A single dose of magic mushrooms could help cocaine addicts break the cycle, new research has suggested.
Global cocaine use hit record highs in 2023, with more people turning to the illicit drug during the pandemic than ever.
In the UK it is one of the most widely used illegal drugs – second only to cannabis.
Currently there are no approved medications for cocaine addiction or other stimulant use disorders. The only resource available to users is cognitive behavioural therapy, a type of psychotherapy.
Hallucinogens such as psilocybin – the active ingredient in magic mushrooms – have shown promise in treating a number of mental health conditions, including alcohol use disorder and smoking.
And now it’s offering hope to people who are dependent on cocaine.
The new study – published in JAMA Network Open – followed 40 US cocaine users for around six months and found that psilocybin could be an effective treatment.
Participants were randomly assigned either a single dose of psilocybin – a psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms – or a placebo antihistamine. Both groups were supported by a licensed therapist.
A single dose of psilocybin could help cocaine users kick their addiction, new research shows
Results showed that those who received a single dose of psilocybin were more likely to abstain from cocaine than those who were given a placebo.
To be included, participants had to be over the age of 25, used cocaine on at least four days in the past month and have a desire to quit.
Those with other mood disorders being treated with antidepressants, high blood pressure or a history of bipolar disorder were also excluded.
After initial prescreening, participants then completed up to five psychotherapy sessions and seven days of no cocaine before the study period commenced.
After the all–day drug session, where participants were given either psilocybin or an antihistamine in capsule form, they underwent five more therapy sessions.
Follow–up assessments were carried out 90 days and 180 days after the final therapy session.
Results showed those treated with psilocybin alongside psychotherapy were far less likely to relapse and had a greater percentage of cocaine–free days.
Study lead author, Dr Peter Hendricks, from the University of Alabama, said the findings are especially pertinent given the number of Americans now dying from overdoses involving stimulants.
Cocaine deaths are on the rise globally, with addicts finding it extremely difficult to challenge impulsive behaviours.
Rather than working on the same receptors as cocaine, psilocybin works to alter a user’s state of consciousness, typically in one therapy session.
The idea is that this altered state can help facilitate shifts in perspective that help users change their behaviour.
‘These findings are a potentially important advancement in the treatment of cocaine use disorder, a condition for which there are no approved pharmacotherapies and limited psychosocial interventions,’ Dr Hendricks said.
The representation of vulnerable populations in previous trials has been an ongoing concern – with data suggesting that cocaine use is the single strongest predictor of criminal conviction and re–offending rates.
This is particularly true of low–income black men, according to US datasets, who made up the majority of the current study. White people, meanwhile, are more likely to report lifetime addiction.
Experts commenting on the findings agree that the results ‘are a long time coming, arriving at a critical juncture of the overdose epidemics fourth wave, and a national mental health crisis.’
However, Professor Erin Bonar, a licensed clinical psychologist, said that any emerging treatments need to be effective for both substance use disorder and depression – a common symptom of cocaine withdrawal – which the current study could not prove.
She added that ‘careful balance’ is required when considering psilocybin as a potential treatment for cocaine addiction to avoid a rise in psychedelic use and associated adverse events among a vulnerable population seeking relief.
Cocaine is one of the most widely used illegal drugs in the UK – second only to cannabis.
Despite its growing reputation as a ‘middle class’ party drug, it is used across every demographic, income level and social group.
And it’s one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death. Combining the drug with alcohol increases the risk by as much as 25 times, studies show.
