Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction. (November 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Johnson, Matthew W; Garcia-Romeu, Albert; Cosimano, Mary P; Griffiths, Roland R
• Is Part Of: Journal of psychopharmacology. Volume 28:Number 11(2014:Nov.)
• Page Start: 983
• Page End: 992
• Publication Date: 2014-11
• Subjects: Hallucinogen -- tobacco -- smoking cessation -- nicotine -- addiction -- psilocybin -- psychedelic; Psychopharmacology -- Periodicals; 615.78
• DOI: 10.1177/0269881114548296
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-8811

Abstract

Despite suggestive early findings on the therapeutic use of hallucinogens in the treatment of substance use disorders, rigorous follow-up has not been conducted. To determine the safety and feasibility of psilocybin as an adjunct to tobacco smoking cessation treatment we conducted an open-label pilot study administering moderate (20 mg/70 kg) and high (30 mg/70 kg) doses of psilocybin within a structured 15-week smoking cessation treatment protocol. Participants were 15 psychiatrically healthy nicotine-dependent smokers (10 males; mean age of 51 years), with a mean of six previous lifetime quit attempts, and smoking a mean of 19 cigarettes per day for a mean of 31 years at intake. Biomarkers assessing smoking status, and self-report measures of smoking behavior demonstrated that 12 of 15 participants (80%) showed seven-day point prevalence abstinence at 6-month follow-up. The observed smoking cessation rate substantially exceeds rates commonly reported for other behavioral and/or pharmacological therapies (typically <35%). Although the open-label design does not allow for definitive conclusions regarding the efficacy of psilocybin, these findings suggest psilocybin may be a potentially efficacious adjunct to current smoking cessation treatment models. The present study illustrates a framework for future research on the efficacy and mechanisms of hallucinogen-facilitated treatment of addiction.