It’s the first time in 50 years that a federal grant has been given to study a psychedelic drug as a possible treatment.
The study, a randomized controlled trial expected to start later this year, will investigate whether psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms,” can help people quit smoking tobacco.
Hopkins researchers will lead the trial, which will be done in collaboration with researchers at NYU Langone Health and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
In a study published in August, researchers found that psilocybin helped drinkers reduce alcohol cravings.
Typically in studies using psychedelics, participants receive the drug during a monitored session with a therapist, which can last hours.