How I Overcame My Nicotine Addiction with Magic Mushrooms

Written by Dustin Robinson

 A few months ago, I decided to embark on a psychedelic journey to break free from the grip of my addiction to nicotine vaping. As an investor in several companies researching psychedelics for addiction, I am acutely aware of its incredible healing potential. Substance and behavioral addictions affect over 1.3 billion people worldwide, and psychedelic medicines offer a unique solution. This article chronicles my personal experience using magic mushrooms to finally bid farewell to my nicotine vape pen and restore my personal autonomy. 

This all started 3 years ago when I took my first puff of a nicotine vape pen at a music festival. I have always been deeply passionate and disciplined about physical fitness, mental health, and an overall healthy lifestyle. As a result, I rarely consume alcohol or drugs. Nicotine, however, provided an opportunity for me to feel a mild buzz while maintaining my soberness at social events like a festival. It almost felt like a healthy solution.

Fast-forward three years, and I was an absolute slave to my nicotine vape pen. I was puffing on my vape as soon as I woke up in the morning until the moment I fell asleep at night. I had lost all control and felt like I couldn’t function without my vape close by.

Ironically, around the same time I started vaping, I also pivoted my professional career to psychedelic medicines. 

About 3 years ago, I began receiving calls from doctors who wanted my law firm to represent them in various psychedelic ventures. At the time, I had never tried a psychedelic compound; however, after reading the strong research these doctors shared with me, I decided to help them launch some of these ventures.

Shortly thereafter, I had my first psychedelic experience, which confirmed the research I was reading and motivated me to go “all in” on psychedelic medicines. I started off representing various psychedelic companies and making personal investments in the industry. Eventually, I launched my own non-profit (Mr. Psychedelic Law) to drive legal reform around psychedelic medicines; and built a diverse team of investment professionals, scientists, researchers, doctors, and lawyers to launch an investment firm (Iter Investments) to deploy capital into psychedelic research and other technologies that support mental and behavioral health.

After reading some research from the Imperial College of London and NYU about the use of psychedelic medicines, our investment fund realized that psychedelics have tremendous potential in treating addiction. We invested in some of this area’s leading drug development companies, including Awakn and Clairvoyant. 

Since Awakn and Clairvoyant’s psychedelic compounds are still undergoing clinical trials, I was not able to access the medicines. However, an opportunity to overcome my own addiction with the use of magic mushrooms presented itself through another one of our other investments— Beckley Retreats. This 5-day psilocybin retreat allowed me to legally access psilocybin in Jamaica with tremendous support from Beckley’s experienced team of facilitators. 

After consulting with my medical and scientific team at Iter Investments, I built my own protocol and decided to leverage the Beckley Retreats team and experience to break my addiction! 

The protocol:

 (1) Preparation with experienced Beckley Retreats facilitators

 (2) Attending a 5-day psilocybin retreat at Beckley Retreats 

(3) Breaking the physical addiction by using nicotine gum

(4) 30-day microdosing regimen to wean off the nicotine gum 

(5) Integration with a Beckley Retreats facilitator

(6) Mindfulness practices, including meditation and breathwork

The process began with preparation. The Beckley Retreats program starts with 6 weeks of virtual sessions guided by an experienced facilitator. We used various mindfulness tools, including meditation and breathwork, to help prepare for the psychedelic experience to come. Luckily, my facilitator had his own experience quitting cigarettes, so he understood the challenges. Through our preparation calls, we set my intention and put together a plan. 

To address my anxiety about not having a nicotine vape in Jamaica, we used a two-prong approach. I would bring my vape pen to Jamaica, but my facilitator would hold onto it. If I felt the urge to smoke, they would let me take a few puffs. I would also bring nicotine gum with me to Jamaica. The plan for the retreat was to kill the physical addiction to nicotine (hopefully not asking my facilitator for the vape) while limiting my consumption of nicotine gum.

I landed in Jamaica skeptically optimistic that this was going to work. As soon as I arrived, I reluctantly handed my nicotine vape to the facilitator. Over the course of 5 days, I immersed myself in a carefully curated environment designed to facilitate healing and self-discovery. 

Through guided psilocybin sessions, I explored the depths of my addiction and gained profound insights into the underlying emotional and psychological factors that fueled my smoking habit. I went the entire retreat without smoking my nicotine vape but was still consuming far too much nicotine gum. 

As I left the retreat, I realized that my journey was just beginning. Even though I wasn’t puffing on the nicotine vape, I still had a very strong urge to do so; and I was still heavily dependent on the nicotine gum. However, the process didn’t end when I left the retreat. Next came integration. 

Surprisingly, integration was the most important step during the process. While I still had the urge to smoke the vape pen when I returned from Beckley Retreats, I had a profound ability for introspection and self-reflection. Put simply, I felt like I had complete control of my behaviors. 

When I felt an urge to smoke or an arousal of my nervous system, I was able to reflect on the feeling, deploy breathwork, and transform that feeling into a moment of gratitude. Through Beckley Retreats’ six-week program as well as other mindfulness practices, I was able to gain control of the urge to smoke completely. 

This shift was a result of increased neuroplasticity, which refers to the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new neural connections. Psilocybin disrupts the established neural pathways associated with addiction and temporarily loosens the rigid neural connections that contribute to entrenched habits. About two weeks into integration, I realized that the neuroplasticity was fading, and I still had to give up the nicotine gum. At that point, I recalled a conversation with my close friend and ex-NHL hockey player Daniel Carcillo where he discussed microdosing psilocybin after a macrodose to increase the period of neuroplasticity. 

After discussing this protocol with several doctors, scientists, and researchers, I decided I would complete a 30-day microdosing program to help end my relationship with nicotine for good. I took one microdose every three days. Before each microdose, I meditated using Tripp (a VR meditation application) and Muse (an EEG-powered meditation headband). Then, I would set an intention and go about my day. 

While there has been very little research on microdosing, I can confidently say it worked for me! By day 20, I was totally off the nicotine gum. Magic mushrooms helped restore my personal autonomy and gain control of my addiction.

My journey to quit my nicotine vape pen has been a life-altering experience. Through this protocol, I not only overcame my addiction but also unlocked a deeper understanding of myself as well as an ability to be in absolute control of my behaviors. While my journey is personal to me, it highlights the potential of combining multiple innovative tools and holistic practices to break free from addiction and embrace a healthier, more fulfilling life.

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