Drug and alcohol dependence
January 1, 2025
James M Zech, David B Yaden, Grant M Jones
9 citations
Lifetime psilocybin use and past-year LSD use are associated with higher rates of cannabis use disorder (CUD) among U.S. adults. Analyzing nationally representative data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2015–2019, 2021–2022), the study found that people reporting use of these psychedelics had roughly double the risk of meeting DSM-5 criteria for CUD, including moderate-to-severe forms, after accounting for sociodemographic factors. Past-year LSD use also predicted three of eleven specific CUD symptoms among cannabis users. The findings indicate that naturalistic use of certain psychedelics may signal greater risk of maladaptive cannabis use, rather than supporting therapeutic benefits.
Journal of psychiatric research
November 1, 2025
Felipe M Herrmann, Grant Jones, Daniel M Low et al.
Increases in meaning in life, agreeableness, mindfulness, and extraversion are the psychological changes most strongly linked to future improvements in well-being after naturalistic psychedelic use. Increases in mindfulness, emotional stability, and extraversion are most associated with later reductions in anxiety, while increased self-esteem is most tied to decreased depression. Mindfulness was the only variable ranking among the top three predictors for all three outcomes—well-being, anxiety, and depression. These differing psychological changes may explain the mental health benefits observed after psychedelic use.
Journal of psychoactive drugs
November 9, 2025
James M Zech, Jérémie Richard, Grant M Jones
In a nationally representative sample of 139,524 adults, past-year LSD use was linked to 30% lower odds of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and 15.7% fewer AUD symptoms, while MDMA and ketamine use showed no significant association with AUD or its symptoms. The findings suggest that different psychedelics relate differently to AUD risk, with LSD specifically associated with reduced alcohol-related problems.