The world of hallucinogens, especially those with potential therapeutic uses, is fast evolving.
A recent study looked into the changing usage of these substances among young adults, particularly from 2018 to 2021.
In this in-depth study, researchers examined over 11,000 young adults, aged 19-30, from across the U.S.
They aimed to measure the usage of LSD and other hallucinogens like psilocybin, tracking the frequency and overall use.
What did they find regarding hallucinogens use?
From 2018 to 2021, LSD usage remained fairly stable – around 4% of young adults reported using it.
However, the use of other hallucinogens such as magic mushrooms nearly doubled from 3.4% to 6.6% over the same period.
Interestingly, these numbers showed some patterns based on gender and background.
Males were nearly twice as likely to use non-LSD hallucinogens as females.
Furthermore, usage was lower among black participants compared to white participants, and among those without a college-educated parent.
The use of non-LSD hallucinogens among young adults has noticeably increased over the past few years.
Those most likely to use these substances are males, white, and from higher socio-economic backgrounds.
This knowledge could help inform targeted public health interventions and policies, particularly as the many states in the U.S. are looking towards legalisation of psilocybin.
Oregon and Colorado are two such states that have recently decriminalised psilocybin.
The latest study about the increase in use of hallucinogens follows similar trends in cannabis in the U.S. where two fifths of young men and women are using the drug.
