Medical students who report greater knowledge about psilocybin, less concern about its adverse effects, and more support for recreational legalization tend to hold more positive views about its medical use. A survey of 213 U.S. medical students found that these three factors together predicted favorable attitudes toward therapeutic psilocybin, with the model accounting for 57% of the variance. Notably, endorsing recreational legalization was linked to more positive medical-use attitudes, a somewhat counterintuitive result. The study highlights the need for better medical education on psilocybin as its therapeutic potential gains attention.
Among 161 pharmacy students at a southern U.S. school, 75% believed psilocybin should be decriminalized for therapeutic use, but only 34% supported recreational decriminalization. A regression model explained 57% of the variance in students' attitudes: more self-assessed knowledge, less concern about negative effects, and stronger support for both therapeutic and recreational decriminalization predicted more positive views on medical psilocybin. The average age was 24; 12% had used psilocybin recreationally and 1% therapeutically. Students reported minimal training on psilocybin and a desire to learn more, suggesting that attitudes may be shaped by knowledge gaps, safety concerns, and legalization opinions.