Psychedelics and substance use disorder treatment.
International review of neurobiology January 1, 2025 Caitlin M. DuPont, Matthew W. Johnson 6 citations
Classic psychedelics, including LSD, psilocybin, and ayahuasca, show benefits for reducing drinking and achieving abstinence in alcohol use disorder, with small clinical trials also showing promising initial results for tobacco and opioid use disorders. No trials have yet been conducted for stimulant or cannabis use disorders. Most evidence comes from naturalistic observational studies or correlational survey data, which, combined with clinical trials, suggest potential broad transdiagnostic efficacy across multiple addictive drugs. These effects likely stem from biological improvements in brain areas involved in reward and emotional processing, reducing relapse risk, and psychological insights that reinforce personal motivations for sobriety. More work is needed to characterize benefits and limitations.