Psilocybin Therapy Is Being Tested for Cocaine Addiction
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Get Cocaine Test Kits →A federally funded clinical study will test whether psilocybin-assisted therapy can help people reduce or stop cocaine use.
Dr. Albert Arias, chief of addiction psychiatry at Carilion Clinic, received an initial award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to begin the research. The first phase will examine safety, tolerability, dosing, and any early evidence of benefits.
If the pilot meets its milestones, the project could expand into a larger clinical trial and receive up to $3.5 million in total funding.
The study addresses a significant treatment gap, as there are currently no FDA-approved medications specifically for cocaine use disorder.
In This Article
📋 Study at a Glance
- Lead researcher: Dr. Albert Arias, Carilion Clinic
- Funder: National Institute on Drug Abuse
- Pilot enrollment: ~27 people with cocaine use disorder and recent cocaine use
- Study arms: 25 mg psilocybin, 40 mg psilocybin, or a 5 mg active placebo
- Follow-up: Six weeks
- Possible next phase: ~90 participants, two psilocybin sessions about one month apart
- Total potential funding: Up to $3.5 million
What the Psilocybin Study Will Test
The initial pilot is expected to enroll approximately 27 people who meet the criteria for cocaine use disorder and have recently used cocaine.
Participants will be divided into three groups receiving one of the following:
- 25 milligrams of psilocybin
- 40 milligrams of psilocybin
- A 5-milligram active placebo
The smaller dose is intended to help researchers manage one of the biggest challenges in psychedelic trials. Because the effects of a full psychedelic dose are usually noticeable, participants can often guess whether they received the drug or an inactive placebo.
Researchers will follow participants for six weeks and examine safety, tolerability, cocaine use, cravings and behaviors associated with addiction.
⚠️ Keep in Mind: This is a proof-of-concept study. Its small size means it can identify an early signal, but it cannot establish psilocybin as an effective cocaine addiction treatment on its own.
A Larger Study Could Follow
If the pilot produces promising results, a second phase could enroll approximately 90 participants.
That trial would use the dose selected during the pilot and include two psilocybin sessions, with the second administered about one month after the first. Researchers also hope to use brain imaging to investigate whether certain neurological patterns are associated with a stronger treatment response.
The project will examine several possible mechanisms, including changes in cravings, attention, emotional states, cognitive flexibility and neuroplasticity.
Researchers are also interested in whether the subjective or "mystical" effects of psilocybin influence treatment outcomes. These questions remain unresolved, and the study is designed to investigate them rather than assume a particular mechanism.
Psilocybin Is Only One Part of the Intervention
Participants will not simply receive psilocybin and leave.
The clinical protocol combines a measured pharmaceutical compound with participant screening, structured psychotherapy, preparation, monitoring and follow-up care.
⚠️ Important: The research should not be interpreted as evidence that taking mushrooms independently can treat cocaine addiction. Mushroom potency can vary considerably, and an unsupervised psychedelic experience does not recreate a clinical protocol.
Clinical Trials Take Years. Testing Takes Minutes.
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