SLEEP
May 1, 2026
Denise Vidot, Bria-Necole Diggs, Amrit Baral et al.
Among daily cannabis consumers aged 18–35, about 56% reported lifetime psychedelic use, with psilocybin most common (50%), followed by LSD (29%) and DMT (3.5%). Overall, 33% had subthreshold insomnia, 3.2% moderate-severity clinical insomnia, and 1.6% severe clinical insomnia. LSD and DMT were associated with moderate-to-severe clinical insomnia: 17.7% of LSD users vs. 0.0% of non-users, and 50.0% of DMT users vs. 3.6% of non-users. Psilocybin showed no significant association. LSD users also reported more frequent sleep-related interference with daily functioning. No differences were found in cannabis use for sleep or demographics by psychedelic use.
Cancer causes & control : CCC
April 22, 2026
Amrit Baral, Yue Pan, Wayway M Hlaing et al.
Among U.S. adults aged 50 and older, lifetime cannabis use was similar for cancer survivors (41.6%) and those without cancer (42.6%) between 2015 and 2019, while lifetime use of classic psychedelics like LSD (8.9% vs. 10.3%) and psilocybin (6.4% vs. 7.7%) was slightly lower among survivors. Co-use of both cannabis and classic psychedelics was also lower in survivors (11.2%) than in those without cancer (12.6%). By 2021-2022, these group differences were no longer statistically significant. Prevalence varied by cancer type, with highest co-use among survivors of head and neck, cervical, and hepatobiliary/pancreatic cancers. Substance use patterns among cancer survivors are not uniform and differ across subgroups.
Scientific Reports
December 8, 2025
Amrit Baral, Yue Pan, Wayway M. Hlaing et al.
Among older U.S. men, those who reported lifetime use of classic psychedelics alone had more than two and a half times the odds of a prostate cancer diagnosis compared with non-users, after adjusting for demographic, behavioral, and clinical factors. In men aged 65 or older, the odds were more than three and a half times higher. The analysis used nationally representative survey data from 2015–2019, covering 19,460 men aged 50 and older. Cannabis-only use and co-use of cannabis and psychedelics did not show a significant association. The authors suggest further research is needed to understand possible reasons and biological mechanisms behind this link.
SLEEP
May 1, 2025
Denise C. Vidot, Amrit Baral, Bria-Necole Diggs et al.
Among 18-to-35-year-olds in the Herbal Heart Study, 39.5% reported lifetime psychedelic use and 32.8% reported psilocybin use. Overall, 54.5% were satisfied with sleep, 23.0% dissatisfied, and 22.5% neutral, with no differences in sleep satisfaction across the full sample. However, among Hispanic/Latino participants, 33.9% of psychedelic consumers reported sleep dissatisfaction versus 17.2% of non-consumers. Hispanic/Latino psychedelic consumers had 4.4 times higher odds of both sleep dissatisfaction and satisfaction compared to being neutral; psilocybin-alone consumers had 9.2 times higher odds of dissatisfaction. No associations appeared among non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, or other groups, suggesting a complex link specific to Hispanic/Latino individuals.
Journal of Clinical Oncology
June 1, 2024
Amrit Baral, Yue Pan, Alberto J. Caban Martinez et al.
Among a large US-representative sample of adults, 14% reported lifetime use of classic psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, or peyote). Use was lowest among those with a past cancer diagnosis (12.3%) compared to those recently diagnosed (14.0%) or with no cancer history (14.1%). Each psychedelic was used more often by recently diagnosed than past-diagnosed adults. Among 18-to-34-year-olds, recent cancer patients had about 3.5 times higher odds of peyote use than those without cancer. In adults aged 50 or older, past cancer diagnosis was linked to 21% lower odds of peyote use. The findings suggest patterns of psychedelic use differ by cancer history and age, though the study cannot determine whether use preceded or followed diagnosis.