A single dose of psilocybin is significantly better than a nicotine patch at helping people quit smoking, according to findings from a pilot clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open.Why It’s Relevant
Most individuals who smoke want to quit, but current treatments such as nicotine replacement therapy tend to work for only a few months, leading to many unsuccessful quit attempts. Psychedelics may offer a novel approach to quitting: Rather than targeting cravings or withdrawal symptoms, these substances adjust individuals’ mental flexibility and feelings of self.
By the Numbers
- Eighty-two psychiatrically healthy adults who smoked received either one dose of psilocybin (30mg/70kg body weight) or eight to 10 weeks of nicotine patch treatment.
- All participants also received 13 weekly sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy—with the fifth session marking the targeted quit date when participants received their assigned pharmacotherapy.
- One day after their quit date, 91% of adults who took psilocybin and 80% using the patch self-reported smoking abstinence over the previous 24 hours.
- After six months, 41% of the adults who took psilocybin had biochemically verified prolonged abstinence (no smoking following a two-week grace period after the quit date) compared with 10% using the nicotine patch.
- After adjusting for cigarettes smoked per day, adults who took psilocybin had about six times the odds of achieving prolonged abstinence.
What’s More
Across the study period, the total number of adverse side effects was similar between the groups. Participants receiving psilocybin did experience high rates of headaches and elevated blood pressure, primarily on the day psilocybin was taken.
The Other Side
Participants were aware of their treatment arm, and the efficacy of psilocybin might have been inflated by expectancy bias and the recruitment of highly motivated patients—more than 60% of participants reported prior psychedelic use, far above the national average. The psilocybin users also received more contact from the research team, which may have influenced outcomes.
The Takeaway Message
Many questions about psilocybin therapy remain to be examined, including its scalability and cost-effectiveness, but the current findings suggest that psilocybin is promising enough to move forward in the drug-approval process.
Related Information
Source
Matthew W. Johnson, et al. Psilocybin or nicotine patch for smoking cessation: a pilot randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open. Published March 10, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.0972
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/Cannabis-Pic)
