Psychedelics are on the rise worldwide.

Psychedelia has been busy leaving its mark on the collective consciousness. Between Netflix series From books and podcasts to mushroom-themed yoga tights, you'd have to be living under a rock not to know that psychedelics are back from the land of the banished.

However, while enthusiastic researchers, psychonauts, and high-profile influencers sing the praises of psychedelics, how do ordinary people interact with these once-stigmatized substances? How has the growing momentum of the psychedelic renaissance affected the consumption of LSD, mushrooms, or mescaline?

One of the most effective ways to capture a snapshot of population attitudes and behaviors over time is through longitudinal research. Every year since 1975, the study Monitoring the Future Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the study investigated substance use among a nationally representative sample of adolescents. A longitudinal panel conducts follow-up research on a subgroup of these participants, tracking their substance use into adulthood. Participants report their drug use behaviors over three time periods – lifetime, past year (12 months), and past month (30 days).

Each fall, the research results are released. This year's results , released at the end of August 2022, They yielded some fascinating discoveries. . In 2021, 8.1% of young adults aged 19 to 30 reported using hallucinogens – the highest number recorded since 1988. Commonly used hallucinogens included LSD, MDMA, mescaline, magic mushrooms, and PCP (phencyclidine).

According to the research results, this increase reflects an ongoing upward trend. 4.6% of young adults used hallucinogens in 2016, compared to 3.4% in 2011. LSD use remained at the same level from 2020 to 2021, with 4.2% of young adults using the compound, but LSD use is also on the rise, increasing from 1.6% in 2011 to 3.0% in 2016. The number of young adults using hallucinogens other than LSD, such as magic mushrooms and mescaline, increased significantly from 2020 (5.2%) to 2021 (6.3%).

However, this increase in use did not occur with all psychedelics. MDMA was the exception, with its use by young adults decreasing in 2021. Only 2.6% of young adults reported using MDMA in 2021, a significant drop from 4.5% in 2020 and 4.8% in 2016.

According to Matt Zemon MSc, author of Psychedelics for Everyone According to HAPPŸŸ co-founder, the fact that young adults have moved away from MDMA in 2021 is understandable.

"MDMA, when taken recreationally, is often used in social settings," Zemon reflected. "Given that the amount of social opportunities was significantly limited in 2021, it is not surprising that there was a decrease in the use of MDMA." Quarantines and stay-at-home orders associated with the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 were probably not conducive to MDMA travel, which is more commonly used in clubs or festivals.

Zemon believes that several factors may be contributing to the increased use of psychedelics among young adults.

"The increased use of psychedelics among young adults may reflect a growing acceptance and understanding of the therapeutic value of these powerful drugs," he reflects. “This generation didn’t grow up being fed the ‘just say no’ narrative, and thanks to the published work of over 300 academic institutions studying psychedelic medicine, they can see the data for themselves.”

Zemon also points out that the increasing use of psychedelics among young adults may also demonstrate an awareness of the relative safety of psychedelics compared to other drugs. According to the research, for example, smoking among young people has been decreasing since 2004. The number of young people who smoked a cigarette in the last 30 days decreased from 21.2% in 2011 to 9.0% in 2021.

“A study by Dr. David Nutt in the UK on the relative harm of different drugs clearly shows that legal drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco, are significantly more harmful than illegal psychedelic drugs,” he says. "This data, along with data on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic drugs, is leading our young adults to demand a more honest discussion and a reformulation of our drug policy in the United States." "

However, Zemon also believes that an increase in depression and anxiety among young adults may also play a role in the increased use of psychedelics.

"The fact that psychedelic use among young adults is increasing shouldn't be surprising, since we're also seeing an increase in depression and anxiety during the same period," he said.

"Depression and anxiety are widespread among young adults."

According to a recent study by researchers at University of California, San Francisco, Rates of depression and anxiety in young adults are not only the highest of any adult age group, they have increased more than in older adults. Only thirty-nine percent of young adults with anxiety and depression are receiving counseling or medication, so this study may reflect the possible ways in which young adults are self-medicating.

It's not just young adults who are looking for mushrooms or LSD. The research also showed that psychedelic use was increasing among adults aged 35 to 50. The number of adults who used hallucinogens increased from 0.8% in 2016 to 2.5% in 2021 – a rather significant jump.

However, a closer look at age in this category offers more nuance: 4.5% of 35-year-olds experimented with psychedelic substances in 2021, compared to only 0.7% of 50-year-olds.

For Dr. Roger McIntyre, CEO of Braxia Scientific , the controlling company of KetaMD The research results for young people and adults highlight several important trends in the social and therapeutic landscape.

"First, there is a robust appetite in the general population for solutions to mental health-related problems, as evidenced by utilization rates in the survey," he says. "Psychedelics are not just a topic of conversation in academic and commercial circles, but also extend to the 'end user' – the person with mental health issues seeking innovative solutions."

McIntyre also believes that the research results demonstrate a growing acceptance of psychedelics. "The general public, which has historically been hesitant to adopt psychiatric treatments, is becoming more open and accepting of psychedelic-based treatments." He points out, however, that the use of psychedelics among the general population is occurring at a pace that is leaving clinical research, regulatory approval, and legislation in its wake. McIntyre sees this disjunction as a potential cause for concern, as widespread use may be premature without robust research to support it.

"The use of psychedelics should, for the time being, be confined to clinical research to better establish safety, tolerability, efficacy, as well as appropriate diagnostic application," he reflects.