People who have used psilocybin at some point in their lives have 30% lower odds of having opioid use disorder, based on data from a large U.S. national survey. No other classic psychedelic substances—such as LSD, peyote, or mescaline—showed a similar association. Psilocybin use was also linked to lower odds of meeting seven of the 11 diagnostic criteria for opioid use disorder. These findings suggest psilocybin may hold promise as a treatment, but clinical trials are needed to establish causality.
Hypertension disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities. Using National Survey on Drug Use and Health data (2005–2014), the authors examined whether race and ethnicity modify the association between psilocybin use and past-year hypertension. Hispanic identity moderated this association. Non-Hispanic White individuals who used psilocybin had 17% lower odds of hypertension (adjusted odds ratio: 0.83), but no such protective association appeared for other racial or ethnic groups. The results indicate that the relationship between psychedelics and hypertension may differ by race and ethnicity, warranting further longitudinal and clinical research.