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Clinical Trial
. 2017 Jan;43(1):55-60.
doi: 10.3109/00952990.2016.1170135. Epub 2016 Jul 21.

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

Matthew W Johnson  1 , Albert Garcia-Romeu  1 , Roland R Griffiths  1   2
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

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

Matthew W Johnson et al. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2017 Jan.

Erratum in

  • Corrigendum.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2017 Jan;43(1):127. doi: 10.1080/00952990.2016.1277105. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2017. PMID: 28106502 No abstract available.

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; addiction; mystical experience; nicotine; psilocybin; psychedelic; smoking cessation; spirituality; tobacco.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) shown for each participant from baseline through long-term follow-up (LT). (B) Urine cotinine levels shown for each participant from baseline through long-term follow-up. (C) Timeline Follow-back (TLFB) data of self-reported daily smoking; individual data points show individual participant data, with the group mean indicated by horizontal line; horizontal brackets indicate significant reductions between intake and each of 4 follow-up assessments (2-tailed paired t-tests, p < 0.001). (D) Relationship between average scores on the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30) at the conclusion of each psilocybin session, and change in urinary cotinine levels from study intake to long-term follow-up. Data points show data from each of the 15 individual participants with best-fit linear regression.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

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