Psilocybin or Nicotine Patch for Smoking Cessation: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial
Mendeley Data February 2, 2026 Matthew Johnson
A single psilocybin session combined with cognitive behavioral therapy produced substantially higher long-term tobacco abstinence rates than the FDA-approved nicotine patch with the same therapy. Among 82 treatment-resistant smokers, biochemically verified prolonged abstinence at six months was 40.5% for psilocybin versus 10% for the nicotine patch, a sixfold increase in odds. Point-prevalence abstinence was 52.4% for psilocybin versus 25.0% for the patch. No serious adverse events were attributed to either treatment. These results suggest psilocybin holds robust promise for smoking cessation, with abstinence rates considerably exceeding those of typical treatments.