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Significant Psychedelic Experiences Evaluated for Mystical Characteristics Associated with Cannabis Use Reduction and Psychological Flexibility Improvement: A Naturalistic Cross-Sectional Retrospective Survey.

Bruno Romeo, Ewen Kervadec, Baptiste Fauvel, Lana Strika-Bruneau, Ammar Amirouche, Vincent Verroust, Pascale Piolino, Amine Benyamina

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs July 3, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2024.2375720 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Retrospective survey Cross-sectional Peer reviewed
Sample size 152
Population Cannabis users who reported a significant psychedelic experience
Topics Addiction Cannabis Mystical experience
Keywords Cannabis use disorder Psychedelic Psychological flexibility
Citations 5
Key findings Naturalistic psychedelic experiences were followed by sustained reductions in cannabis use and improvements in psychological flexibility, with the intensity of the mystical experience associated with early cannabis reduction.

Abstract

Treating cannabis use disorder remains a significant challenge in the field of addiction medicine. Some recent studies point to psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy as a potential treatment option for substance use disorders. The objective of this study was therefore to explore the impact of naturalistic psychedelic experiences on cannabis use and psychological flexibility. An online retrospective survey was carried out on 152 cannabis users who also reported a significant experience induced by psychedelics in the past. Following a psychedelic experience, there was a significant and sustained reduction of average CUDIT score (p < .001), frequency of cannabis use (p < .001), and acute duration of daily intoxication (p < .001). Cannabis use reduction during the first month post-experience was significantly associated with the intensity of the mystical experience (p = .01). Participants reported a concomitant increased lasting improvement of psychological flexibility following the experience (p < .001), which was correlated to the intensity of the mystical experience during the first month post-experience (p = .04). This study demonstrates that naturalistic psychedelic experiences may be followed by a decrease in cannabis use. Positive health outcomes appear potentially connected to the intensity of the mystical experience, as well as an improvement in psychological flexibility.

Comparable studies

Other cross-sectional and survey studies on cannabis for addiction, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey Online survey respondents 2020 Cross-sectional survey
User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study Users of hallucinogenic drugs who completed a web-based questionnaire 2010 Cross-sectional survey n = 600
Neural Correlates of the Severity of Cocaine, Heroin, Alcohol, MDMA and Cannabis Use in Polysubstance Abusers: A Resting-PET Brain Metabolism Study Polysubstance users enrolled in residential treatment 2012 Cross-sectional n = 49
MDMA Use by Paris Medical Students: Prevalence and Characteristics Paris VII medical students 2020 Cross-sectional study n = 592
Personality Characteristics of Adolescents with Hallucinogen, Methamphetamine, and Cannabis Dependence: A Comparative Study Adolescents referred to a residential substance abuse treatment program with... 2005 Cross-sectional comparison n = 60

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