Journal of Psychopharmacology
October 17, 2017
Peter S. Hendricks, Michael Crawford, Karen L. Cropsey et al.
91 citations
Lifetime use of classic psychedelics, including psilocybin, is associated with lower odds of recent larceny/theft, assault, and arrests for property or violent crimes among over 480,000 U.S. adults surveyed from 2002 to 2014. In contrast, illicit use of other drugs generally increased the odds of these criminal behaviors. Lifetime classic psychedelic use was linked to higher odds of drug distribution, similar to other substances. The findings suggest a potential protective effect of psilocybin against antisocial criminal behavior and support further clinical research in forensic settings.
Acta Sociologica
January 11, 2021
Willy Pedersen, Heith Copes, Liridona Gashi
25 citations
Interviews with 50 psychedelic drug users reveal that their experiences consistently follow archetypical mystical narratives, including the transcendence of time and space, deep euphoria, and a sense of oneness with a larger whole. These narratives have clear roots in traditional mystical thinking but also reflect current cultural and political influences, such as themes of oneness with plants and animals and the need to protect nature. The findings suggest that mystical experiences from psychedelics have archetypical patterns but are shaped by culturally specific storylines.
Journal of Drug Issues
August 30, 2019
Blake Beaton, Heith Copes, Megan Webb et al.
13 citations
People who microdose classic psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin do not excuse their practice but instead justify it using six main strategies: denying that it causes harm, claiming it helps sustain themselves, pursuing self-fulfillment, appealing to normality, citing loyalty to valued groups, and emphasizing their knowledgeable. These justifications help align their actions with societal expectations. The findings come from interviews with 30 individuals who had microdosed.
British Journal of Criminology
October 7, 2023
Heith Copes, Jared Ragland
8 citations
People who use peyote in religious ceremonies define it as an 'earth medicine' that aids physical, spiritual, and psychological healing and must be respected. This narrative shapes how and when they use peyote—with intention and not recreationally—distances it from other drugs seen as harmful, and directs their physiological experiences. The symbolic meaning associated with the drug justifies its use and encourages continued use, suggesting that understanding drug use requires examining how discourse about specific drugs is incorporated into personal narratives.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2025
Haley Maria Dourron, Melissa Bradley, Otto Simonsson et al.
7 citations
Greater lifetime psychedelic use was not associated with psychotic symptoms in a cross-sectional survey of 548 adults, even among those with a personal or family history of psychotic or bipolar disorders. In unadjusted analyses, more psychedelic use was linked to less referential thinking, but this association disappeared after adjusting for covariates. A personal history of psychotic disorders was tied to moderately greater magical ideation, referential thinking, and auditory hallucinations, while family history of psychotic disorders related to slightly greater negative symptoms. Notably, among individuals with a personal history of psychotic disorder, auditory hallucinations were less severe as psychedelic use increased, with no such relationship in those without that history. Naturalistic psychedelic use may not heighten psychosis risks.
Journal of Drug Issues
August 22, 2024
Heith Copes, Andrew Hochstetler, J. Ragland et al.
3 citations
People who used peyote in a naturalistic setting reported four core areas of change: reduced drug and alcohol misuse, new perspectives on life, improved mental health, and improved physical health. The duration of change varied by type. Participants attributed these changes to an improved ability to endure challenges, rewiring of the brain, and connecting with spiritual selves. The findings suggest specific areas for research on peyote and psychedelics in clinical and therapeutic settings.
The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association
January 1, 2025
Melissa Bradley, Daniel Grossman, Otto Simonsson et al.
1 citation
Rural residents in the United States are 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely than urban residents to perceive using LSD once or twice as of great risk, based on national survey data from 2015 to 2021. The perception of monthly cannabis use as having great risk was slightly higher among rural residents only until 2019, with no significant differences in 2020 and 2021. These rural-urban differences in risk perception could influence policymaking on psychedelic therapies and highlight the need for equitable policies.
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
March 17, 2026
Haley Maria Dourron, Melissa K. Bradley, Heith Copes et al.
Interviews with 19 people diagnosed with non-affective psychotic disorders who had used psychedelics revealed that, while some similarities exist in altered thinking and meaning attribution, most participants reported that psychedelic experiences did not closely resemble their psychosis. Sensory alterations, emotional experience, sense of control, and self-experience were points of contrast. When asked which drug most resembled their psychotic symptoms, the majority endorsed cannabis, followed by dissociative anesthetics and stimulants. The findings suggest that psychedelics may not accurately model many symptoms of psychosis and that interpreting psychedelic experiences as broadly psychosis-like may be misleading.
Sociology Compass
February 26, 2025
Heith Copes, Haley Copeland, Lynne M. Vieraitis et al.
People accused of cultural appropriation often resist the label by either denying that cultural appropriation exists or by claiming that their own actions are respectful and therefore not appropriative. An ethnographic study of individuals attending peyote ceremonies—a sacred Native American practice—in a Southern U.S. state found that participants used these two strategies to maintain a positive identity and avoid stigma. Those who denied appropriation argued that peyote is for everyone, while those who acknowledged appropriation as a concept insisted that their respectful conduct exempted them from being appropriators. The findings highlight how broader narratives help people minimize accusations of harm.