Are Psychedelics Going Mainstream? Here’s how many Americans have tried psychedelics

Through Nina Zdinjak

As people become more open to experimenting with alternative treatments for various health conditions or simply for wellness purposes, both cannabis and psychedelics come into play. While cannabis has been confirmed to be the most commonly used substance in the world with around 209 million people in 2020, psychedelics are a different story. At least for now.

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Still, things seem to be changing. According to a new YouGov poll, about 28% of Americans have tried at least one psychedelic drug. The survey, which polled 1,000 adults between the ages of 22 and 25, found that the most commonly used psychedelic substance is LSD and that 14% of participants confirmed they had tried it, closely followed by psilocybin at 13%.

Survey Highlights

• 9% of the participants tried MDMA, 6% ketamine, 6% DMT and 5% salvia;
• 51% of those who describe themselves as very liberal have tried at least one psychedelic substance;
• 42% of people with a family income of $100,000 or more have tried at least one psychedelic substance;
• 42% of participants with a postgraduate degree confirm having tried a psychedelic drug;
• Of those who tried one, 39% were in the 30-44 age group and 37% were Americans living in the Western United States;
• Among respondents, the following groups showed the least inclination to try psychedelic substances: Black Americans – 14% have tried; Seniors (aged 65+) – 14%; Protestants – 19%; people living in rural areas – 19%; conservative people – 21%.

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positions on decriminalization

While advances in the decriminalization and research of psychedelics have been noted in recent years, most Americans still oppose it.

• Americans oppose the decriminalization of psilocybin (mushrooms) ranging from 44% to 27%;
• 53% to 20% of Americans oppose the decriminalization of LSD (acid);
• 53% to 19% of Americans oppose decriminalizing MDMA (ecstasy);

Those who have tried any of these three drugs are more inclined to support their decriminalization.

• 68% of people who have tried psilocybin say it should be legal;
• 48% of people who have tried MDMA say it should be legal;
• 43% of people who have tried LSD say it should be legal;

House Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) and Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) recently filed separate bills to further advance research into psychedelics-assisted treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for veterans. According to the poll, about 54% of Americans support this type of research, while 18% oppose it.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.