, is illegal in the United States.
“It has to be strictly controlled,” he said. “It would save so many lives and help so many families.”