Psilocybin for Methamphetamine Use Disorder

August 17, 2026 updated by: Peter Hendricks

Psilocybin in the Treatment of Methamphetamine Use Disorder

This trial tests whether psilocybin-assisted treatment can help adults stop using methamphetamine. Participants receive a single oral dose of psilocybin during a supervised session, paired with brief cognitive behavioral therapy, and are followed for up to six months. The study is supported by the HEAL Initiative (https://www.nih.gov/heal).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Single-site, phased UG3/UH3 randomized, quadruple-masked, parallel-group controlled trial (target N = 42). Participants are randomized 1:1 to a single administration of psilocybin at one of two dose levels, each delivered with a manualized platform of two preparation and two integration sessions. The specific doses are withheld in this registration during the conduct of the trial to preserve masking and reduce expectancy effects, and will be reported with results. The UG3 phase (n = 12) establishes feasibility and safety; the UH3 phase (n = 30) expands enrollment with longer follow-up. Support is provided by the HEAL Initiative (https://www.nih.gov/heal).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
42

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Alabama
      • Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35294
        • University of Alabama at Birmingham
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Peter S Hendricks, PhD
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18+
  • DSM-5 moderate or severe Methamphetamine Use Disorder
  • Severity of Dependence Scale score ≥ 4
  • Methamphetamine use on more than 7 of the past 30 days and more than one positive urine test before randomization
  • A goal of complete abstinence on the Thoughts About Abstinence questionnaire
  • Able to read, write, and speak English
  • A friend or family member available for post-session release
  • Good general health by history and physical
  • Confirmed pre-dose abstinence of at least 24 hours (clinically assessed)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding, or not using effective contraception
  • Current psychiatric diagnoses other than a mild substance use disorder or tobacco/nicotine use disorder
  • Current hypertension (>140/90 at rest)
  • Regular use of centrally acting serotonergic medications or MAO inhibitors (washout/re-screen permitted)
  • Personal history of any psychotic or bipolar I/II disorder, or a first- or second-degree relative with such
  • Current suicidal or homicidal ideation
  • Plan to relocate within 6 months
  • Psychedelic use in the past 3 years, more than 3 lifetime psychedelic occasions, more than 3 lifetime ketamine or MDMA occasions, or any prior 5-MeO-DMT or ibogaine use

