{"id":49801,"date":"2020-02-04T18:04:32","date_gmt":"2020-02-04T18:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/merryjane.com\/using-psychedelics-helps-treat-opioid-stimulant-and-cannabis-use-disorder\/"},"modified":"2020-02-04T18:04:32","modified_gmt":"2020-02-04T18:04:32","slug":"using-psychedelics-helps-treat-opioid-stimulant-and-cannabis-use-disorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/merryjane.com\/news\/using-psychedelics-helps-treat-opioid-stimulant-and-cannabis-use-disorder\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Psychedelics Helps Treat Opioid, Stimulant, and Cannabis Use Disorder"},"content":{"rendered":"

An intriguing new research study found that people struggling with substance abuse disorders may be able to use psychedelics, like LSD or magic mushrooms, to help them kick the habit<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The new study<\/u><\/a>, published in the Frontiers in Psychiatry<\/em> journal, set out to determine whether \u201cnaturalistic psychedelic use\u201d could help individuals reduce their use of other drugs. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University<\/u><\/a> and Ohio State University used online advertisements to recruit 444 adults who said they overcame alcohol or drug addiction after using psychedelics.<\/p>\n

Study co-author Matthew Johnson, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told <\/u>PsyPost<\/em><\/u><\/a> that he \u201cbecame aware of the larger history of sacramental use by indigenous societies and the countless anecdotes of beneficial effects in our culture since the \u201860s… For that reason, I\u2019ve now been conducting research with psilocybin and other psychedelics for over 15 years here at Johns Hopkins.\u201d<\/p>\n

The participants were asked to complete an anonymous survey<\/u><\/a> assessing their past and current drug use and overall mental health. The respondents, 67 percent of whom were located in the US, reported an average of 4.5 years of problematic drug use. The majority of these participants had never received treatment for their substance abuse, and 62 percent of all respondents said they had been diagnosed with anxiety or mood disorders.<\/p>\n

Most respondents reported that they were able to significantly reduce their drug use after taking a moderate to high dose of psychedelics. Around 43 percent of subjects<\/u><\/a> used LSD, 29 percent used psilocybin mushrooms, and the remaining 28 percent used DMT, mescaline, or other psychedelics. Before their experience, around 79 percent of all participants met the criteria for severe substance abuse disorder (SUD). After the experience, only 27 percent met the criteria for SUD.<\/p>\n