Study to see if psychedelics help quit smoking

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health. However, researchers believe that psychedelics have the unique ability to decipher patterns in the brain that lead to addiction – nicotine addiction in particular.

Mydecine Innovations Group announced on Aug. 18 that it had signed a five-year research agreement with the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Medicine to study the effectiveness of psychedelic formulations for smoking cessation.

While Mydecine Innovations Group does not disclose the types of psychedelics to be used in the study, researchers initially looked at psilocybin for treating addiction and ketamine for treating addiction.

“We are pleased to announce the current work that we are doing with Dr. Matt Johnson and his team at JHU in relation to smoking cessation will expand to numerous other projects over the next five years, ”said Mydecine CEO Josh Bartsch in a press release. “The researchers at JHU have proven their incredible expertise in this area.”

The research is led by Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Matthew W. Johnson, Ph. D. headed. While research on psychedelics for medical purposes is still young, the Johns Hopkins Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit has extensive experience conducting clinical research related to the therapeutic uses of psychedelics.

“The long-term potential of this research agreement is fascinating to us here at Mydecine,” said Rob Roscow, chief scientific officer and co-founder of Mydecine. “It shows our commitment to advancing psychedelic medicine through research into multiple molecules and drugs for a variety of indications.”

The researchers pointed out that it is important not to forget about tobacco-related deaths, although the recent focus has shifted to opioid addiction.

“Despite the recent attention to opiates and addiction to other illicit substances, we sometimes forget the incredible burden nicotine addiction has on our societies,” said Dr. Rakesh Jetly, Mydecine’s chief medical officer. “According to the CDC, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, killing more than 480,000 Americans each year. Despite all the public education and dire warnings, cigarette smoking remains one of the most difficult addictions to treat, causing more deaths than any other substance combined.

Tobacco smoking vs. cannabis smoking

While tobacco kills nearly half a million Americans each year, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that cannabis generally does not lead to overdoses, despite frequent breakdowns after consuming edibles.

“There are no reports of adolescents or young adults dying from a marijuana overdose alone,” the organization said. “But there have been reports of people seeking emergency room treatment reporting unpleasant side effects after consuming high levels of THC in smoked marijuana or marijuana edibles.”

Cannabis smoke is not as carcinogenic as tobacco smoke – yes, there is a big difference. However, there are many reasons to quit smoking.

The American Cancer Society paints a sobering picture of the power of quitting smoking. Your body will change within minutes and hours of quitting.

Twenty minutes after you stop – your heart rate and blood pressure go down. A few days after you stop, the level of carbon monoxide in your blood drops to normal. Two weeks to three months after quitting, your circulation improves and your lung function increases. One to 12 months after quitting, coughing and shortness of breath decrease.

“Tiny hair-like structures (called cilia) that remove mucus from the lungs begin to regain their normal function, increase their ability to deal with mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection,” reports the American Cancer Society. One to two years after quitting, your risk of heart attack drops dramatically.

This happens in the long term:

Five to ten years after quitting, your risk of mouth, throat and larynx cancer is halved. Your risk of stroke decreases. Ten years after quitting, your risk of lung cancer is about half that of a person who still smokes (after 10-15 years). Your risk of bladder, esophageal, and kidney cancer will also decrease. Fifteen years after quitting, your risk of coronary artery disease is close to that of a non-smoker.