JAMA Psychiatry
November 5, 2025
Kent E. Hutchison, Judith Hooper, Hollis C. Karoly
10 citations
Psilocybin mushroom use has sharply increased in the US, particularly among adults aged 19 to 50 years, with more than 7 million individuals reporting use in the past year. This trend has coincided with a substantial increase in poison control center calls related to psychedelics. Testing data from decriminalized regions indicate more than 20-fold variability in psilocybin potency and inconsistent levels of minor tryptamines across mushroom strains. Clinical trial data on synthetic psilocybin do not generalize to public use due to strict participant selection and controlled environments. Co-use with cannabis is common and may increase the risk of adverse events. The expanding use of unregulated psilocybin mushrooms, combined with high variability in composition and common co-use with other substances, raises urgent public health concerns.
Frontiers in Psychology
September 15, 2025
Judith Hooper, Jarrod M. Ellingson, Kent E. Hutchison
2 citations
Aesthetic experiences under psychedelics are vivid and meaningful but poorly measured. A new questionnaire, the Psychedelic Aesthetic Experience Questionnaire (PAEQ), was refined and validated in 365 past-year psilocybin users who completed an online survey. Factor analysis revealed four dimensions: sensory, affective, semantic, and flow. The scale showed high internal consistency (α = 0.90) and strong correlations with existing measures of mystical experience, emotional breakthrough, and psychological insight. PAEQ scores modestly predicted improvements in sleep, pain, substance use, anxiety, depression, and quality of life after psychedelic use. The PAEQ offers a psychometrically sound tool for capturing aesthetic engagement during psychedelic experiences.
May 22, 2025
Judith Hooper, Sarah Williams, Raeghan L. Mueller et al.
2 citations
preprint
Age and cannabis co-use influence the acute effects and therapeutic outcomes of psilocybin. In a cross-sectional study of 365 current psilocybin users aged 18–77, younger participants reported more adverse experiences, while older adults had milder subjective effects. However, age did not significantly affect mystical experiences, psychological insight, or psychological outcomes. Polysubstance use patterns varied by age, with younger adults more likely to co-use nicotine. Cannabis co-use was associated with greater improvements in quality of life, anxiety, depression, and alcohol abuse, suggesting potential synergies between psilocybin and THC.
December 10, 2025
Judith Hooper, Sarah Williams, Raeghan L. Mueller et al.
preprint
Among 365 current psilocybin users aged 18–77, younger adults (18–25) reported more adverse acute experiences, while older adults (55–77) had milder effects. Age did not significantly affect mystical experiences, psychological insight, or psychological outcomes. Polysubstance use patterns differed by age: younger adults more often co-used nicotine with psilocybin. Cannabis co-use with psilocybin was linked to greater perceived improvements in quality of life, anxiety, depression, and alcohol abuse, suggesting possible synergies between psilocybin and THC. The findings indicate that age and cannabis co-use may shape some of psilocybin’s acute effects and therapeutic outcomes.
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
January 22, 2024
L. Bidwell, R. Martin-Willett, Carillon J. Skrzynski et al.
Among people with anxiety symptoms who used cannabis flower about three to four times per week over four weeks, those using CBD-dominant cannabis (24% CBD, <1% THC) reported lower anxiety on the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale compared to those using THC-dominant cannabis (24% THC, <1% CBD), even after accounting for frequency of use. Immediately after use, CBD-dominant cannabis was also linked to lower tension and paranoia ratings than either THC-dominant or balanced THC+CBD (12% each) cannabis. All cannabis groups showed acute improvements in positive mood and some drug effects, and all reported reduced anxiety over the study period. The findings suggest that CBD-dominant forms may offer acute tension reduction that could support longer-term anxiety relief, without THC increasing anxiety.