U.S. Psychedelic Use and Microdosing in 2025: Insights from a Probability-Based and Nationally Representative Survey.
M. Priest, B. Kilmer, Ben Senator, C. Setodji
Rand health quarterly June 1, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.7249/rhq-13-03-02 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
Use of psychedelic substances is becoming more common in the U.S., with several states considering policies to decriminalize or legalize them for nonmedical use. Survey data on 11 psychedelic substances show that microdosing—taking a small, sub-hallucinogenic dose on a regular schedule—is a prevalent practice, especially for psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA. The findings provide new information to inform policy debates about alternatives to prohibition.
Study at a glance
| Design | survey |
|---|---|
| Population | U.S. adults |
| Key finding | Microdosing psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA is a prevalent practice among users of psychedelic substances, and these data can inform policy discussions about alternatives to prohibition. |
Abstract
An increasing number of U.S. states are implementing or considering alternative policies to the prohibition of some psychedelic substances for nonclinical purposes. The authors present new data and analysis to inform these discussions with survey results on the use of 11 psychedelic substances and detailed information about the prevalence of microdosing (i.e., taking a fraction of a full dose, often on a schedule) for psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA.