Opioid addiction could be helped by taking ‘magic mushrooms’, study finds
- Harvard University researchers found opioid-use disorders were 30 per cent less likely among people who used psilocybin compared with those who never had it
- More people are looking into using psilocybin, the compound in certain types of mushrooms that causes hallucinogenic effects, for medical and health reasons
A “shroom craze” may get even wilder with a new study that suggests a psychedelic drug found in some mushrooms may have protective benefits against addiction.
Harvard University researchers found opioid-use disorders were 30 per cent less likely among people who used psilocybin compared with those who never had it, according to the study published in Scientific Reports.
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring compound in certain types of mushrooms that are consumed for their hallucinogenic effects, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
The researchers analysed data from the US National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2015 to 2019 to assess the association between psychedelics and opioid-use disorders.
More than 200,000 participants reported whether they had abused opioids or experienced dependence on them in the past year and whether they had ever taken the psychedelic drugs psilocybin, peyote, mescaline or LSD in their lifetime. Researchers found potentially protective benefits only with psilocybin.