UC Berkeley Survey Finds Psychedelics Use Evolving

A recent survey by the Center for the Sciences of Psychedelics (BCSP) at UC Berkeley has found that the way people use psychedelics is evolving amid increased awareness and local legislative reform. Americans are more aware of psychedelics than they have been for decades, and the poll found that most survey respondents support regulating psychedelic-assisted therapies or at least decriminalizing psychedelics.

As with cannabis, psychedelics have benefitted from a nationwide wave of reform that has seen legislators in several states table proposals to legalize therapeutic psychedelic use. In addition, psychedelics have seen a significant surge in interest from the scientific community, resulting in a growing body of research that points to hallucinogens as a potential treatment for several mental disorders.

According to recent BCSP poll, 61% of registered voters in America are in favor of a “regulated legal framework” for medical psychedelic use with 35% strongly supporting the creation of such a framework. The poll is one of the most comprehensive surveys on psychedelic opinions among the U.S. public, coming at a time when psychedelics are enjoying significant mainstream attention and legislators across the country are debating psychedelic-related policies.

BCSP executive director Imran Khan explained that the organization aims to support the fledgling psychedelic industry by providing “trustworthy data and vital evidence.” The new survey noted that at least 47% of the surveyed U.S. adults have recently heard about psychedelics and 48% reported receiving messages about psychedelics’ potential as mental health treatments, the poll found.

LSD was the most known psychedelic at 96% of the survey participants, followed by MDMA at 91%, psilocybin (magic mushrooms) at 83%, mescaline/peyote at 67%, ketamine at 66%, and DMT, ayahuasca and ibogaine at 37%, 35% and 12% respectively. The survey also noted that 52% of the respondents said that someone close to them or they themselves had used psychedelics previously, and 48% reported using psychedelics within the past five years.

When asked why they used natural psychedelics, 73% said it was for recreational purposes, 39% for medical reasons and 32% for spiritual reasons. Furthermore, 27% said they used psychedelics for microdosing reasons, 25% for artistic reasons, and 16% for “something else.”

Although a majority of the survey participants were in favor of legalizing therapeutic use, 59% said that hallucinogenics were “dangerous” and another 59% believe that psychedelics can have negative and long-term effects on health. Of the 61% who support legalizing psychedelic-assisted therapy, 47% said that psychedelics were “not good for society.”

The work that industry players such as Seelos Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: SEEL) are doing is likely to foster more awareness about psychedelics, and those who think these substances are harmful to society could become a slim minority over time.

About PsychedelicNewsWire

PsychedelicNewsWire (PNW) is a specialized content distribution company that (1) aggregates and distributes news and information on the latest developments in all aspects and advances of psychedelics and their use, (2) creates PsychedelicNewsBreaks designed to quickly update investors on important industry news, (3) leverages a team of expert editors to enhance press releases for maximum impact, (4) assists companies with the management and optimization of social media across a range of platforms, and (5) delivers unparalleled corporate communication solutions. PNW stays abreast of the latest information and has established a reputation as the go to source for coverage of psychedelics, therapeutics and emerging market opportunities. Our team of seasoned journalists has a proven track record of helping both public and private companies gain traction with a wide audience of investors, consumers, media outlets and the general public by leveraging our expansive dissemination network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets. PNW is committed to delivering improved visibility and brand recognition to companies operating in the emerging markets of psychedelics.

To receive instant SMS alerts, text “Groovy” to 888-902-4192 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.psychedelicnewswire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the PsychedelicNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by PNW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.psychedelicnewswire.com/Disclaimer

Do you have questions or are you interested in working with PNW? Ask our Editor

PsychedelicNewsWire (PNW)
San Francisco, California
www.psychedelicnewswire.com
415.949.5050 Office
Editor@PsychedelicWire.com

PsychedelicNewsWire is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.

Archives

Select A Month

PsychedelicNewsWire Currently Accepts

Bitcoin

Bitcoin

Bitcoin Cash

Bitcoin Cash

Doge Coin

Dogecoin

Ethereum

Ethereum

Litecoin

Litecoin

USD Coin

USD Coin

Contact us: 415.949.5050