New poll shows 61% of Americans support legalizing psychedelic therapy

A University of California, Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP) survey reveals new data on American support for legal psychedelic therapy. The poll results were released online June 20 in what the university has dubbed the “first Berkeley poll,” which was also presented at the Psychedelic Science 2023 conference in Denver, Colorado.

“More than six in ten (61%) registered American voters support legalizing regulated therapeutic access to psychedelics, including 35% reporting ‘strong’ support,” UC Berkeley wrote in a press release accompanying the poll. “In addition, more than three-quarters of voters (78%) support facilitating research into psychedelic substances by researchers. Almost half (49%) support removing criminal sanctions for personal use and possessions.”

Respondents were asked to answer two questions with “support”, “disagree” or “other”. First, they were asked what their reaction was to the “establishment of a regulated legal framework for the therapeutic use of psychedelics”. Second, they were asked for their opinion on the subject of “obtaining FDA approval for people to have access to psychedelics on prescription.”

The data is the result of a “new longitudinal public opinion research project” conducted by university researchers, tracking public beliefs related to psychedelic substance research, politics and cultural events. According to BCSP executive director Imran Khan, this data is just the beginning. “This is the first clear picture we have of what the American public thinks and feels about psychedelics. The Berkeley Psychedelics Survey shows that the majority of American voters are interested in and supportive of this area. They want fewer research barriers for scientists and regulated, therapeutic access for the public,” Khan said. “With all the stigma and hype surrounding these powerful substances, it is critical that researchers, policymakers and practitioners understand and respond to the hopes and fears of the public. We look forward to announcing the full results of the Berkeley Psychedelics Survey in the coming weeks.”

Both Khan and Taylor West, project lead for the Berkeley Psychedelics Survey, previewed the data at the Psychedelic Science 2023 conference. “The level of national support for psychedelics policy reform has far exceeded my expectations. “Obviously, a lot of the news about promising mental health research and findings has started to reach the general public,” West said onstage.

The full survey will be released in an online presentation by BCSP co-founder Michael Pollan, along with Khan and West, on July 12. Anyone interested in the digital presentation can register here.

On June 26th, the BCSP announced on its Twitter page that it would host a Psychedelics class through the UC Berkeley Extension via the edX platform. The course, titled “Psychedelics and the Mind,” begins August 1 and will be taught by David Presti, Professor of Neurobiology at UC Berkeley. “By becoming a more informed citizen about psychedelics, you have the opportunity to get to know your own brain and nervous system better, to understand the science related to organisms and molecules with psychedelic properties, and to gain historical and current context on the factors affecting the public influence opinion and the law and value some of the rapidly evolving contemporary clinical research using these materials,” the course information reads.

A quick look at the syllabus reveals the course coverage of “Fundamental Concepts in the Neurobiology of Psychedelics,” including substances such as LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, sacred cacti and mescaline, DMT, ayahuasca and Amazonian snuff, MDMA, ketamine, and nitrous oxide. To cover this wide range of topics, Presti draws on expert sources such as “Raquel Bennett, Susana Bustos, Gül Dölen, Andrea Gomez, Ayize Jama-Everett, Bob Jesse, Dacher Keltner, Mariavittoria Mangini, Jennifer Mitchell, Michael Pollan, Sylvestre Quevedo, and Forrest Tahdooahnippah. “

In another first for psychedelics, on June 23rd, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its first guidelines for clinical trials of psychedelics. Tiffany Farchione, MD, director of the Division of Psychiatry at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, released a statement on the agency’s recommendations for psychedelic studies. “Psychedelic drugs are initially emerging as potential treatments for mood, anxiety and substance use disorders. However, these are still test products. Sponsors evaluating the therapeutic potential of these drugs should consider their unique properties when designing clinical trials,” said Farchione. “By issuing this draft guidance, the FDA hopes to outline the challenges associated with the design of psychedelic drug development programs and provide information on how to address these challenges. The goal is to help researchers design studies that produce interpretable results that can support future drug applications.”