In a new study, 93 women and men with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence were randomly assigned to receive either two doses of the psychedelic substance, or a placebo substance, combined with twelve sessions of psychotherapy.

Among those given psilocybin, the number of days of heavy drinking had decreased by 83 percent after eight months, compared to 51 percent in the placebo group.

"Our results strongly suggest that treatment with psilocybin is promising as a treatment for alcohol dependence, a complex disease that is recognized as difficult to treat," says psychiatrist Michael Bogenschutz, one of the researchers behind the study, in a press release.

The results are presented in the journal Jama Psychiatry.

There is also ongoing research where psilocybin is being tested, among other things, against difficult-to-treat depression.