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

• Published in: The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse 2017-01, Vol.43 (1), p.55-60
• Main Authors: Johnson, Matthew W., Garcia-Romeu, Albert, Griffiths, Roland R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: addiction; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Combined Modality Therapy; Drug addiction; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hallucinogen; Hallucinogens; Hallucinogens - therapeutic use; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; mystical experience; nicotine; Pilot Projects; psilocybin; Psilocybin - therapeutic use; psychedelic; Smoking cessation; Smoking Cessation - methods; Spirituality; tobacco
• ISSN: 0095-2990; 1097-9891
• DOI: 10.3109/00952990.2016.1170135

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.