Magic Mushrooms may stop cocaine addiction
A single dose of magic mushrooms can help cocaine users quit the drug and prevent relapse.
Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, may help cocaine addicts stay drug-free after a single guided therapy session, scientists say.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, tracked 40 cocaine users in the United States for six months and found that those given psilocybin along with psychotherapy were more likely to abstain from cocaine than those given a placebo.
Cocaine use has increased worldwide in recent years, with global consumption reaching record levels in 2023.
It remains the second most widely used illicit drug in the UK, after cannabis.
Despite the magnitude of the problem, there is currently no approved medication to treat cocaine addiction, leaving users largely reliant on cognitive behavioral therapy.
Researchers from the University of Alabama recruited participants over the age of 25 who had used cocaine at least four times in the previous month and wanted to quit.
Volunteers completed their therapy sessions and went a cocaine-free week before participating in an all-day treatment session in which they received either a psilocybin or a placebo antihistamine capsule.
Five more therapy sessions followed and progress was checked after 90 and 180 days.
The results showed that those treated with psilocybin recorded more cocaine-free days and were significantly less likely to relapse.
Dr Peter Hendricks, leader of the study, said: “These findings are a potentially important advance in the treatment of cocaine use disorder, a condition for which there are no approved pharmacotherapies and limited psychosocial interventions.”
Unlike cocaine, which stimulates reward pathways linked to impulsive behavior, psilocybin works by temporarily altering consciousness.
Scientists believe that the psychedelic experience may induce shifts in perspective that help users rethink addictive behaviors.
Experts welcomed the findings but warned against exaggerating the results.
Professor Erin Bonar said treatments needed to address both addiction and depression, a common feature of cocaine withdrawal, which this study could not confirm.
He added that a “careful balance” was needed to avoid increasing risky psychedelic use among vulnerable people seeking help.
Researchers say larger trials are now needed before psilocybin can become a widespread addiction treatment.