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Psilocybin, Dose A
Single oral dose during an 8-hour supervised session (Specific dose withheld during conduct).
Drug: Psilocybin (single oral capsule administered at one of two dose levels, Dose A or Dose B; specific doses withheld during conduct).
The specific doses (in mg) are intentionally omitted from this registration during the conduct of the trial to preserve masking and reduce expectancy effects. The doses will be disclosed when results are reported after primary completion, by which point participants have been debriefed.
Behavioral: Manualized cognitive behavioral therapy platform (2 preparation + 2 integration sessions).
Manualized CBT, adapted from Hendricks et al. (2026; https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2848757)
Experimental: Psilocybin, Dose B
Single oral dose during an 8-hour supervised session (Specific dose withheld during conduct).
Drug: Psilocybin (single oral capsule administered at one of two dose levels, Dose A or Dose B; specific doses withheld during conduct).
The specific doses (in mg) are intentionally omitted from this registration during the conduct of the trial to preserve masking and reduce expectancy effects. The doses will be disclosed when results are reported after primary completion, by which point participants have been debriefed.
Behavioral: Manualized cognitive behavioral therapy platform (2 preparation + 2 integration sessions).
Manualized CBT, adapted from Hendricks et al. (2026; https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2848757)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Abstinent Days
Time Frame: Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3).
Percentage of days abstinent from methamphetamine (Timeline Followback, urine-confirmed); possible range is 0% to 100%, with higher scores reflecting more abstinence.
Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Complete Abstinence
Time Frame: Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Complete abstinence from methamphetamine (Timeline Followback, urine-confirmed); a dichotomous (yes or no) outcome where no use whatsoever during the assessment period is coded as "yes" and any use at all during the assessment period is coded as "no."
Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Methamphetamine Use Disorder in Remission
Time Frame: 30/90-day (UG3), 30/90/180-day (UH3)
Modified DSM-5 Methamphetamine Use Disorder in early remission (SCID-5); a dichotomous (yes or no) outcome where those who meet DSM-5 criteria for Methamphetamine Use Disorder in early remission are coded as "yes" and those who do not meet DSM-5 criteria for Methamphetamine Use Disorder in early remission are coded as "no."
30/90-day (UG3), 30/90/180-day (UH3)
Health-related Quality of Life
Time Frame: Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Health-related quality of life as measured by the RAND-36 self-report measure. The RAND-36 contains 8 primary health scales (Physical functioning, Role limitations due to physical health, Role limitations due to emotional problems, Social functioning, Emotional well-being [mental health], Energy/fatigue [vitality], Bodily pain, and General health perception) and 2 summary scales (Physical Health Summary and Mental Health Summary) with possible scores for each scale ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores represent better health states and outcomes.
Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Self-perceived Quality of Life
Time Frame: Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Self-perceived quality of life as measured by the WHOQOL-BREF self-report measure. This measure includes 4 scales (Physical, Psychological, Social, and Environment), each with a possible range from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate a better quality of life.
Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Craving
Time Frame: Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Craving, as measured by the Stimulant Craving Questionnaire-Brief (STCQ-Brief), a 10-item self-report tool measuring present-moment craving for stimulants. A score is calculated by averaging all 10 items, with a possible range of 0 to 6. Higher mean scores reflect more severe craving.
Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Withdrawal
Time Frame: Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Methamphetamine withdrawal as measured by the Amphetamine Cessation Symptom Assessment (ACSA), a 16-item clinical rating tool used to measure the severity of amphetamine withdrawal symptoms over the preceding 24 hours. Scores range from 0 to 64, with higher scores reflecting more severe withdrawal symptoms.
Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Severity of Dependence
Time Frame: Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Severity of methamphetamine dependence, as measured by the Stimulant Use Disorder Severity Scale (StUDSS). The StUDSS is a new patient-reported outcome instrument measuring the severity of symptoms for stimulant use disorder. Total symptom severity is based on a sum of all items, with a possible range of 0 to 44. Higher scores reflect more severe dependence. The StUDSS also yields a categorical severity rating based on total criteria count: Mild (2 or 3 criteria), Moderate (4 or 5 criteria), or Severe (6 or more criteria).
Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Mystical-type Experience
Time Frame: Day of dosing (≈7 hours)
Mystical-type experience during the day of dosing as measured by the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ). The MEQ yields 4 scales: Unity, Positive Mood, Transcendence of Time and Space, and Ineffability. Possible scores for each scale range from 0 to 5 and greater scores reflect higher intensity and greater depth of the mystical experience.
Day of dosing (≈7 hours)
Challenging Experience
Time Frame: Day of dosing (≈7 hours)
Challenging experience during the day of dosing as measured by the Challenging Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). The CEQ yields 7 scales: Fear, Grief, Physical Distress, Insanity, Isolation, Death, and Paranoia. Possible scores range from 0 to 5, with greater scores reflecting higher intensity and more severe degree of psychological or physical distress during the experience
Day of dosing (≈7 hours)
Emotional Breakthrough
Time Frame: Day of dosing (≈7 hours)
Emotional breakthrough on the day of dosing as measured by the Emotional Breakthrough Inventory (EBI). The EBI is a 6-item scale scored using a 0 to 100 Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for each item. The total overall score is calculated as the sum of all six items, yielding a total summed score ranging from 0 to 600. Greater scores on the EBI reflect a deeper, more complete sense of psychological resolution and catharsis.
Day of dosing (≈7 hours)
Psychological Insight
Time Frame: Day of dosing (≈7 hours)
Psychological insight during the day of dosing as measured by the Psychological Insight Questionnaire (PIQ). The PIQ measure insight on 2 scales: Avoidance and Maladaptive Patterns Insights and Goals and Adaptive Patterns Insights. Scores on the 2 scales range from 0 to 5, with greater scores representing a higher intensity of acute psychological realizations gained during the experience.
Day of dosing (≈7 hours)

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Meaning in Life
Time Frame: Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Meaning in life as measured by the Meaning in Life questionnaire. This questionnaire yields 2 scales: Search for Meaning and Presence of Meaning. Scores range from 1 to 7 for both scales with greater scores reflecting exploration for existential significance (Search for Meaning) and conviction that one's life is rich with purpose (Presence for Meaning).
Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Psychosocial-Spiritual Well-Being
Time Frame: Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)
Psychosocial-spiritual well-being as measured by the NIH Healing Experience of All Life Stressors Short Form (NIH-HEALS-SF). The NIH-HEALS-SF yields 3 scales: Deepened Connection, Active Reflection & Introspection, and Profound Trust & Acceptance. Total scores for each scale range from 1 to 5 (if computing a mean) or 3 to 15 (if computing a sum for comparison to published data). Higher scores reflect a stronger capacity for psychological resilience, emotional healing, and spiritual well-being while facing major life stressor.
Baseline through 90-day follow-up (UG3) and 180-day follow-up (UH3)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Peter Hendricks

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Peter S Hendricks, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 1, 2027

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 1, 2032

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 1, 2032

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 11, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 17, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 19, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 19, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 17, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB-300017113
  • IND 121000 (Registry Identifier: FDA)
  • 1UG3DA067126 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data, metadata, and a data dictionary will be shared through an NIH-designated repository accessible via the HEAL Data Ecosystem, consistent with the study's Data Management and Sharing Plan and the HEAL Public Access and Data Sharing Policy.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

De-identified individual participant data and the supporting documents will become available no later than publication of the primary outcome results or the end of the funding period, whichever comes first, and will remain available indefinitely thereafter through the repository.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Data will be deposited in an NIH-designated repository accessible through the HEAL Data Ecosystem. Qualified researchers may request the de-identified dataset, data dictionary, and supporting documents through the repository's data-access process. Because these are substance use disorder data, access may be controlled or registered under the repository's terms and the Certificate of Confidentiality, and a data use agreement may be required.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings