A newly published review of research on psychedelics and tobacco use concludes that there’s “evidence that psychedelics, in particular psilocybin, may offer a potential avenue for combating tobacco use disorder,” though authors say that studies to date are still limited and that further investigation is needed.
The primary obstacle to drawing conclusions about the possible use of psilocybin or other psychedelics to combat nicotine addiction, says the study, published in the journal Discover Mental Health, is a lack of relevant research. Only eight papers met the research team’s inclusion criteria, and four of those originated from a single study.
“The very limited number of identified studies do not allow firm conclusions on treatment of tobacco use disorder with psychedelics,” wrote authors out of the Netherlands. “Still, the identified studies warrant further clinical research of the treatment of tobacco use disorders with psychedelics, such as psilocybin.”
Nevertheless, in light of what the paper calls “substantial consequences of tobacco use on health, society and the economy, coupled with the limited effectiveness of existing treatments,” authors added that “exploring the potential of psychedelics as (part of) the treatment for nicotine dependence could provide a novel therapeutic option for addressing tobacco use disorder.”
They noted that they “eagerly await definitive results from a clinical trial from the John Hopkins University studying psilocybin combined with a structured smoking cessation program for nicotine-dependent individuals,” as well as a related study launched last November at Johns Hopkins to “investigate the use of the 5-HT2A receptor agonist psilocybin for smoking cessation, testing psilocybin against the ‘active placebo’ niacin.”
In 2021, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) approved a grant for researchers at Johns Hopkins University, New York University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham to explore exactly how psilocybin can help people curb their addiction to cigarettes.
A separate, federally funded study out of Washington State University last year found that the cannabinoid CBD may help tobacco users quit by reducing cravings. The study, published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, showed that relatively low doses of CBD significantly inhibited a key enzyme associated with the processing of nicotine in the body, which could stave off cravings.
Tobacco use has already been declining precipitously among the public. Gallup released a data analysis last year that found for the first time, for example, that more Americans openly admitted to smoking marijuana or eating cannabis-infused edibles than those who said they’ve smoked cigarettes in the past week.
A separate 2022 Gallup poll found that young people were more than twice as likely to report smoking marijuana compared to cigarettes.