JAMA Netw Open

Psilocybin‑assisted therapy yields higher quit rates than nicotine patch in pilot trial

March 12, 2026

In a small randomized pilot trial of 82 adult smokers, a single high dose of psilocybin combined with 13 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was associated with higher 6‑month abstinence than nicotine patch plus CBT. Prolonged abstinence occurred in 40.5% of psilocybin recipients vs. 10.0% using the nicotine patch, and 7‑day point prevalence abstinence reached 52.4% vs. 25.0%, respectively. No serious adverse events were attributed to either treatment. Researchers noted several limitations—including lack of blinding and limited sample diversity—but emphasized that the magnitude of benefit warrants further investigation into psilocybin‑assisted therapy for tobacco use disorder

Clinical takeaway: For highly motivated adults who have struggled to quit, psilocybin‑assisted therapy may emerge as a promising future option pending larger, blinded trials and regulatory evaluation.

Source:

Johnson MW, et al. (2026, March 2). JAMA Netw Open. Psilocybin or Nicotine Patch for Smoking Cessation: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41805956/