This story was produced in partnership withDoubleBlind, an independent magazine covering the psychedelic industry.
In the spring of 2022, a 49-year-old New Yorker named David* headed south to Cancun, Mexico.
*Davids name was changed for this story at his familys request.
Photo illustration by Matthew Cooley. Images in illustration by Adobe Stock, 5
He had a huge incentive to get sober once and for all.
David had recently inherited several million dollars from his father.
By February 2022, David relapsed.
He was nodding out almost daily.
He was driving his own death train, and was going off the rails.
Davids teeth had begun to fall out, and this proved to be the final straw.
He wanted help getting into an ibogaine clinic.
(Ibogaine is illegal in the U.S., but unregulated in Mexico.)
She planned to undergo her own treatment after Davids process was complete.
They had been friends for 25 years, including seven as a married couple.
David, who took business classes at the University of Montana, was no stranger to psychedelics.
He told friends his years following theGrateful Deadwere the best of his life.
Talk of the life-changing effects of ibogaine would crop up every so often in his community, too.
For David, it would be the end of the line.
In 1963, 19-year-oldHoward Lotsofwas experimenting widely with drugs while dependent on heroin.
A chemist friend gave him ibogaine.
Suddenly, I realized that I was not in heroin withdrawal, Lotsoflater said.
(The cause of death was inconclusive.)
Still, the small number of opiate-dependent patients in the nixed studyshowed nosigns of withdrawal after taking the psychedelic.
They know it works.
As expected, observational trials have shown that ibogaine can reduce the need for opiates.
One study in Mexicoreportedthat a year after treatment, seven out of 30 patients reported no recent opioid use.
In a smaller study, six out of 14 peopletestednegative for opioids after a year.
Ibogaine could show potential in terms of easing the death toll, he says.
There is still no high-quality clinical trial data despite this early-stage research.
Theres nothing else that can seem to do this.
It hopes to raise more than $80 million dollars over four years to secure FDA approval.
Theres only a couple places that are working, ethically, in my opinion.
And thats what makes treatment dangerous.
These include thorough heart checks for preexisting conditions, metabolic tests, and blood counts.
Perhaps most importantly, doctors must screen for drugs in the persons system to avoid those chemical clashes.
Advocates say that if the protocol is followed, there should not be any risk of death.
The sprawling ibogaine treatment ecosystem is in uncharted territory.
Im not so sure that this can be done widely without compromising.
DAVID ARRIVED AT BEOND ON A scorching afternoon on April 27, 2022.
With his floppy hair, David oozed charisma despite seeming furtive, somewhat ill-at-ease, and in a hurry.
Like David, many recipients are in poor physical health and battling severe addictions.
I have a folder of over 60 ibogaine deaths.
Every single one of those could have been avoided.
Investment was secured during a seed fundingroundin October 2021 and plans for rapid expansion were swiftly drawn up.
Hewas knownastheexpert on cardiac safety in ibogaine treatment.
Beond maintains that David received a full screening, but its unclear if Kamet helped screen him.
Kamlet declined to comment for this story.
The two sites at Beond operate almost like a wellness retreat.
New admissions arrive regularly, as others depart.
Others pay extra to stay for longer to detox, relax, and recuperate.
Start today, read their website.
Rapid painless detox & guaranteed recovery.
On May 1, 2022, Sophie visited David at Beond.
We had a really good talk, she says.
It was just so good to see him.
I was so excited for him.
On many metrics, more than two years after it opened, it has been.
He said he had become addicted to an opiate replacement drug in the process of quitting illegal drugs.
I thought there was no way out until someone told me about a place called Beond.
This is the real deal, he said, claiming he wasnt paid for the endorsement.
It has transformed my life for the better.
But some take a dim view on the use of influencers to promote psychedelic clinics and retreats.
With few other mechanisms for vetting, reviews can help people avoid sketchier places, he adds.
Ultimately, influencers and celebrities are likely to receive preferential treatment by the clinics, he warns.
Their experiences are not reflective of what other clients are going to get, says Adams.
Theres serious ethical responsibility here.
Thats where I met David.
I swallowed nine capsules, along with an anti-nausea tablet, and bade the doctor farewell.
Then I saw my younger self grinning and laughing, before a gnarly vision of Christs crucifixion.
By then, the playlist was at Pink Floyd, before going techno.
The mind purge began, a thumping narrative of amplified negative thoughts and judgments.
After 12 hours in the bed, I was unhooked.
I came in completely closed off and isolated.
David never got the chance to find out if the intense psychedelic therapy protocol would work for him.
We had only exchanged a few words during our meeting, and I left the clinic two days later.
He commented on my British accent and asked what I was in for.
I told him I was there to work on myself.
He said so was he.
I talked to him the day after [the treatment], and it went fine, says Sophie.
He didnt really have much to say about the experience itself.
He was given a booster dose of the medicine two days after his flood dose.
Soon after, he was dead.
Feegel called Davids family and broke the news, Sophie recalls.
I couldnt even believe it, she says.
Shortly after, Kamlet and Feegel rang Sophie within close proximity.
I dont think they really had a chance to talk to each other, she says.
Because they were both saying different things.
The medical staff attempted an unsuccessful third resuscitation, according to a former employee.
That was the big thing they kept saying over and over again.
Through a spokesperson, Beond declined to discuss the details of Davids death, citing patient confidentiality.
At Beond our medical team adheres strictly to the established protocols and professional standards, says the spokesperson.
No client is admitted with a do-not-resuscitate order in place.
The suggestion that our doctors would do so is baseless and absurd.
David was cremated in Cancun, and his remains were transported back within four days.
His memorial service, three weeks later, was attended by some 100 people.
But Feegel, despite being invited, did not go.
So many people spoke about what an impact [David] had on their lives, says Sophie.
He was a very kind person that didnt judge anyone and made people feel really seen and heard.
He could charm the pants off anyone, male or female.
He was an incredibly special soul.
Ibogaine has changed well over 10,000 lives for the better,accordingto a 2021 estimate.
It is hit or miss globally.
Some are like drive-thrus without proper preparation or integration support, while others do not provide sufficient medical support.
This, in rare cases, can have deadly consequences.
After Nicolas death in 1993, there was a gradual acceptance that large doses significantly raise risks.
Jeewa pleaded not guilty to murder in April, and the case is ongoing.
The clinic later closed down, according to three ibogaine experts.
Im comfortable referring people there, he tellsRolling Stone.
I feel they are very committed to public safety.
Its pretty courageous to work with people who are so sick.
He also warned against overhyping ibogaine in promotional materials.
I would criticize anything that says this is a one-dose miracle.
Feegel later criticized other clinics.
DAVIDS DEATH IS NOT THE ONLY controversy to engulf Beond.
Sources describe him as combustible, tough-headed, and condescending.
Kamlet attested to his innocence in court, and the charges were almost all later dropped.
Days later, he then allegedly offered to allow the girl and her underage friend to live with him.
Im super serious,he told her, according to texts shown in court.
Stay in touch and Ill take care of you if we have chemistry.
Upon his arrest, bodycam footage capturedhim claiming topolice that nothing sexual went on.
But before Kamlets trial, the 17-year-oldwas found deadin a river, with no cause of death yet disclosed.
Beond terminated our consulting relationship with Dr. Kamlet last year and stopped all work with him at that time.
She is an entrepreneur.
Update: This story has been changed to clarify details about David.
