Study: Psilocybin Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Methamphetamine Use Disorder

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

The pilot study was conducted at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney with 15 adults who used methamphetamine at least four days per month. Participants completed three preparatory therapy sessions before a single 25 mg psilocybin dose, followed by two integration sessions. Therapy incorporated elements of motivational enhancement and acceptance and commitment therapy. Of the 15 enrolled, 14 completed the intervention and 13 completed the 90-day follow-up. No serious adverse events occurred, though seven treatment-related effects—such as temporary hypertension during dosing, headaches, nausea, and noise sensitivity—were reported and resolved on their own.

Methamphetamine use dropped sharply: at screening, participants reported using the drug a median of 12 days in the prior month, compared to 0 days at day 28 and 2 days at day 90. Cravings also decreased, while measures of quality of life, depression, anxiety, and stress all improved.

The researchers concluded that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy can be delivered safely in an outpatient setting for people with methamphetamine use disorder. However, they caution that larger randomized controlled trials are needed to determine the treatment’s true effectiveness.