A trial of LSD micro-dosing is under way at the University of Auckland, with researchers hoping to recruit 40 advanced-stage cancer patients. Photo / BORODA
A trial of LSD micro-dosing is under way at the University of Auckland, with researchers hoping to recruit 40 advanced-stage cancer patients. Photo / BORODA
Can tiny amounts of LSD help people as they approach the end of their cancer journeys?
That’s what a world-first University of Auckland trial aims to find out, with researchers hoping to recruit Māori people for half its participants.
We’re more likely to think of LSD(lysergic acid diethylamide) as a mind-bending recreational drug than as a pharmaceutical treatment.
But, as a growing number of studies have found, taking extremely small doses of it might prove a useful alternative therapy.
Around the world, sufferers of depression have increasingly been turning to “micro-dosing” – that’s typically taking 5 or 10% of a full dose of a psychedelic hallucinogen – as self-treatment.
In some early studies, LSD micro-dosing with healthy volunteers has been shown to have acute benefits, such as increases in creativity, connectedness, happiness and wellness.
Now, researchers want to trial the approach to help people with late-stage cancer.
The 40 participants the team hopes to recruit would take either a low dose of LSD or one of three possible placebos over six to seven weeks.
The researchers aim to start the LSD doses at about 8 micrograms, which could be lowered, or increased up to 20 micrograms, depending on how the participants respond.
That was still far from the 80-to-100 microgram dose people typically took when using LSD recreationally.
The study’s leader, Dr Lisa Reynolds, a senior lecturer at the university’s school of psychological medicine, said the trial was “highly novel”.
University of Auckland researcher Dr Lisa Reynolds is leading a study exploring whether LSD micro-dosing can benefit late-stage cancer patients. Photo / University of Auckland
“As far as I am aware, there are no other studies investigating LSD micro-dosing with people who have cancer, nor any trials investigating LSD alongside an already validated psychological therapy, such as meaning-centred psychotherapy,” she said.
“Our hypothesis is that most participants in our trial will gain some benefit, as everyone will receive meaning-centred psychotherapy which has already been shown to provide benefit in this population.”
Those who received the LSD micro-dosing, however, were expected to gain an “incremental benefit” over the others in the trial.
Designed with guidance from the Aotearoa Māori Psychedelic Advisory Rōpu, the trial was taking a tikanga-based approach and aimed to be culturally appropriate for Māori.
“It’s about addressing inequities,” Eva Morunga, one of the investigators and psychologists on the trial, said.
“It’s the fact our people come late to the hospital to get diagnosed and often, by then, prognosis isn’t great.”
Māori were 80% more likely to die of cancer than non-Māori.
The researchers also saw the trial as being ideal to future-proof any national introduction of psychedelic micro-dosing.
In 2022, the Australian Government gave more than $16 million to support seven clinical trials into the potential efficacy of treating mental health issues with psilocybin, MDMA, DMT, and CBD.
Health psychology researcher Eva Morunga says Maori cancer patients are often late to be diagnosed, and face poorer prognoses.
“We have yet to make the move, like Australia has done, to change the regulations around psychedelic drugs,” study co-ordinator and doctoral student Alesha Wells said.
“We’re in a prime position to make sure that any future interventions are developed with the needs of Māori in mind.”
Ultimately, Reynolds saw psychedelic-assisted therapies as a different way of supporting people at a time of life when they are especially vulnerable.
“A lot of existential things can come up at this time – fear of dying, feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety, and our options currently for psychological support are fair to middling,” she said.
“While some people gain enormous benefit from our current therapy options, there are others who just don’t.”
People interested in learning more about the trial can email wellbeingtrials@auckland.ac.nz.
Jamie Morton is a specialist in science and environmental reporting. He joined the Herald in 2011 and writes about everything from conservation and climate change to natural hazards and new technology.
