Results from a new clinical study suggest that a single dose of psilocybin could be an effective treatment for cocaine addiction, according to The Guardian.

The study, published this month in the journal JAMA Network Open, found that 19 participants who received a single dose of psilocybin were more likely to abstain from cocaine use than 17 participants who received a placebo in the form of diphenhydramine, a common antihistamine.

Participants in both groups worked with a psychotherapist to process their experiences.

Dr. Peter Hendricks, professor of behavioral health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and lead author of the study, noted that finding treatments for cocaine use disorder is particularly urgent for several reasons. At present, there are no FDA-approved medications for cocaine addiction or other stimulants such as methamphetamine.

More than a decade ago, Hendricks explored ways in which psilocybin could be used to reduce crime and recidivism. A large local database from Birmingham showed that cocaine use was “the strongest predictor of involvement in the criminal justice system and repeat offending,” he said.

Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, a clinical psychologist at Yale School of Medicine, noted that psilocybin is “different” from most addiction treatments, which act on the same neurochemical systems as the substances themselves. For example, medications for opioid addiction act on the same receptors as opioids, while nicotine patches replace nicotine from tobacco in a safer form.

Psilocybin, she said, induces a profound altered state of consciousness, usually in a single session combined with structured psychotherapy. She emphasized that it is not a medication that must be taken continuously.

“It is more like a catalyst within a therapeutic process,” Agin-Liebes added.

It is believed that, with the help of a therapist, a single dose can help people shift their self-perception and develop self-compassion, which supports behavioral change. According to Agin-Liebes, psilocybin may be particularly effective for cocaine addiction because withdrawal symptoms are largely psychological rather than physically painful, as with opioids or alcohol. Common withdrawal symptoms include nightmares, irritability, depression, and intense cravings.

The study is also notable because it is the first psychedelic clinical trial in which the majority of participants were Black. Although many spiritual practices involving psychedelics originated in Indigenous cultures in Latin America and Africa, modern psychedelic culture in the United States is often associated with Silicon Valley and wealthy white intellectuals.

Agin-Liebes noted that a recent systematic review found that participants in US psychedelic clinical trials are typically of higher socioeconomic status and disproportionately white compared with the general population.

“The sample that was recruited reflects the real population of people with cocaine use disorder in Birmingham, Alabama, who want to stop using,” Hendricks said.