Psychedelics as pharmacotherapeutics for substance use disorders: A scoping review on clinical trials and perspectives on underlying neurobiology
British Journal of Pharmacology September 2, 2025 Lucas M Wittenkeller, Gary A. Gudelsky, Theresa Winhusen et al. 3 citations
Psychedelics are being studied as treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs), not just depression. A scoping review identified 34 clinical trials targeting alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, nicotine, and opioid use disorders, mostly open-label without placebo controls. Alcohol use disorder was the most common target. From animal studies, four publications measured dopamine in the nucleus accumbens after psilocybin or MDMA. High-dose psilocybin caused a sustained mild increase in dopamine, suggesting it may help restore tonic dopamine levels, which could be relevant for treating addiction.