Substance use disorders — including alcohol, opioid, tobacco, and cocaine addiction — are a major research focus for psychedelic medicine. Ibogaine shows dramatic results for opioid use disorder, with Texas allocating $50M for university research programs. Psilocybin trials for alcohol use disorder at Johns Hopkins and NYU have produced significant abstinence rates, and ketamine is being studied for multiple addiction types.
What makes psychedelics promising for addiction is their ability to disrupt habitual patterns, reduce craving-related brain activity, and facilitate the psychological insight needed for lasting behavioral change — often in a single or small number of sessions rather than ongoing medication.
What clinical research has shown for Addiction, with citations to the studies behind each finding
In a phase 2 randomized trial of 93 adults, psilocybin combined with psychotherapy significantly reduced the percentage of heavy drinking days over 32 weeks compared with an active placebo plus psychotherapy.
In a small open-label pilot, 12 of 15 long-term smokers (80%) were abstinent six months after psilocybin-assisted treatment — well above typical cessation rates. The study had no control group, so larger controlled trials are needed.
Observational studies report that ibogaine reduces opioid withdrawal symptoms and supports short-term abstinence; in one study of 30 people, half reported no opioid use 30 days after treatment. No randomized controlled trials have yet confirmed efficacy, and ibogaine carries serious cardiac risks.
These summaries are for general education, not medical advice. Most psychedelic therapies remain investigational and are not yet approved — always consult a qualified clinician.
20 trials currently recruiting
Healing Advocacy Fund
Peggy C Nopoulos
Johns Hopkins University
Keith Heinzerling
Carolina L Haass-Koffler
Anders Fink-Jensen, MD, DMSci