Americans from boardrooms to living rooms to pharmaceutical labs are becoming increasingly open and curious about the use of hallucinogenic drugs.
Also called psychedelics, hallucinogens such as LSD, ketamine, ecstasy, and psilocybin, or mushrooms, can give users a euphoric out-of-body experience along with myriad physical symptoms, including blurred vision, heart arrhythmia, vomiting, and cold sweats.
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While some business leaders purport to use hallucinogens as a source of innovation, medical scientists continue to investigate the health implications of hallucinogens and the reasons why they are increasing in popularity among the general population.
Rising number of users
Estimates for the total number of hallucinogen users vary, with some suggesting that 30 million or more people in the United States use some form of hallucinogenic substances. The percentage of hallucinogen users based on survey data, however, clearly shows upward usage trends.
Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health found that LSD use among 18- to 25-year-olds increased significantly from 0.9% of respondents in 2002 to 4% in 2019. Although both ecstasy and PCP use declined during this time, the growing use of LSD among this population parallels the decreasing perception of risk in using hallucinogenic substances.
The National Institutes of Health found similar upward trends in its study from 2011 to 2021 among 19- to 30-year-olds, with hallucinogen use increasing by nearly 5% in 10 years. Marijuana use, which can produce similar effects to some hallucinogens, skyrocketed as well by 13% during this period.
Katherine Keyes from Columbia and Megan Patrick from the University of Minnesota conducted a similar study from 2018 to 2021. Although LSD use among 19- to 30-year-olds remained relatively constant, non-LSD hallucinogen use nearly doubled during the four-year period, from 3.4% in 2018 to 6.6% in 2021.
Cause of the rise
Keyes and Patrick found that the largest increase in usage of hallucinogens among young adults occurred during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and suggest that these substances may have been used as coping mechanisms for lockdown policies.
Although rates of alcohol use declined during the period of pandemic shutdowns, the use of other illicit substances, such as marijuana and opioids, increased along with the increase in hallucinogens.
“The role of the pandemic in changes in hallucinogen use among young adults remains speculative but underscores the need for additional surveillance,” Keyes and Patrick said.
The authors noted that although little is known about the addictive properties of most hallucinogens, patterns of dependency and other harmful consequences of long-term use may become more prevalent as they become increasingly accepted.
“Potential health harms associated with hallucinogen use need further investigation, especially in highly common modalities of use, such as microdosing …and co-use with other psychoactive drugs,” the authors wrote.
As the use of hallucinogens increases, so does their role in drug overdose deaths.
Psychostimulants with abuse potential accounted for nearly 32% of all overdose deaths in 2022, only outpaced by synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hallucinogens fall into the category of psychostimulants along with other drugs like methamphetamines.
Limited data on health benefits
Elon Musk took to Twitter on Tuesday to suggest that hallucinogens, particularly ketamine, are “a better option” than traditional antidepressants that are “zombifying” patients struggling with depressive disorders.
Depression is overdiagnosed in the US, but for some people it really is a brain chemistry issue.
But zombifying people with SSRIs for sure happens way too much. From what I’ve seen with friends, ketamine taken occasionally is a better option.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 27, 2023
There are several clinical trials examining the benefits of using hallucinogens to treat anxiety and depression disorders.
Silicon Valley and Wall Street executives have long backed research into using hallucinogens to treat mental conditions, in part because overcoming the regulatory hurdles for human trials in the United States using controlled substances is difficult to navigate.
One study from 2019, for example, found that ketamine had a “robust and rapid effect on depression, which was seen immediately after the administration of ketamine and sustained at the end of 1 month.”
American clinical trials for MDMA, the chemical compound in ecstacy, have also proved promising for the short-term treatment of severe post-traumatic stress disorder along with traditional behavioral therapy. Some analysts even suggest that the Food and Drug Administration may approve MDMA treatments by the end of 2023.
On Friday, Australia became the first country to approve MDMA for the use of PTSD, and clinical trials in both Canada and Israel have also shown promising results for the treatment. Australia also approved the prescription of psilocybin mushrooms for persistent depression.
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Yet, other medical experts are concerned the lack of longitudinal data on the effects of hallucinogens could be problematic.
“While preliminary findings on psychedelics are encouraging, current evidence is still insufficient to support extensive use of these drugs routinely,” according to a team of research physicians from the Mayo Clinic. “Long-term safety and efficacy of these compounds remain unclear, and several clinical trials are underway and may add clarity to these questions.”
