Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D. - Psilocybin for Smoking Cessation: A New Era of Psychedelic Research

Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D. joins Paul F. Austin to share his studies of psilocybin for smoking cessation, cancer distress treatment, and more

In this episode, we feature another special interview recorded at the 2022 Wonderland conference in Miami, FL.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here.

Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D. is the Susan Hill Ward Endowed Professor of Psychedelics and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins. Working with psychedelics since 2004, he is one of the world’s most widely published experts in the field. He has published research on psychedelics and mystical experience, personality change, tobacco smoking cessation, cancer distress treatment, and depression treatment. In 2021, as principal investigator, he received the first grant in 50 years from the US government for a treatment study with a classic psychedelic, specifically psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction. He is also known for his expertise in behavioral economics, addiction, sexual risk behavior, and research with a wide variety of drug classes.

Highlights:

• How Dr. Johnson’s own life has changed as a result of his years of research, including psilocybin for the treatment of cancer distress.
• Dr. Johnson’s study on psilocybin for smoking cessation; the first US government-funded study on the therapeutic use of a psychedelic in 50 years.
• The initial findings of psilocybin vs. nicotine patch as smoking-cessation treatments.
• How Dr. Johnson plans to contribute to psychedelic research and oversight as the industry grows.
• Dr. Johnson cautions psychedelic therapists against inappropriately pushing spiritual or religious frameworks onto patients.

Episode Links:

• Dr. Johnson on Google Scholar
• Dr. Johnson on Twitter
• Dr. Johnson’s smoking cessation study on ClinicalTrials.gov
• Dr. Johnson’s paper, “Consciousness, Religion, and Gurus: Pitfalls of Psychedelic Medicine”
• Book, The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley
• Book, The Immortality Key by Brian Muraresku

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