A recent randomized clinical trial from Johns Hopkins University highlights the emerging potential of psilocybin-assisted therapy as a novel approach to smoking cessation. In the study, 82 adult smokers—most of whom had previously struggled to quit—were assigned either a standard nicotine patch regimen or a single, supervised high dose of psilocybin, with both groups receiving 13 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Dozens of advocates testified on February 18 at the Connecticut state Capitol in support of new legislation that would authorize the creation of overdose prevention centers (OPCs) — also called supervised consumption sites or safe injection facilities — making Connecticut one of the few U.S. states to adopt them.

What the bill proposes:

In recent months, communities in Upstate New York have seen a worrisome rise in nonfatal overdoses linked to synthetic cannabis — commonly known as “K2” or “spice” — even as broader opioid-related fatalities continue to decline. Law enforcement and public health officials in the Capital Region report that, after several years of decreasing overdose trends, emergency departments and first responders are now encountering K2 as an increasing contributor to overdose events.

In January 2026, behavioral health and substance use disorder (SUD) professionals nationwide were rocked by an abrupt federal funding decision that underscored deep uncertainties in the field’s financial landscape. On January 13, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notified grantees that nearly $2 billion in SAMHSA grants — critical discretionary funding for mental health, addiction treatment, overdose prevention, peer support, and related services — were being terminated effective immediately, citing a misalignment with agency priorities.

In this comprehensive clinical review published by JAMA, experts examine the current evidence for therapeutic cannabis and cannabinoid use, emphasizing implications for clinical practice, risk assessment, and addiction medicine. The authors underscore that while nearly one in four adults report using cannabis or cannabinoids for medical purposes, robust evidence supporting their benefit remains limited for most conditions routinely cited by patients and clinicians. 

Alcohol and other substance use disorders (ASUDs) remain chronic, multifaceted, and undertreated medical conditions with profound individual and societal impacts. Despite compelling advances in neuroscience and evidence-based psychosocial treatments, pharmacotherapies for ASUDs are limited and underutilized in clinical practice. Innovative approaches that bridge metabolic science and addiction biology are critically needed in the addiction treatment landscape. 

ARMR Sciences is preparing to launch the first major human clinical trial of a fentanyl vaccine, marking a potentially transformative development in efforts to prevent opioid overdose and reduce mortality linked to synthetic opioids. Unlike medications such as naloxone that reverse overdoses after they occur, this investigational vaccine is designed as a preventive intervention, training the immune system to produce antibodies that bind to fentanyl molecules in the bloodstream.