Lifetime use of MDMA or psilocybin is associated with lower odds of psychological distress and suicidality among White individuals, but these protective associations are far fewer for racial and ethnic minorities. Analyzing data from over 484,000 participants in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008–2019), race and ethnicity significantly moderated the links between psychedelic use and mental health outcomes. The findings highlight the need for further research on how identity factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and sexual/gender minority status influence the effects of psychedelic substances.
Lifetime use of peyote, but not other classic psychedelics, is associated with more than 50% lower odds of cocaine use disorder (CUD) in a nationally representative U.S. sample of 214,505 adults from the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Peyote also reduced odds for seven of 11 specific CUD criteria, with adjusted odds ratios ranging from 0.26 to 0.47. Other psychedelics (mescaline, psilocybin, LSD) showed either no association or increased odds of CUD. The authors suggest that third variables such as demographic or personality profiles of peyote users may explain the association, and call for longitudinal studies to test temporal links.
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.