Current Addiction Reports
June 11, 2026
Paul S. Regier
Neuroscientific models of addiction have progressed from simple dopamine-based explanations to more complex frameworks involving multiple brain circuits and systems. Recent evidence shows that addiction alters large-scale brain networks and that social, psychological, and developmental factors play a more central role than previously recognized. New treatments, such as psychedelic-assisted therapies, highlight the need for changes across biological, cognitive, and emotional levels. The authors argue that viewing addiction as a multilevel, interactive biopsychosocial process better accounts for differences in how addiction develops and resolves, and can guide more precise and effective interventions.
Current Addiction Reports
February 27, 2026
Amanda C. Lee, Jibran Y. Khokhar
Cannabis use is linked to schizophrenia, especially in vulnerable people. Preclinical rodent models help clarify this relationship by allowing controlled experiments that are impossible in humans. Recent studies use advanced paradigms, including translationally-relevant rodent models and ecologically valid cannabis administration routes, to simulate human use patterns and vulnerability. These models show that cannabinoid exposure can alter schizophrenia-like behaviors and neural effects related to hyperlocomotion, sensorimotor gating deficits, social withdrawal, and anhedonia. The route of administration, dose, and type of cannabinoid shape these outcomes. Such findings identify periods of heightened vulnerability and inform prevention and intervention strategies.
Current Addiction Reports
February 21, 2026
Draulio B Araujo, Lucas O. Maia, Tiago Arruda Sanchez et al.
Preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew containing DMT and β-carbolines, may treat depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, eating, and personality disorders. Preclinical studies indicate enhanced neuroplasticity, reduced inflammation, and oxidative stress. Human neuroimaging shows decreased default mode network activity, increased functional connectivity and brain entropy, suggesting a flexible neural state and modulation of pathways related to neuroplasticity, inflammation, and stress response. The evidence is mainly observational, with users reporting emotional breakthroughs, increased self-awareness, and mystical experiences tied to therapeutic outcomes. Ayahuasca appears to target core psychological and neurobiological processes across disorders but requires caution in psychotic or bipolar individuals and should be administered with support. Randomized trials are needed to confirm efficacy and safety.
Current Addiction Reports
January 1, 2025
Nina Abukahok, Nicole D. Fitzgerald, Joseph J Palamar
Tusi, or 'pink cocaine,' is a drug mixture containing ketamine and MDMA, often with additional substances like synthetic cathinones, cocaine, or methamphetamine. Its inconsistent chemical makeup complicates surveillance and harm reduction. Drug checking services have identified ketamine and MDMA as main components, with ketamine concentrations increasing over time in Spain. Surveys in Spain and Colombia show rising initiation, polysubstance use, and misclassification of tusi's contents. Harms stem largely from the polysubstance mixtures rather than any single component, yet mortality data typically focus on individual drugs. Tusi represents a novel trend: a blend of substances defined by its color and nightlife association, requiring standardized surveys, expanded drug checking, and improved toxicological monitoring.
Current Addiction Reports
January 1, 2025
Anahita Bassir Nia, Yalda Farahmand, Garret Griffith et al.
A review of trials on psychedelics for opioid use disorder (OUD) found no studies directly comparing different types of psychotherapy or testing psychedelics with versus without concurrent psychotherapy. Most research on alleviating opioid withdrawal symptoms did not include psychotherapy. The few studies on ketamine and LSD for opioid use and abstinence used a psychedelic-assisted therapy model. There is insufficient high-quality evidence to determine whether concurrent psychotherapy is necessary in psychedelic trials for OUD. Future trials should explore the interplay between psychedelic treatment and psychotherapy.
Current Addiction Reports
September 8, 2023
Anna Ross, Jake Hawthorn
A growing area of addiction research, sometimes called the psychedelic renaissance, examines the use of illicit substances such as psilocybin, cannabis, and heroin as adjuncts to psychotherapy for treating substance use disorders and underlying conditions like trauma, depression, and anxiety. Historically, research has focused on single substances and excluded comorbid mental health conditions or polysubstance use. Recent landmark proof-of-concept studies include psilocybin-assisted therapy for smoking cessation at Johns Hopkins University and for alcohol addiction at the University of New Mexico. This review introduces core concepts and historical developments to highlight emerging research and encourage further investigation into illicit substances in therapy.