Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation

ABSTRACT

Background: A recent open-label pilot study (N = 15) found that two to three moderate to high doses (20 and 30 mg/70 kg) of the serotonin 2A receptor agonist, psilocybin, in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for smoking cessation, resulted in substantially higher 6-month smoking abstinence rates than are typically observed with other medications or CBT alone. Objectives: To assess long-term effects of a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation program at ≥12 months after psilocybin administration. Methods: The present report describes biologically verified smoking abstinence outcomes of the previous pilot study at ≥12 months, and related data on subjective effects of psilocybin. Results: All 15 participants completed a 12-month follow-up, and 12 (80%) returned for a long-term (≥16 months) follow-up, with a mean interval of 30 months (range = 16–57 months) between target-quit date (i.e., first psilocybin session) and long-term follow-up. At 12-month follow-up, 10 participants (67%) were confirmed as smoking abstinent. At long-term follow-up, nine participants (60%) were confirmed as smoking abstinent. At 12-month follow-up 13 participants (86.7%) rated their psilocybin experiences among the five most personally meaningful and spiritually significant experiences of their lives. Conclusion: These results suggest that in the context of a structured treatment program, psilocybin holds considerable promise in promoting long-term smoking abstinence. The present study adds to recent and historical evidence suggesting high success rates when using classic psychedelics in the treatment of addiction. Further research investigating psilocybin-facilitated treatment of substance use disorders is warranted.

KEYWORDS:

• Hallucinogen
• tobacco
• smoking cessation
• nicotine
• addiction
• psilocybin
• psychedelic
• mystical experience
• spirituality

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Corrigendum

Funding

The Beckley Foundation provided initial funding for this research, with continued funding provided by Heffter Research Institute.

Declaration of interest

The third author is on the board of directors of the Heffter Research Institute. Support for Dr. Garcia-Romeu was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse Grant T32DA07209. Support for Dr. Griffiths was provided in part by NIDA Grant R01DA003889.

Additional information

Funding

The Beckley Foundation provided initial funding for this research, with continued funding provided by Heffter Research Institute.