Researchers at Johns Hopkins University report that carefully administered dosages of psilocybin, the non-addictive hallucinogen found in magic mushrooms, enabled an impressive 80 percent of people involved in a study to finally quit smoking.
The researchers gathered a group of nicotine-dependent smokers -- 10 male and five female volunteers around the age of 50 who had no history of mental health issues, smoked at least 20 cigarettes a day for 30 years, and had attempted but failed to quit at least six times in the past.
The volunteers were put on incrementing doses of psilocybin, in conjunction with behavioural therapy that included counselling and journaling.
The "trip" sessions when the volunteers recieved the drug would last up to two hours and they were encouraged to cover their eyes, listen to music, or meditate in a comfortable homey setting where they could relax while under supervision and observation.
Researchers said that after each session, the volunteers would report feelings of clarity and newfound outlooks on old problems that made them feel overall more hopeful and confident about themselves.
The results of the study need further tests and validation, but the results were positive: 12 of the volunteers reported that they had not smoked a cigarette even six months after the study ended.
Magic mushrooms, or shrooms, have been used to induce psychedelic highs in religious rituals in South and Central America for ages. Some preliminary studies in the past also suggested that they could be helpful in the treatment of depression.
But what makes this study so interesting is the remarkably high success rate of the drug in comparison to other treatments and therapies smokers use to quit cigarettes.
Matthew W. Johnson, the lead author of the study available online, said that while they cannot yet conclude that psilocybin is the responsible agent in helping the volunteers give up smoking for good, he believes that it certainly played a role in helping them reflect inwards and get into the proper mindset to quit the habit.
In a news release regarding the study, Johnson shares the following observation: "When administered after careful preparation and in therapeutic context, psilocybin can lead to deep reflection about one's life and spark motivation to change."
Researchers are hopeful that with further study and tests with control groups and comparisons to other methods of therapy such as the nicotine patch, they can see how psilocybin may someday be used to help with not only cigarette smoking addiction but also other forms of substance abuse.
