Can a Psilocybin Trip Break Your Smoking Addiction?
Cigarettes are incredibly addictive, and quitting the habit can be a real challenge. Even the best smoking cessation drug, , only has a 35% success rate. But there is hope from a somewhat unexpected source — magic mushrooms. More accurately, the drug is varenicline psilocybin, the active ingredient in ‘shrooms, which can lead to a psilocybin trip. In clinical trials, it was found to be 80% effective.
Granted, it was a small study with only 15 participants, but the results are promising. That isn’t to suggest, however, that you should brew up a mug of “special tea” and toss the smokes in the trash.
The study was done under carefully controlled conditions, with special attention given to the size of the dose. The results, caution researchers, are not intended to encourage a do-it-yourself approach at home.
How it works
Regular smoking cessation drugs work by inhibiting nicotine receptors, creating a biological reaction that leads to kicking the habit. Psilocybin works in a completely different way. When used in a therapeutic setting, the drug promotes reflection on one’s life, sparking motivation to change one’s habits.
To clarify, these weren’t casual smokers who might have stopped on their own without the help of mind-altering drugs. On average, the study participants had smoked nearly a pack a day for 30-plus years. They had also tried, unsuccessfully, to quit several times.
